Springfield weekly Republican. [volume], August 19, 1915, Page 6, Image 6

About Springfield weekly Republican. [volume] (Springfield, Mass.) 1851-1946

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MUSK AND MUSICIANS
SLUMBER SONG
Now let me sleep: the silver moon has risen;
The lamps of heaven are lighted tn the
sky:
The night is tranquil, and its gentle fingers
Soft soothe to rest and peace the weary
eye
’ Tall angels, redolent of mellowed radiance.
Swing golden censers, filled with incense
rare—
A dim. delicious sense of calm and comfort
Comes stealing through the golden-purple
• air
Now set me sleep, for fair celestial watchers
Shall linger by my pillow till the day.
To charm my spirit with seraphic music
that chides all thought of toil and care
i away.
And. in my dreams beside a shining river
I'll wander far. while o'er a perfect sky
• The fleecy clouds will sail to be reflected
Where golden-hearted water lilies lie.
Now let me sleep: The magic spell is closing:
Dear faces—voices tender, sweet and deep—
The swaying pines, the beds of dewy blos
soms—
Home, youth and love again: To sleep, to
. sleep:
I. AnrLxrcE Sherman.
Onntboeoot. N. H., July 14. 1915.
NATIVE COMPOSERS' DAY
EVENT AT SAN FRANCISCO
EACH CONDUCTS OWN MUSIC
■ Those Present Represent Continent's
Width. Front New England
- to California
The prospect of having eight American
musical composers of renown present in
- San Francisco simultaneously inspired a
celebration of the event on Sunday after
’ noon, the Ist. in the shape of "American
composers' day." The celebration being in
■ the form of a concert with the composers
leading during the execution of their own
compositions, gave the public, visiting and
otherwise, a rare opportunity to hear n
magnificent and unique concert, says the
Argonaut. The program was carried mt
as planned, except for the absence of
- Frederick Stock, Conductor of the Chicago
symphony orchestra. Of the seven uum
: hers on the program, only one was vocal.
’ The others were played hr the exposition
' orchestra under the leadership of the com
poser. with the exception of Mrs Beach's
‘ concerto for pianoforte, the composer her
self playing at the piano while Richard
■ Hageman led the orchestral accompani
ment.
Y George W. Chadwick headed the pro
.' gram with-his two overtures. "Melpomene"
and “Euterpe” The romantic beauty of
tis music, with which we have already
■ been familiarized, was ngain demonstrated
“in these two compositions. The flight of
•Mr Chadwick's muse never seems to be
come heavy. There is a grandeur in "Mel
-pomene" without dulness; "Euterpe," al
•; though it had the last word, not being
able to displace contemporarily the
' marked impression made by the more ee
-1 rions composition. until the exquisitely
: ethereal finale was reached. Mr Chad
t wick led with a blend of businesslike effi
ciency and a certain effect of scholarly
dignity with which his appearance is in
. keeping.'
W. J. McCoy of California was less m
t teresting as a leader than as a composer,
the prelude to act 3 of his opera. "Egypt."
revealing much command of orchestral
- resources One wondered if that grad
: iially rising tide of imposing harmonies
was a musical transcription of the flooding
•of the Nile;
A sensitive and picturesque imagination
was revealed in “A Northern Legend." by
Dr Horatio Parker, dean of music at
Yale university, and composer of the prize
- opera. “Fairyland." As with Mr Chad
..wick, diguitv and noise characterize Dr
Parker’s wielding of the baton. "A North
•. era Legend" is . haraeterized by a sort
' of religious austerity, qualified by rich
suggestions of the deeps of the northern
. soul. It reminded one of the dark-foliaced
'snow-laden pines and firs that we see pic
-.tnred under the mysterious northern light
in the Swedish fine art section.
The tone poem, "Minnehaha's Vision,”,
was the appropriate choice of Carl Busch
_ of Kansas City, whose composition, very
■ quietly and competently led. indicated un
mistakably although in strictly modern
' musical accents our inheritance of tradi
tion from the native red man.
. Although a very brilliant pianist. Mrs
H. H- A. Beach's best gifts lie more in
the field of rompontidn. in which her fame
- has reached to Europe. Rhe has not the
pianist’s ideal arm and hand, and it is.
on the whole, rather remarkable that she
accomplished what she did. Her concerto
in C sharp minor, although very enthu
. siastically received, was rather severely
virtuoso in style, even for a concert of
this kind, except the second part.
Miss Mabel Danie’s. who is building up
international renown for herself, led the
orchestra in iis accompaniment to her
t, strikingly beautiful ‘‘The Desolate City,”
a mystical tone poem for baritone and
■ orchestra, the vocal part having been beau
tifully- and sympathetically rendered by
Cecil Fanning of Columbus, 0. Miss
Daniels has a brisk, businesslike, efficient
‘ air in leading. She is a dynamic young
woman, and I rather suspect that she was
-■ present at several of Mr Fanning's re
- hearsals of the solo and assisted him in
■ his vocal interpretation. At anv rate it
was a remarkably intelligent and dramatic
.' one. the singer putting into his soft and
I velvety tones that mystical quality to
■ quired of such a composition. The words
.. of the song, adapted from the poem bv
Wilfrid Seawen Blunt, contain a sugges
tion of affinity with William Sharpe in
- hie Fiona McLeod phase: there is a svm
g holism there which we need not delve
- into too deeply to tear out the mystery.
