Evening public ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, June 12, 1918, Postscript, Image 10

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Hi5K. CURTIS. rttnKT
w Hmiiiivn, view rirngvnti ainnn V.
MTftarr una Treasure ri Philip S. Collins.
VIIHama, John J. Spurseon. Director.
.EbrToniAt.-ru-iAnn!
CtaCi II. K. Ccniu, Chairman
, BM1LET.. Editor
I ..MARTIN. i..acnoraI Bmlnets Manasrcr
ri llr at Pratta lm Oulldlnr.
tvpvnunnca oquare. rnuaaeipnia.
BKTaal... ..Ilrnatl anil f?halnut 5Hrfa
I Cm.. i.....Prrt.IInlem nutldlncr
I 200 Metropolitan Tower
40.1 Turd llullillnc
inns Fulterton liulldlns;
...i:02 Tribune Uulldliur
ri XEyra bureaus: .
jtmrroK ncirtuo.
P. k. war. l'ennarivanla JVve. ana Uln-m.
oi Iiciiau Tho Sun Ilulldlnlc
K Bmmu.. London Timet
' ) v. subscription terms
r Xtamvo Pcblio LtMra Is served to sub-
ra In Phlladelnhla. anil surrounrllnr tnwna
rata of twttva .12) ccnU per week, payablo
1 carrier.
mall to points' outside of Philadelphia. In
aixea mates. Canada, or unllMl mates po
M. poatac free, fifty (.'01 cents per month.
all fAMtlfn rmlntrlea nn fill rinllar wp
Jmmk.
IleTire subscribers svlshingr address chanced
Ban sjiTa via as wen as neir auaress.
Ink. MO WALNUT KEYSTONE. MAIN 3000
X'Aidre alt commnntenttona to Eventno Public
WtLSJ.ter' Independence- Bqiiort. Philadelphia.
''.. wins) it tm rnrucctrnii rest orricx a"
' l-i.;- sneoso cLiat win. march.
Ml '
45?, PMMelpala, WtAnniijT Jane l:, 1911
Jf'O . J-
'$'-STAKE IT TO THE HIGHEST COURT
'X -a.
1 r7 MHB decision of the Common Picas Court
lMl""jthat the rule of Councils requiring a
;t-thlrds vote for the making of a speclnl
lVia .Utillllnnnl , nn.no.l. t Inn aw tim n tfnnefflr
nlfi' toy appropriation already made docs not
lji.ly to the transfer of $250,000 made lust
rwinter should not be regarded as final. Nor
JatftsMlM Ihp tpstlmr fif thr. v.llldltv nf the
Fraction of Councils be left to taxpayers or to
fi.7aMrons who wish to collect the money due.
E"-!atre Supreme Court Is open for consul
rKieration of such questions. And the City
Rwltollcltor 1st the legal adviser of the local
M "IfViernmeni, vvno suouiu asK ine iiikiu'si
I1?urt to paas uIn disputed questions. He
ffirfjjliJ5pot merely the paid attorney of Conn-'
MrlHiT exPeclEl to detenu its quesllonntile
Stlfeaitt. 'He Is the attorney of the Controller
; well, who looks to him for guldnnce In
fejthaVdlsbursement of public funds.
Sjdfl'.The question at Issue In the transfer of
t.pproprlat!on3 is a technical one, on its
"jism piuci vn no iuiiiivtii aiuc 1L HUt. lu
, tMa fundamentals of popular rule. Vare
tfleontrol of Councils was destroyed at the
B.)st .election, for enough Councllmcn of
lihe opposition were chosen to prevent the
tnuuse nf nnv resolutions rpfmlrlnir tu'ri-
tHSllrdn mnlnrltv. Ttilt n rnQnliiHnn tvliloh
Svwparently retiulred such a majority accord-
I vsiar tn ftin rulAa nit tnmmnil tVifinrrVi lit.
I V" 1. -" """ '" """ """." "J
I .vi ainaiier iuie, anil ine lower couri says
Yi i vote was enough to pass It. The lower
fe jWU" may bo right. But the men who are
(Caged In the tight to better conditions
rould like to have the view of the Supreme
Court. The dutv of ths Citv Sollrltnr ii
-,. '. "
If j OTVIOUS.
