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Under this kind of pressure, it is not surprising that Wright would make sweeping statements to the newspapers.

Miriam had not yet goaded him into mentioning her directly, but one can feel the generalized anger in Wright's remarks to reporters when he was asked, one morning on arrival in Chicago, what he thought of the city as a whole.

First, Wright said, he was choked by the smoke, which fortunately kept him from seeing the dreadful town.

But surely Michigan Avenue was handsome??

`` That isn't a boulevard, it's a racetrack ''!!

Cried Wright, showing that automobiles were considered to be a danger as early as the 1920's.

`` This is a horrible way to live '', Wright went on.

`` You are being strangled by traffic ''.

He was then asked for a solution of the difficulty, and began to talk trenchant sense, though private anguish showed through in the vehemence of his manner.

`` Take a gigantic knife and sweep it over the Loop '', Wright said.

`` Cut off every building at the seventh floor.

Spread everything out.

You don't need concentration.

If you cut down these horrible buildings you'll have no more traffic jams.

You'll have trees again.

You'll have some joy in the life of this city.

After all, that's the job of the architect -- to give the world a little joy ''.