The music is like a slow crescendo, grad
ually rising to greater and greater bights
.-• of the exaltation of a questioning grief-
It has a beautiful finale, mystical, rant
dreamily retrospective, and words and
-music constitute such an ideal mingling
of text and tone that, it is difficult to
- realize that, two separate intellects have
created "The Desolate City.”
f Ernest R. Kroeger of St Louis, who
has won wide recognition for his orches
,,tral compositions, made, as it turned out,
; a fortunate choice of bis suite. "Laila
Rookh.” It is in four parts, the opening
. one, “The Cavalcade." varicolored and
: exhilarating, seizing hold of the imagina
, tibn immediately. The audience gave close
1 and delighted attention through ajl four
movements of the suite, and it was nvi
~dent almost at once that “Laila Rookh"
, had made , the principal success of tho
concern Jt set. the imagination to work.
One saw stmrin-s of sunny thoroughfare,
lighted by the myriad hues of (he gav
. cavalcade. And there were the deeper
’ •wpod-ndtes indicating the romantic jnti•••
; eat w>^ying the gayety and rotor on rhe
; surface Ip the oensnons sweetness of the
• "Scattering of Hie Roses.” whose frng
•_ rtmro the imagination almost felt in the
orientally amorous languor suggested by
The Girls of the Pagoda," and in the
gayety and Joyful triumph of‘‘The Wed
ding Festival." the composer’s vivid fane?’
and romantic charm won a swift and
■charmed response from the auditors. Mr
Kroeger was simultaneously the most un
eonyenticnal and most vitalizing conduc
tor of them all. When he slipped his
American hand into his American pocket
he did it rhythmically. The orchestra as
well as the audience relaxed into a dif
ferent mrod.. The music had not hereto
fore been heavy, and the "Laila Rookh"
suite is not light. But it came somehow
with the effect of a living love story after
a study of scholarly documents, and by
the unanimity of the audience's response
demoiimg-ted the suitability of its place on
the program.
The exposition orchestra sustained its
usual standards under such unusual condi
tions and with so many diverse leader
ships. being led but once by its regular
conductor. Richard Hageman, who. eagle
eyed and brisk, sustained a more searching
scrutiny than usual from an audience bent
on the study of contrast.
GLANCE AT HISTORY OF MUSIC
’ How the Scale Developed and Some of
Those Whose Efforts Counted Most
A letter writer to the Omaha (Neb.)
Daily Bee has the following to say: The
splendid team work of 1000 male voices
(Maennerchor) of the cities making up
the Northwestern Saengerfest. on the stage
of the auditorium last week, speaks for it
self of the meaning of song to this the
first part of the 20th century. Few
. realize what a struggle the art of song had
in past ages to build music to its present
position—first through melody and then
harmony and then symphony.
The first scale of record in history is
one of three notes, made by the natural
inflections of the tones of the voice in
musical speech downward like the Greeks
sang their epic poetry. Thus: say hello
naturally to the telephone girl and your
voice will fall in tone on the low to the
musical interval of a fourth. _ If she does
not answer, you say it again, but. this
time your voice does not fall so far quite,
hut to the interval of a major third and
thus we have .the scale, say down from
middle C to C. A flat, G. Next we have
the scale of Sappho (610 B C.l not a
myth or a muse, but a real little woman,
with black hair and a sweet voice.
At the time of the Greek philosopher.
Pythagoras (532 B. C.L all of the seven
primary notes were in and a few of the
chromatic notes also; This was the seven
note -or diatonic scale in which the voice
struggled for some IS centuries to make
song in-melody and all through the dark
and middle ages to the time of the Italian
renaissance. Then instrumental music
came to the rescue of cantata music, by ;
the madrigals or songs of the troubadours
and menne-singers accompanied by their
stringed instruments.
Like them, too, Martin Luther broke
away from the droning, sing-song chants
and liturgies. of the ehnreh. still singing
like the Greeks in fourths and thus started
music in the melody of thirds with some
snan to it and a tuned instrument to
cheek the voice up to. and thus was modern
harmony born.
The five-note scales of the Asiatics,
where the voice went up to the fifth in
stead' of down to the fourth, has for
some, reason never developed harmony
and is very wailing to ns, like Chinese ana
Japanese music: or the hoot-che koot-che
of the streets of Cairo. The trouble dur
ing all these centuries was the "terrible
tritane in the scale, -called in the Middle
Ages "the devil in music.” They did not
realize that the octave was the natural
division of the scale, but they tried to
divide in the middle of the octave, but
there was the tritone of three full notes
-ifrom F to B>. To avoid this they made
two scales in the octave and the true
Greek pentachords start on E to F. G. A.
below, nnd the cne above. B, C. D. B.
These were simple scales of fourths and
major and minor, thirds and no tritone,
but very tame music.
They' knew that to pluck half of the
string made the octave above the whole
string, to pluck three-fourths of the
string, and you get the interval of the
fourth, two-thirds makes a fifth, four
fifths a major third, five-sixths a minor
third, etc., but they did not know that
two consecutive thirds make a fifth, and
three-thirds a seventh and by inversion
thirds become sixths and sevenths become
seconds because they did not know bow
to use the octave note, nor did they use
fifths and to them the fourths sounded
better than the thirds on which modern
musie is founded. Jt was the great choral
master of Italy. Palestrina (1524) who
brought an octave or diapason, music and
bridged around the devil in music at last.