!K -..... .. .... ..
;-X -riiicism ut ine new -mencan war
L-VasMlala nnlv m.il:oi ihplr tvlnnpn uhlnn rh'
mx ;
mvk: i ..
l'tfn.iuruuuirii; on geinlkal wood
.i'XJfWpSE portions of Secretary Baker's
F;''P',wrDlanations', In thn Spnntn rnmmltlrp
jS'Silph have been allowed to transpire to
R-.,-.nsaVDUDllc must be wliollv unsritlsfactiirv
iBlin adequate answer to the demand for
Bs for shelving General Leonard
footLf
p'ilf he Secretary of War Is nfrald to state
pjairly the causes which Inspire such
'l ihibby treatment of this apparently excel-
l.lSjf-BpIdler. then the matter Is Important
'"JMUfh to call for a statement from the
TMioent nimscii, to whom, by tile way.
r.'ilbv'pB4ker now seems to have passed the
w wponiDiiity directly by declaring that the
r,Mtalon lies with the commandcr-ln-chlcf.
"ti i nasty episodes like this which, if
.. promptly and candidly cleared un. lead
"ill-juaplclon and distrust, and often do more
vsKjiuucnnine cunnuence in ine wisaom or
kV jLta.AIl.lln InnAHnUIn . U . I..
Kkes made In good faith.
-There Is a souare deal still rnmln in
F. ;;"i)ral Wood, and It ought to come soon.
9 ' fS X '
F rtiHas Garabcd gone to Garabedlam?
Am.'
'X companion beith
Stf WiBFlTE of our constitutional prohibl-
Uoh airainst "titles of nobility," Amer-
'like to see foreign friends decorated.
ti'a pleasure to learn that Major John
r.BeJth, better known as Ian Hay, has
.created a Companion of the Order of
'3fKlsh Empire In the recent birthday
i conrerrea Dy King Ueorge.
Ian Hay has been very useful In knlt-
f'together the two English-speaking na-
; In ma books, newspaper articles and
hes and In his travels on this contl-
tv.h'eJias been unwearied In the task of
etlng the two countries to each
His humor, his sympathy, his quiet
. sane persistence In telling us what we
'to know about England and In tcll-
P'Ht: ..England what she needed to know
p-.u tiatv MUliit; vuiuaujc 11 una. li is
-to know that his success as an In.
L tMJNU' ambassador has been appreciated
R UlftMMmf T.'nrl tit A.Brtn .,.. n 1.
If more than the Kateer'a bell-hop.
13. 73 rB11r IWTttv TtWT cr-tlriiro
r '."!. ttui wast inc. jLv.nr.i1 r
SMS a pity that publication of such
'interesting document as President
fa address to the .Mexican editors
I MM tainted with the Information
tiwas deliberately suppressed and
.from the American public for four
i'juid only, then first came out by way
City.
fclrexamlnatlon of the text falls to
i-may Internal evidences impelling
;s)crtcy, There Is little or nothing
(Hostile criticism from Americans.
UHh hand, there was every rea
bcWlleVe that Its 1mm dlate effect
l quite as Inspiring to the "North
(as the tlcrman editors like to
la to Ihe more southerly Amerl-
civer. It la hard to see how
i publication In the ordinary and
l.,00tirpe could have detracted from
: ill the Mexican people, since tele-
(oie service to tneir country
Iton Js uninterrupted.
i jnjury to public Interests was
'wrought In this particular In
put once let this Idea become ac-
Vl.-J-i. V-.i .u.. .-,i ........
' SMtflwuuiiau uiiu n iiu cuii icji wuui
i mmiw might arise In the future?
UMrMston, except for military
tifm , jfiwvv w cbiiu4UQ a.cnp
- .asiB4 "slaaraaa rf lamllrv nt. arafsa-aeaa
IjlPllfffnMMr. xlt macks too much
i jrwB-wioeinff
' 41 aplslaWylaVWil1 (
', .i'r -' I'VW . ' 15151
'g 4 ui-y l v Tr r
MR. WILSON TO MEXldO
The President's Address Is Another Effort
to Use Truth as a Sword
PRESIDENT WILSON, in his nddrcss
to the Mexican editors, again reveals
his familiar conviction that simple truth
and decency can accomplish more in the
end than an army with banners.