It was Mozart, a German (1756> who
first made use of the baritone voice, that
made this saengerfest possible, for it is
the voice of the average man. Before his
time the Italians'made some of the male
voices take the soprano part along with
tenors- and bassos. Remember the tone
Of the Vhole string, as on it is founded
not only fundamental bass, hut the keys
of music whibh John Sebastian Barb
(1685), also a German, found out by his
ear alone and afterward proved by Helm
holtz (also a German who died in 1004,
whose mother was English' by the physics
of sound as mathematically correct. '
YOUNG HUNGARIz-N A “FIND ”
Nandar Zsolt Much Pralsr.l as Violin
ist and Composer
Fritz Kreisler's own pieces for the
violin, and his arrangements of melodic’
by the old masters, are now played by all
other violinists partly because of their
superlative charm, partly because most
of the violinists' old repertory is so hack
neyed. Referring to the outcry of many
violinists that there is hardly any good
and serious modern literature for the vo
iin. the English composer. Cyril Scott,
calls attention in the Monthy Musical
Record, to a young Hungarian violinist
named Nandar Zsolt, who, in his opin
ion, is supplying just , what the violinists
desire. He is a pupil of Hubay, whose
assistant he was for some time before he
made his home in England, Scott calls
him a lyrical composer, not so much on
account of tho small dimensions of his
best-known works, hut because of their
poetry and lyrical charm. Of his "Ber
ceuse," he say* that while filled with
dreaminess it esca]>ps the sickly senti
mentality so frequently exisiting in pieces
of that name, and adds that tho melody
is beautiful, and the harmonies modern,
but “in no sense excruciating or out of
place.”
"Valse Caprice.' evidently well named,
has struck out a new line in the use of
the whole-toned scale quite different from
Debussy's. A further recommendation for
this peace is that Zsolt is not afraid of
a melody, even if it he a “tune." but his
harmonic devices keep away banality. The
“Serenade Triste" shows another phase
of the young composer’s talent. The most
popular of Zaolt’s works.- “Dragon-flies.''
seemed to Mr Scott to be of less real
merit than the others, although brilliant
and taking. '• ■ ...
EVOLUTION OF THE SONG
Study nt Ike Llffhter Branches of the
Lyric Art
“The Song,” by George P. Upton (A.
G. MiClurg S- Co; $1), is an interesting
little volume describing the birth, evolu
tion aud functions <rf the lighter song.
The song is nnd»ubtedly one of the most
widely jippeuliag branches of the arts in
the world. It makes no difference in what
language it may be written. It is the
heart to which ihe melody appeals, and,
THE SPRINGFIELD WEEKLY REPUBLICAN: THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1915
nation to nation, the heart speaks through
one language alone—feeling.
Mr Upton dirides his chapters into dis
cussions and historical comments on vari
ous classes of songs such as “love so’ngs.
"patriotic songs" and "sea songs." He
traces each class of song from its begin
ning. and interlards his chapter with nu
merous quotations from the old famous
lyrics that have so endeared themselves
to mankind. An appendix to the volume
lists a large number of old favorites.
The book will, without doubt, appeal to
many lovers of music and to many people
who find in the song one of their greatest
jeys. An especially timely chapter is the
one on "patriotii songs." in which are
quoted practically all the national an
thems or the great nations now- at war.
besides many inarching songs, including
"Tipperary" and "D'ye ken John French?”
Other Note and Comment
Martinus Sieveking, the well-known
Dutch pianist and teacher, who has been
living in Paris tor some time, sends to
Musical America a very interesting letter
about conditions abroad. He is about to
leave Paris, with a few favorite pupils,
and get away far from the war zone by
retiring to the mountains. He is going to
locate for the summer near Grenoble, in
the Tsere. Sieveking has, I understand,
discovered what he calls “a new . piano
method." Certainly such a work from so
distinguished an authority will be of in
terest to many people. In spite of all the
misery that the war has created,, a few
musicians seem to manage to hold their
own. in Paris, and Sieveking is one. of
them.
The New Music Review, commenting
on the assertion made in the Evening
PosL. that Percy Grainger’s "Colonial
Song 1 has “the tenderness and depth of
feeling which we find in the songs of
America’s two great composers. Stephen
Foster and Edward MacDowell.” says:
“It is a pleasure to see this deserved
tribute to Foster who as a melodist has
not yet had his equal in this country. In
spite of Mr Krehbiel and some others,
the United States is a nation without folk
songs. Indians, Negroes (imitators and
adapters). Creoles may have their songs,
hut they are not the familiar folk songs
of the American people. Foster’s come
nearest to folk songs.”
Max Bruch, the German composer, who,
on his 70th birthday in 190$. declared.
“I shall writo no more, for the source of
my inspiration has dried up.” has just
completed, in his "Sth year, a new- work,
a concerto for two' pianos and orchestra.
It is the only composition of this kind
which has ever emanated from his pen
for Bruch, 'although himself a magnifi
cent pianist: has. strange to say. never
written anything of importance for the
keyboard instrument.
There has been a great demand for Ital
ian national rniisic in London, since Italy’s
declaration of war Tha music publishers
have been unable to cope with it and or
ders have been sent to Italy for supplies
of the Mameli hymn. “Frateßi d’ltalia."
the “Marcia Reale" and Mercaritini’s
"Hymn to Garibaldi.”
Bella Alten.. the incomparable Gretel
of "Hansel and Gretel," has been win
ning fresh laurels at the Volksoper in
Vienna, where she has lately appeared in
such parts as Susanna in "Figaro,” Ma
rie in "The Bartered Bride." and even
Eva in “Die Meistersinger.”
THAT BANDBOX VENTURE
Nice’ Thing;!* Are Being; Said of the
Washington Square Playe-g
It is now settled definitely that New
York is to possess during the coming sea
son a repertory theater, according to the
Tribune. This theater is to be opened
with no pomp and cirenmstance: it will be
circled by no diamond horseshoe; anti it
will be surrounded by none of the luxury
or wealth. Its growth, whatever it may
be. will spring spontaneously from the
hearts and minds of men and women who
love the theater for the art that it con
tains: men and women who ate determined
that their enterprise shall at least avoid
shipwreck upon the Scylla where found
ered the great playhouse in Central Park
west. Whatever barriers it may have to
pass, the impression that the- new project
is only a social toy will not he one. It be
gins in modesty, with no enemies and no
promises. If its troubles are before it
they at least are not behind it as well.
It enters upon the dramatic battlefield
with a clean shield, and. if it has yet tn
win its spurs .it has no past crimes' to
atone for.
The announcement of the Washington
Square players that they are to open a
season at the Bandbox theater is, indeed,
the most encouraging sign that has ap
peared on our theatrical horizon since the
founding of the New theater. At last
New York is to have a theater where the
new Dramatist will receive a welcome,
where ideas will not be scorned, where
even experiments will he permitted. This
much is evident from the few perfor
mances the players gave during the last
season.
These performances, whatever their de
fects, were of plays either by unknown
writers or by European masters, and in
then there was always a sincerity and
an idealism of spirit such as was rarely
found in the more pretentious theaters
of Broadway. In addition their staging,
at least in the matter of scenery and
costumes, was unusually good, at times
unusually imaginative; better, indeed,
than nine-tenths of the works seen upon
the New York hoards. The spirit animat
ing both players and audiences was, too.
vastly different from that which the
usual actor and spectator arouse in one
another. In short, the Washington Square
players have already shown that they
buth possess and value brains, and in
this knowledge they can face the future
unafraid.
This, needless to say, is the bright side
of the picture. That there is another
side goes without saying—there always is
in this imperfect world. A repertory
theater which is really to succeed must
possess not only plays, it must also possess
players. The young artists from Washing
ton Square proved last, season that they
have talent in their midst: but it is talent
that is as yet largely untrained and un
formed. Now, talent in itself will not
carry a theater to success—there must lie
schooling and zealous insistence upon the
'nest and only the best. The work of
the amateur is all very well when his
appearance wore as few as they were Inst
season; when the prices were low, and the
novelty fresh, but for a regular season
of repertory, with a hid for a far more
general support, the nmeteur must, be dis
pensed with, unles* ho can make hi* of
fering tho equal, if not the superior, of
that of the professional.
It i« to be hoped, then, that the Wash
ington Square players will welcome to
their ranks all who show ability, and to
allow ability alone to determine the com
position of their company. Of course,
there are actor* of ability whose tempera-
QUESTIONS ON THE DRAMA
"The British and American Drama ot
To-day” a Book for Study
An interesting method is disclosed in
"The British and American Drama of To
day" (Henry Holt & Co; $1.60 net), a text
book by Barrett H. Clark. There is a
life sketch of each dramatist considered,
»n analysis of one or more of his better
known play* aud a series of acute ques
tions regarding the writer's purposes and
technic, the effects he has obtained, aud
the like. This is, with minor exceptions
tire same method followed by Mr Clark in
nits earlier book. "The Continental Drama
of To-day.
The dramatist* treated cover a wide,
yet sensibly-chosen range. The Americans
are Bronson Howard. James A. Herne,
-^ugustus Thomas. William Gillette, Clyde
vr.?- ’’ Uliazn Vaughan Moody. Percy
\vu ase ’ .Edward Sheldon and Eugene
n alter, with brief notes on a dozen more.
*■ i 1 e leaders in the modern Irish revival
are discussed, and of the English writers
Wilde. Shaw. Barker. Ste-
Phen Phillips. St John Hawkin, Haddon
Chambers H. H. Davies. Galsworthy.
Masefield, Stanley Houghton. Gitba Sow
n- .’Baker. Barrie and John
tJswala Francis. The resumes of the plays
nave wisely been made not so full as to
discourage-reading of the work itself. The
comment and questions are intelligent and.
through hardly more distinguished than
J’ould be expected-in a textbook, and re
flect the writer’s appreciation of his matter
m hand.
NEW PEAYS IN NEW YORK
MUSIC, COMEDY AND FARCE
Six Opening, in Two Weeks and the
Return oi a Road Success
New Yorkers with the first night habit
have been pampered during the past two
weeks with no less than six openings,
The Last Lauglj” at the Thirty-ninth
street theater, of which a notice was
printed in these columns a week ago; "The
Blue Paradise," at the Casino: "The Girl
Who Smiles." at the Lyric; "The Boome
rang at the Belasco; "Search Me” at
the Gaiety and “Under Fire” at the
Hudson theater. This list will be
bountifully extended during the next
• ortnight. Ope or two of the
houses which heretofore have been
devoted to the legitimate drama, notably
tne Knickerbocker, will z be turned over
to motion pictures for the season, but
‘“® re ’ s te be no scarcity of theatrical
attractions of all the usual sorts.
"The Blue Paradise” seems, apart from
its rather clumsily fantastic name, to
have been warmly received by New York
reviewers, it is- a - Viennese ‘ operetta, the
music bwEdmund' Eysler and the adapta
tion by Edgar Smith, with lyrics by Her
bert Reynolds. The most notable feature
of its opening was the instantaneous suc
cess scored by Vivien Segal, a vivacious
and hitherto unheard of miss, who at the
last moment stepped into the part
which Mlle Chapine. a Shubert iniporta
tian from 1* was to have "raced.
Four-days' training at the hands of J. J.
chubert proved so efficacious in this case
that Miss Segal has already become news
It may be -hard on the thespians whom
the actors' fund is supporting, but real
new talent .is never so plentiful as to be
come anything other than most heartily
welcome. Cecil Lean is comedian in “The
Blue Paradise" and also with it are Ted
Lorraine and Hattie Burkes. Springfield
products: who were clever vauderillians
before breaking into the field of musical
comedy. The outlook for this offering
seems bright.