The novelty and audacity of his com
plete frankness rivc force to Mr. Wil
son's method. On this occasion he spoke
not alone for Mexico, harassed and be
deviled as it is by swnrms of German
spies, propagandists and agitators. His
address was intended to have echoes in
nil of Central America and in South
America ns well. It is n prjicrcssive
step in the Administtntion's policy of
unifying the political and sentimental
interests of the whole continent, with a
view to future peace and strength. That
such a policy ultimately will serve utili
tarian ends goes without saying.
. In the main the President's statement
of principles will not sound strange in
American cars. But the necessity and
wisdom of some such statement nre evi
dent when one remembers that it is likely
to amaze all of Mexico and most of Cen
tral America, where Germany has been
working as feverishly with destructive
propaganda as she worked in Russia
and for similar ends. It is said that the
Mexican editors were themselves amazed
nnd delighted at Mr. Wilson's direct pro
nouncement. There is little doubt that
such a statement of policy from Wash
ington will have a favorable reaction
throughout Mexico and that it will
strengthen the hands of hose whose
difficult, job it is to fight the German
plotters in that particular field.
The President made it plain that he
talked not for himself, but for the Ameri
can people. He was, as a matter of fact,
the spokesman for the American con
science. Americana have never felt the
shadow of a desire for conquest in
Mexico. The tragedy of previous com
plications is in that Mexicans themselves
never believed this. Many of them will
lefusc to believe it now. And yet, if
the people in the United States were not
nil free of any such fantastic desire the
President could never have assumed the
attitude of complete friendliness and of
trust which is reflected in his address to
the ninety-five editors who came here
from Mexico to study us at close quar
ters. Secretary Baker says that there bus
been no Anal decision as to what tn iln with
Leonard Wood, but that "there is no preju
dice" asalnst him. Why did he not say that
there Is a lively appreciation of the general's
abilities?
TWO THINGS IOR GERMANY TO
REMEMBER
rPWO points in Secretary Lansing's
notable Union College speech deserve
attention.
The first is his description of the
enemy we are fighting. In the early days
of our participation in the conflict much
was said in Washington about the dif
ference between the Imperial German
Government, against which we had de
clared war, and the German people. The
President said time after time that we
were not making war on the German
people. He apparently had some hope
that by expressing sympathy with the
democratic aims of the Germans he could
detach large masses of the population
from the support of their Government
and hasten peace by complications within
the German empire. He has apparently
abandoned this hope.
Mr. Lansing does not say now that we
are making war on the German people,
but he says we are fighting Prussianism,
and he confesses that the Prussians have
been convinced by their rulers of the
mission of their race to control the world.
There is apparently a lingering hope that
the non-Prussians of Germany may be
come the psychological allies of the
forces which arc fightingPrussia.
Events will show whether that hope has
any foundation.
The second point is the Secretary of
State's formulation of the ends that must
be attained if the Entente Allies are to
be victorious. He says that "the dream
of 'Hamburg to the Persian Gulf and of
an enslaved Poland and Russia must be
dispelled." This means more than the
defeat of Germany on the western front.
It means the destruction of the military
power of the Kaiser and the dictation to
the States of Central Europe of the
terms on which they may live in the
immediate future. It is a restatement in
brief, lest they be forgotten, of the Presi
dent's fourteen conditions on which
peace can be made.
The title of the latest war atiaH, "Battle
fields of Today," might well bo revised to
read "Victories of Tomorrow."
A RIFT IN THE RUSSIAN CLOUDS
QOME sort of unity Is growing In Russia.
This is apparent In the frank appeal of
the cadet or burgeoiste representatives for
American aid. Evidently organized lawless
ness cannot last there much longer.
The majority of those who led Russia
to the stake were graduates of the soap
box school of radicalism that still flourishes
undismayed upon American street corners.