A Farce Set to Massie
“The Girl Who Smiles” is described
by metropolitan critics as a farce set to
music. These same writers see in it a bid
tor the success that came two seasons
ago to "Adele.” The work is by Paul
Herve as author. Jean Briquet as com
poser and Adolf Philipp and E. A. Paul
ton as adapters frbhi the French original.
It can be seen from this that the girl in
question will smile by way of maintain
inc the balance of neutrality against the
Viennese operetta that opened the week
before. Natalie Alt sines the leading role
and prominently associated with her in
the cast are William Danforth. Paul
Decker and. others. Fred Walton was
found by first nfehters not so funny in his
part as he could he if hrs chance were
greater. A daring appearance in fleshlines
by a young woman named Grace Leigh
seems to have be*n crerted with unsup
pressed glee by?;t^e: audiences.
Winchell Sniitlj a^d Victor Mapes are co
authors of the new-.fomedy, "The Boomer
ang." which Darid Belasco has produced at
the playhouse bearifig his name. The New
York Times promptly hailed this offerine a s
"a minor Belasco triumph.” The storv is
that of a doctor who Maims to know'the
remedies for jealousy. He takes a bad
case of the greemeyed plague under his
personal care. The boomerang effect is se
cured when he himself is attacked bv the
disease over which he has professed' such
mastery: Martha Hedman, the charming
Scandinavian actress, has an important
part as hav» Walfdce Eddinger and Ruth
Shepley. whose advance has been so rapid
since she was a stock favorite here a few
years ago. The New York opinion seems
to he that while "The Boomerang” cannot
be classed with “Marie Odille" or "The
Return of Peter Grimm,” it is its own suf
ficient excuse.
"Search Me," the new attraction at the
Gaiety, is by Augustin McHugh, of "Offi
cer 666" fame, and it would seem, cannot
stand up under close comparison with that
earlier success. It is a mystery farce
based on another of those supposedly im
penetrable tangles which have done duty
for so many years A ruby is stolen at an
English country place and every single one
of the guests must have been the guilty
party if all the circumstantial evidence is
to be trusted. Then there are other com
plications. Being a farce which meets dis
approval from the newspaper critics
"Search Me” is probably in for a long and
successful run. “The Girl from Utah"
with Julia Sanderson. Joseph Cawthorne
and Donald Brian returned to Broadway
at the Knickerbocker on Wednesday and
was well received. It will stay there‘a few
weeks and then take the road ■ when the
Knickerbocker is given over to the movies.
Roy Cooper Megrue Again
Roy Cooper Megrue's new play, "Under
Fire,” with William Courtenay, opened
Thursday evening at the Hudson. It is
based on the contention that love, hope,
sorrow and the other emotions of humanitv
co on in the trenches as they do in life
under other conditions, and although there
are no exploding shells nor ba.vonetings
"Under Fire” is distinctly a war play. Mr
Megrue’s new effort reaches Broadway in
time to double with his notable success' "It
Phys to Advertise”:and only a few weeks
after the departure of "Under Cover.” it
remains to be seen if it will be as fortu
nate.
“TWELFTH NIGHT” AL FRESCO
Ben Greet Company Appear, at North
ampton for Hospital Benefit
Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” was
very prettily played on an outdoor stage
at Wildwood, Northampton, Friday aft
ernoon by a company of Ben Greet play
ers under the management of L. M. Good
stadt. The entertainment was a benefit
for the Cooley Dickinson hospital and
drew an audience ot between 400 and
500 people. In view of the possibility of
rain duplicate tickets had been issued,
the second for use at the academy of
music, where the play would have been
given had it rained. Fortunately weather
conditions were excellent, apart from the
great heat, and that made the pleasant,
green grove with its shade and grasses
the more welcome a setting for the divert
ing comedy classic.
"Twelfth Night," while not so eminent
ly suited to outdoor productions as for
example "Midsummer Night’s Dream,”
yields itself readily to such treatment.
A majority of the scenes are actually
laid in Olivia’s garden, and auch as are
not, there being several in Olivia's house,
the. duke s palace and on the seashore,
suffer little by the absence of elaborate
attempts at scenic illusion. The stage
platform Friday was built dose against,
a thriving pair of chestnut trunks whose
foliage canopied the players, while pine
houghs and other greenery screened the
entrances.
APPEAL GOES TO MEXICO
CONFERENCE IS URGED
NO HINT OF INTERVENTION
Services of Any Country Represented
by Signers is Offered as Inter
mediary to Arrange
Meeting
The pan-American appeal to Mexico
now being delivered to the chiefs of fac
tions and governors of states was made
public at Washington Saturday night by the
state department. Without even an inti
mation of armed intervention it calls upon
the leaders to meet somewhere in Mexico
in neutralized ground in a conference “to
adopt the first steps necessary to the con
stitutional reconstruction of the country”
and to issue a call for immediate elections.
The services of the . United States or-of
any of the other pan-American conferees
are offered as intermediaries to arrange
the meeting.
The appeal, although addressed to the
political and military leaders, takes on
the form of an announcement to the Mex
ican people themselves. As made public by
the state department, the document is
prefaced by this announcement;—
"The Mexican people are informed that
the following communication has been
sent to many prominent persons in Mexi
co who possess authority or military pow
er within the republic.”'
Then follows the appeal dated at Wash
ington the 11th:—
“The undersigned, the secretary of state
of the United States, the embassadors
extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Bra
zil, Chili and Argentina, and the envoy
extraordinary and ministers plenipoten
tiary of Bolivia. Uruguay and Guatemala,
accredited to the government of the Unit
ed States of America, acting severally and
ndependently. unanimously send to you
ihe following communication:—
"Inspired by the most, sincere spirit of
American fraternity and convinced that
thev rightly interpret the earnest wish of
the' entire, continent, they have met in
formally at the suggestion of the secretary
of state of the United States, to consider
the Mexican situation to ascertain wheth
er their friendly and disinterested help
could be successfully employed to re
establish peace and constitutional order in
our sister republic.
"In the heat of the frightful struggle
which for so long has steeped in blood the
Mexican soil, doubtless all may well have
iost sight of the dissolving effects of the
strife upon, the most vita! conditions of
the national existence, not only upon the
life and. liberty of the inhabitants, but on
the prestige and security of the country.
We cannot doubt, however—no one can
doubt—but that in the presence of a sym
pathetic appeal from their brothers of
America, recalling to them these disas
trous effects, asking them to save their
motherland from. an abyss—no one can
doubt, we repeat—that the patriotism of
the men who lead or aid in any way the
bloody strife will not remain unmoved; no
one can doubt that each and every one of
them, measuring in his own conscience his
share in the responsibilities of past mis
fortune and looking'forward to his share
in the glory of the pacification and recon
struction of the country, will respond,
nobly and resolutely, to this friendly ap
peal and give their best efforts to opening
the way to some saving action.
“We, the undersigned, believe that if
.the men directing the armed movements
in Mexico—whether political or military
chiefs—should "Agree to' meef either in per
son or- by delegates, far from the sound
of cannon, and with no other inspiration
save the thought of their afflicted land,
there to exchange ideas and to .determine
the fate of the country—from such action
would undoubtedly result' the strong and
unyielding agreement requisite to the" crea
tion of a provisional government which
should adopt the first steps necessary to
the constitutional reconstruction of the
country—and to issue the first and most
essential of them all, the immediate call
to general election.
“An adequate place within the Mexican
frontiers which for the purpose might be
neutralized should serve as the seat of the
conference, and in order to bring about a
conference of this nature the undersigned
Or any of them will willingly, upon, invita
tion. act as intei'mediaries to arrange the
time, place and other details of such con
ference. if this action can in any way aid
the Mexican people.
“The undersigned expect a reply to this
communication within a reasonable time,
and consider that such a time would be 10
days after the communication is delivered,
subject to prorogation for cause.
“Robert Lansing, secretary of state of the
United States.
“D. da Gama, embassador extraordinary
and plenipotentiary of Brazil.
“Eno Suarez-Mojica, embassador extraor
dinary and plenipotentiary of Chili.
“R. S. Naon. embassador extraordinary
and plenipotentiary of Argentina.
“L. Calderon, envoy extraordinary and
ministe.r plenipotentiary of Bolivia.
“Carlos Marla De Pena, envoy extraor
dinary and minister plenipotentiary of
Uruguay.
“Joaquin Mendez, envoy extraordinary
and minister plenipotentiary of Guate
mala.” . .
Appeal Goes to Score of Lenders
The appeal went forward Saturday to
Gens Cmranza and Villa and to more
than a score of other military and politi
cal leaders throughout Mexico.' being
transmitted by cable, telegraph or wire
less. whichever method was required to
peach the desired destination. As replies
are asked for within 10 days after the
appeal is received, although the time may
le extended for cause, no further meet
ing of the Pan-American conference is
planned until they have been received or
until it may be apparent that some of
the Mexicans addressed do not propose
to reply.
The conferees expect within a reason
able time enough favorable replies to
warrant them in extending their aid to
arrange for the proposed peace congress.
Gen Carranza's attitude toward the ap
peal still is a matter of speculation. Al
though his position thus far hns been re
garded as defiant it is hoped the friendly
tone of the appeal may lead him to open
negotiations with the conferees. It is gen
erally believed he will reply by making
counter proposals upon which he would
agree to join in a peace conference.
In support of a government not repre
senting all the factions probably jt would
become, necessary to extend the plans for
the Pan-American conference An em
bargo on arms against, forces which
might oppose the new government prob
ably would he the first step.
GEN CARRANZA STICKS
Expected Not to Yield-—Dislike* Inter
ference
Gen Carranza's representatives in Wash
ington expect him to send an unyielding
response to the pan-American appeal ad
dressed to military' and civil leaders of
Mexico, urging them to join in a peace
conference for the restoration of con
stitutional government. They think he
will adhere to the position he took at tho
time of the Niagara Falls mediation con
ference last summer, maintaining that in
tervention by other nations in their affairs
is unwelcome to the Mexican people.
According to some of his friends in
Washington, Carranza in his reply will as
sert that peace already has been estab
lished throughout much of Mexico by his
own armies, that the government of which
he is tha head is constitutional and in full
control of the territory in which order has
been restored, and that upon transferring
his capital from Vera Cruz to Mexico City
within a few weeks he will agree to con
fer with all revolting factions. In some
quarters, however, it is suggested that
Carranza may consider a joint conference
if held in Mexico City and arranged on a
representative basis, delegates to be chosen
from the various factions in accordance
with the amount of territory controled.
Word was received at the state depart
ment Monday that both Carranza and
Villa had received the pan-American ap
peal, and Chief Clerk Parker of the Amer
ican embassy staff at Mexico City reported
that Gen Pablo Gonzales, the Carranza
commander, had promised safe conduct to
messengers who are to carrv tho appeal to
Gen Zapata and others. The department
announced Monday that no replies had
yet been received. When they come they
will not ho made public until Secretary
Lansing and the Latin-American diplomats
have had another conference.
Unofficial reports were received stating
that several of Carranza's generals had
referred the appeal to their first chief
and would not report personally.