The most numerous people In the world
gave Itself up to a test of their singular
philosophy. The result Is tumult and con
fusion such as has never before afflicted
any community In tho world. Hunger and
riot, pestilence and death nnd shame now
rule In I'etrograd and in Moscow, And If
Russia Is ever to be saved from tho bar
barous oppression of Germany, If ever the
peoplo who went adventuring In search of
freedom are to be spared from a slavery
more bitter than that which they have
escaped after centuries of agony, It wlU bo
through the voluntary aid and sacrifice of
the Governments which their false prophets
opposed and denounced.
The most terrible force In the world Is
aggressive Ignorance. The appalling col
lapse of Russia means nothing to an In
curable radical. The soap-box prophets of
I the cult that desolated, Ituscla still babble
. a..
'
" 1 'In
--..'...J- .
:.
their erratic nonsense on strce't corners in
every American city. Men ui that typo
know nothing of the difficulties of civilized
government. They are Ignorant of the long
nnd painful experience through which tho
races have passed In search of Ideal
methods of rule nnd communal discipline.
They themselves cling to a lust for tyranny,
though being demagogues they do not know
it. Being unaware of the Intricacy of gov
ernmental problems, being concerned ns
exclusively with ecIDsIi ends as nny tyrant,
they aio free to rail and complain, to de
nounce and to criticize without a hindering
scruple, without any echo of conscience to
temper their utterance.
The continual prog
Opllmlam! nnslli-ntlons nf ths new
food ta make rcn
the prospect of entlng the boniest shad com
paratively i heel fill.
The best' news nf the
So Villi Hip 1'lnMi tlcrman drive Is that
tho Hun strategy sug
gests his Verdun tactics.
That Americ.ui who
HiiikIi? turned down Bertha
llr Knrn ! Krupp's monster guns
for I'anam.i must have
had a proplietlr "hunch" of how little they
would Intimidate Paris.
The potato ration Is to be reduced In
Orm.itiy, but when the Irish enter the army
In full force there Is llkelv tn be moro
murphs iicrnsw the lthlnc than will agree
with the Prussian digestion.
That death and destruction cannot nl
wajs be menfcured hy the size of the agency
Is now being learned hy those big guninal.ers
of Krupp's who have been seized with small
rox. Secretary Maker says that 700,000 Amcrl
nns are In France, nnd the Berlin news
papers admit Oat there are iMid.nno. The
Berlin editors ought to prepare thrlr readers
n little more rapidly for the surprise of their
lives.
Snclctv In Switzerland Is a lilt mixed
these daH. Krupp directors and former tlci
m.in ambassadors nnd Kings of (Irecce and
Russian gland duchesses all rub elbow k In the
Svvls tcn-crnt stores.
"Bullock Killed by Bombing of Villa."
s.is a Kicm-h warfumt headline. This Is
Ihe first time wp learned that old "Panclto"
was nbioad, but the icport that something
else got the hots Intended for him gives a
fc.iMinlng of verity to the tale.
BEEF, IRON AND WINE
WE IMAGINE that the Cabinet members
will be glad when the commencement
oration reason Is over and they can get
back to work. Because not even Mr.
Hoover has suggested putting Cabinet
members on short orations.
About Fnrt-lwo Indies
"Mr. Cobb spoke thoughtfully; there was
a good ileal between his lines," sas our
own reporter, interviewing Irvin jesterday.
Tho'c Brave Blue Eves
Dear Socrates I notice what jou say
about only men with gray or blue eyes
being wanted for the tank service. Per
haps that onl.v means that the head of
"The tank corps Is so complexioned. Do jou
remember what Ambrose Blerte said In
one of his war stories: "Lieutenant Ilrnyle
was more than six feet In height, with the
light hair and gray-blue cjch which men so
gifted usually find associated with u high
order of courage." BROWN EVES.
Thoughts on Whisky
The next great eclipse will bo In Sep
tember, 11)19, when the nation's supply of
whisky, which now stands at 135,000,000
gallons, will, at the present rate of con
sumption, be exhausted.
We have a sneaking idea that if all that
135,000,000 gallons could bo taken out to
night and broached in the Delawnro the
war might bo won quicker. We lmvo a
great deal of sympathy with beer and light
wines and all the softer tipples, but very
little with whisky. And we never yet
heard a man lament that he had been n
fnlluie in life bccnu&c he drank too little
of it.
Nor did we ever hear a man's wife com
plain, ".John's u line, loving fellow, but he
doesn't drink enough."
It seems too bad, if we really want to
win the war, that we have to hang back
until all those 135,000.000 gallons of kegged
lightning have been Irrigated into the pop
ulation. Think of all the headaches, black-and-blue
fits, wife-beatings, nights in the
county Jail and drunken brawls that we
might unload on the Germans If we could
give them tho stuff Instead of keeping It
here.
If you want to know when the war will
begin to be won, wait until the 1st of Sep
tember, 1910, and then look around.
In transporting more than 700,000 sol
diers to Krancc only 291 have been lost.
How many do you suppose might have
been lost It whisky had free run of tho
navy?
Mind you, we enjoy a nip of the stuff ns
much as any one. We are not posing as
a prig or a prohibitionist. But If we are
going tn win tho war why not take the
brakes off and let things hum? If whisky
Isn't good enough for the services It Isn't
good enough for civilians.
Whisky was a very Jolly Invention, and
If humanity pad had sense enough not to
abuse It no one would have anything
against it. But It has become one of tho
worst nuisances the world ever knew.
Itussla had sense enough to quit vodka,
and maybe we'll follow her trail.
SoJ unless we do the sensible thing,
which would be to pile nil that 135,000,000
gallons on a raft where the raiding U-boats
could take It on as ballast, the only logical
course seems for every 'one to drink as
much of the darn stuff as possible. In
that way. perhaps, we can get through It
before September, 1919, and start winning
the war.
Pel haps those U-boats, Inflamed by the
appropriateness of the name, are trying to
establish a base at Hell Gate.
Hank Harris writes Us In some distress
of mind from Easton, where lie has seen
Wiener Schnitzel nnd Kalter Aufschnltt
6n a restaurant menu. Out, In our present
anti-rum frame of mind, those Innocent
dishes don't seem to us half as dangerous
enemies of democracy as some of the
whisky bottles we sco on Market street,
,OCBATE8.
mm
THE GOWNSMAN
rpiIE Nation, which Is nothing If It Is not
-- "different," asks, "Precisely, what Is tho
purpose of war propaganda?" nnd It pro
ceeds to an Interesting resume of tho
enormous activity of the nations concerned
In the war In this respect; the pamphlets,
circulars, maps, tables, reports, bulletins
nnd diplomatic books In designation cover
ing every color of (ho rainbow. Omitting
the vast ouptut of tho German Govern
ment, which was first In the field nnd
working In proparMlon, as we now know,
years before the war, there are tho publi
cations of the British Government icccntly
under the leadership of Sir Gilbert Parker,
now ably directed by Prof. W. Mncnello
Dixon; there Is the modest little biweekly
bulletin of the Paris Chamber of Com
merce and there Is our own straggling, Ill
printed, lll-dlgested series, nil, of whose
shortcomings wo might forgive if tho pam
phlets were only distributed in nny wise so
as t effect the purposes of their publica
tion. (PRIMARILY,
-- Nation, "the
ve take It," continues tho
e object of propaganda Is
to spread Information, refute error, con
found opponents nnd make converts"; of
German propaganda, we may interpolate,
to diffuse misinformation, perpetuate error,
confound tho enemy and convert the world
Into tlio obedient slave of Pan-German
lords. Well mnv tho Nation ask anxiously.
"What demonstrable icsults has all this
prodigious effort attained?"
WE .MAY grant the exceeding dimcultv
of refuting error by means of an ap
peal to tho intellect when tho passions nf
man are once involved. We may grant
that to confound an opponent Is commonly
only pleasant to him who confounds; un
pleasant, but, seldom mortal, to the con
founded. And we may acknowledge the
pertinency of the little old Jingle about the.
man who wa3 "convinced against Ills will."