Orders finally were dispatched Mon
day to the battleships Louisiana and New
Hampshire, on the way to southern wa
ters. to proceed at once to Vera Cruz.
They are expected to arrive there this
week, and Rear-Admiral McLean, on the
Louisiana, has been directed to assume
command of American naval forces in
Mexican waters. The gunboat Marietta,
now at Vera Cruz, has been ordered to
return to Proereso as soon as the battle
ships arrive. The Sacramento, halted by
a storm .in the gulf off the Mississippi
river., will not return to Vera Cruz.
“The battleships have been ordered to
Vera Cruz," Secretary Daniels said Mon
day. "to replace the gunboats which
will not return. The Marietta is returned
to Progreso because of complaints that
there is trouble there in getting the Ameri
can sisal shipments out of that port. There
are no further alarm'ne reports from Vera
Cruz and no trouble is expected. Since
Gen Carranza repudiated the anti-Ameri
can demonstrations there. Vera Cruz has
been qniet.” Th» battleship Connecticut,
Mr Daniels said, would remain for the
present in Haytian waters.
A message from Consul Silliman at Vera
Cruz reported that the bishop of Vera
Cruz, who had been imprisoned by Car
ranza for some time, had been released.
A state department dispatch from Tor
reon says the Villa garrison at Durango
has revolted and that the city has been
taken by Carranza forces.
IS TO BE CONTRABAND
A DECISION ON COTTON
Reached by the Allies—United States
to Resist
The allies' intention to declare cotton
contraband has been communicated unof
ficially but authoritatively to the state de
partment at Washinton. The department’s
advices are that the decision has been
■ reached and the delay in making an an
nouncement is due to the necessity of ar
. ranging uniform treatment of the sub
ject by all the allies. The step has been
agreed upon by Great Britain. France.
Russia. Italy and Belgium, but Japan’s
attitude has not been defined and she
may decide that no action is called for
from her at this time, because of the
elimination- of the only German colony in
■the far East from the military problem
and the absence of any reason for a
blockade.
Ever since the application .of the Brit
tish orders-in-council to cotton, among
other American products, the entente al
lies have felt that some more effective
and less burdensome method must be
found for dealing with cotton and pre
venting its entry into Germany and Aus
tria. The allies contend that American
cotton shippers, in many, cases, alleged to
be backed by German capital, have been
shipping cotton to Germany through neu
tral ports. Under the orders-in-council
such a cargo if captured was merely
taken into a British port and paid for by
the British government. The allies con
tend that under those conditions a great
deal of cotton got thfoughSweden,Denmark
and Holland into Germany. From the allies’
point of view, the orders-in-council were
ineffective because they obliged the Brit
ish government to buy cotton and at the
same time offered an incentive to blockade
runners.
According to the advices reaching
Washington the pressure in England and
France has compelled a change. The
British government originally regarded
cotton as noncontraband and expressed a
desire to avoid inflicting hardship upon
the southern planters and to avoid devel
. opment of an anti-British feeling in this
country. The change to contraband will
be defended as authorized by interna
tional law. Great Britain protested
against the American blockade of outgo
ing cotton from the South during the
civil war and had refused to recognize
it as contraband during tho Russo-Jap
anese war but will now contend that radi
cal changes in the conditions of war
fare since that time justify a change in
attitude.
The entente powers, according to ad
vices at ’Washington, expect that the
state department will resist making cot
ton contraband and are preparing to base
their action on American precedents. The
advices reaching Washington indicate
they intend to argue that both Presidents
Lincoln and Johnson in formal proclama
tions issued in April. May and June, in
1865, went on record as maintaining as
contraband of war "materials for the fab
rication of ammunition.” That cotton has
taken the place of saltpeter, always rec
ognized as absolute contraband, 'i n the
manufacture of gunpowder will be held
to be an established fact and by way of
convincing the state department to 'that
effect attention probably will be directed
to a letter bj' Secretary Hay to W, W
Rockhill. American minister to China dur
ing the Russo-Japanese war. stating that
the American ordnance officers whom he
had called into consultation regarding tho
Japanese blockade orders had advised him
that cotton was used in the manufacture
of smokeless powder and so must be prop
erly regarded ns contraband of war.
It is expected that some sort of ar
langement will be proposed by which the
allies will engage to allow cotton to travel
unmolested to neutral countries in quan
tities in proportion to their normal con
sumption. What the effect will be on the
American rotton growers is the subject
of contention. The allied powers are pre
pared to argue that it will not be far
reaching.
The cotton interests have for some
time been alarmed at the prospect and
it is known that the state department has
been preparing to resist the new move
with every means at the command of
diplomacy.
THE WAR ARGUMENT
To the Editor of The Republican:—
Lucy Stone, the pioneer suffragist, whose
anniversary is celebrated this week, made
a graphic answer to the plea that women
ought hot to vote because they do not
risk their lives in war. She said:—
"Some woman risks her life for her
country every time that a soldier is born
into the world. Later she does sentry duty
over his cradle, and for years she is his
quartermaster and gathers His rations.
And when that boy grows to a Tnßh. shall
he say to his mother. ‘lf you want to vote
you must first go and kill somebodv’? It
is a coward's argument!”
Alice Stone Blackwell.
East Orange. N. J.. Augvst 10, 1915.
LINES IN A MEADOW
Oft have I wandered in these quiet fields
When early spring was smoldering along
The dreaming highways, and mine' inner ear
Was always conscious of a luring song.
To-day. after long years. I walk again
These simple pathways and mine ear' is
ware
Still of a song, but oh: how different.—
The echo of the song that once was there.
The still moon climbs the golden stair. The
night
Is rustling all about me with vague sounds;
And stars, like sentinels, across the waste
March on their lonely rounds.
It seems the same. The meadows dip as yore
Down to the sea, whose creeping foam
spies pause
Before a sentinel that guards the place—
The youth that once I was.
HmBBBT S. Gorman.
Springfield. July «8. 1915.
SIREN SONGS
The nations sink in whelming seas of woe
And raging madness, dreaming war is rife
With fame's fruition. Anguish shall they
know
When rent beneath the ruthless wheels of
strife.
Entangled in the toils of death are those
Who list to siren songs and subtleties.—
Who float upon a flood that overthrows
Humanity on continents and seas.
Dire, deluding mockeries are dreams
That lure the people from the path of peace
To tread the horror-haunted trail that seems
To point to pinnacles of glory-cease!
Ye nations, cease! to halcyon waters come!
One draught of peace will heal delirium.
Amelia Robbins.
If etc York City. July SO., 1915. .
SWEDEN AND FINLAND
A Discussion by a Swede ot tbe Mo
tive That Might Lead Hi* Country
to Participate in the War as Ger
many’s Ally
To the Editor of The Republican
In to-day’s paper you have an editorial
under the heading. "Sweden and Finland."
In this editorial you seem to understand
only the Russian side of the story; at least
it is only that side you relate in your
editorial. I suppose you do not under
stand the Swedish side of it and that is
the reason you do not let your readers
know it. I think I can let yon know our
side of it and hope you will profit by it.
First let me say that if Sweden .should
go to war against Russia it would go to
war. not to gain Finland, as Sweden al
ready has too much territory^ and most
certainly not to help Germany, as-Ger
many has already shown that she can hqlp
herself. No, if Sweden goes to war. which
I very much doubt, it would be only to
give freedom to its brothers in Finland.
Sweden does not want one inch of terri
tory. And the Finns themselves would
certainly welcome the Swedes with open
arms, because Sweden stands now as it
always did, if you know anything about
her history, for liberty.
You say that Russia did not take away
the liberty of Finland until she had been
convinced of Sweden's distrust. Now
ns a matter of fact. Sweden's distrust of
Russia started in 1700.
Why do you not let your readers know
that since this war started Russia has tak
en prisoners several members of the Fin
nish Diet and the Finnish supreme bench?
You most surely know of tbis. as it
brought on a bigger distrust of Russia In
Sweden and Norway than anything else
because by so doing Russia laid away the
last part of Swedish civilization in Fin
land. Now there are only Russian judges
in the Finnish supreme court.
You say that Finland has been the most
favored of Russia's provinces. It was
not most favored by Russia. You appar
ently do not know that Finland was not
ceded by Sweden. 1808-69. until Russia
had promised that it would let Finland
stand free from the rest of Russia in
everything except that the czar should be
grand duke of Finland with no more pow
ers than the king of Sweden had before it
was hist to him. Finland was to have
the old Swedish constitution and to be
ruled hy a Parliament.
All this has since 1898 been taken away
from the Finns, and then you call this
being favored! How can you as a free
American stand up for anything like this?
Now Sweden was. as you know, one of
the guarantors of Finland's freedom from
Russia 11809): would you like to see Swe
den stand with folded arms and see one
after another of these liberties taken
away from Finland without trying to help
her to freedom if she could? ..Most sure
ly such a course in that case would fie
perfectly intelligible, but how it would
promise badly for the future peace of the
world I for my part cannot understand,
as Sweden is a peaceful country and has
not for 100 years had a war, while Rus,
sia in the last 200 years has had 165
years of war and 35 years of peace. If
anything, in my opinion, it would show
that the way it is now is not for the fu
ture peace of the world.
Also your criticism of onr King Gustaf
in "shaking his throne," ns you call it.
for a bigger defense I am sure you would
find very commendable in any other king
The criticism of Sven Hedin I leave
to its face vain?; his views are his pri
vate views, and he has as much right to
them ns you have to your views. And
his alarmist pamphlets; as yon cal] them,
are not so very alarming after all, as yon
would know if you had rend then), as he
merely wanted a year’s military training
for the Swedish army, as against three
years' military training for republican
France and five years for Russia. And a
mar. ought not to be criticized for being
pa triotic.
I cannot go into detail as I should like to
so hope you will take a more favorable
view of the Finnish side of the question. If
any nation needs the sympathy of the world
it is Finland, and you Americans who
claim to stand for liberty and freedom
ought to as far as you could help her to get
the same measure of it as you have.
Try to take a little more favorable view
of the Swedish side of it also. I for my
part can see no more wrong in the wish of
the Swedes and Finns for the reunion of
their countries than, for instance, the so
much advertised “Italia Irredenta.” And
take into consideration also the small na
tion of 5% million peoples as rompnred with
Russia's 165 millions. Yon should not b?
surprised for the small nation's fear of the
big nation’s aggression when she has had
many wars against the latter the last
time was invaded in the middle of peace
without declaration of war.
Let me end my letter by saying that only
in the imagination of England has there
ever been any such a thing ns pan-Swedish
oi Pan-German propaganda in Sweden. If
there had ever been any such a thing as
pan-Swedishism, how do you account for
Sweden not keeping Norway in the union
in 1905? As for Swedish intrigues in Fin
land. that is too childish to bother about.
If I by this letter could change your
views a little I should feel I had accom
plished something. H. Berg.
Springfield, August 11. 1915,
DISAPPOINTING
[From the Louisville CourierJounial.J
"Ferdy had one great disappointment
while in Greece."
“What was that?”
“He couldn't find anybody who beloug»d
to a Greek-letter society.”