Yet, none tho less, we may plead that thcie
is nil abundant Justification for propaganda
which, l educed to Its lowest terms, Is
simply a species of glorified advertisement
and less demonstrable In Its icsults only
because we cannot measure the growth of
opinion as readily as we can measure the
popularity of u piece of merchandise by
its sales.
M,
OREOVER, thcie Is abundant proof of
Gownsman will venture that none of his
renders is wanting In a considerable amount
of miscellaneous Information, ocquired
without the exercise of his will and some
times In sidle of it, by the gross nnd ob-
Y1UUH IIICMIIfun 111 imv L'i uni:iiit:iii. ,i; iiihv
Indelible Information which associates a
wild-eyed staring bull with a certain brand
of tobacco or the names of several Euro
pean cities with men's garters, not espe
cially distinguishable In their discomfort.
We recognize on sight some often-repeated
countenance, smiling a smug success fiom
tho back p.ites of magazines because Its
owner has sold us shoes or chewing gum of
the kind which wo involuntarily nsk for
If v.e buy cither, because we happen to
know about it. So the Germans have suc
ceeded in the last generation in educating
(he world In certain notions concerning
themselves and the icst of mankind. The
moral and Intellectual superiority of the
Teutonic rate, their supcremincnt political,
scientific and business abilities, the decay
of I'Yanco, the perfidloiisncss of .Albion, the
emptiness of American democracy these
are some of the political fictions of German
propaganda which have been repeated so
often and assumed so confidently that
many" who ought to know better have
come to believe them as axiomatic.
THK Gownsman recalls nn address of
BernstorfT some years ago on a Wash
ington's birthday In which that astute ex
ponent of the insidious propaganda of his
impel ial master dilated on the happy lot
of the German workingman, on the splen
did and beneficent things which had been
done for him. chiefly by tho kindly, hu
manitarian aristocrats of Prussia, and other
like bunkum Intended to uphold tho ideal
of nn enlightened and liberal Germany In
the van of the march of civilization. And
It went down with most of his Innocent
American hearers. On tho other hand, it
is not to be doubted that judicious propa
ganda, diffusing information, confuting
error and misstatement, even controversy.
If It brings the truth to light Instead of
obscuring It all of these things nre legiti
mate advertising and productive of much
good even If the amount of that good can
not be stated by the statistician.
N0,
shall
never win the war by talking about It;
hut we cannot make too plain nor reiterate
too often the principles for which we are
fighting, nor can wo hold up. too con
spicuously to the gaze of the honest men
tho perverted ideas wrflch lie still at tho
base of tho most serious of all attacks on
civilization or expose too nakedly the
monster against which we aVo striving.
Indubitably deeds speak louder than words,
but woids have an cloquenco nnd effective
ness of their own. The future historian of
this great war can tuke care of himself In
the sea of literature which it has begotten.
Tlie writing of history on tho authority of
the dally papers has been discredited; it is
hardly more likely to misrepresent tho
truth than history founded slavishly on
the documents of diplomacy. Tho historian
who would wrlto tho history of the world
war on the basis furnished by the literature
of propaganda might do worse; and to do
worse ho would have to shut bis eyes to
tho conflict of passions and Ideas, the con
trast of studied, dishonest finesse and hon
est patriotism, tho struggle of darkness
against light, more truly and wholly such
than tho annals of tho history of the
world have hitherto disclosed to us.
There Is berious food for astonishment
In tho headline. "Silesia Elects War Critic"
Here at home he is usually self-appointed.
Tho news that the construction of the
great Alaskan railroad Is to be continued
during this war year indicates that we'll bo
able to tako a train for Fairbanks far booner
than for Broad and Qlrard avenue.
The Mexican editor of The Voice of the
Revolution Is reported to haye been amazed
at Hog Island. When authority speaks In
such volume It Is entirely natural for the
nsurrectlonlst'a cries to assumo a tone of
bewilderment. v
"Norse tonnage more than eunk," drclarcu
a London dispatch, which suggests that the
Germans are up to some new- super-deviltry
until we realize that King Haakon's subjects
have been simply bulldlnv a greater number
of ships than uiey tuveeen losing, lif
HS
S?
KEEP YOUtf
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WeFteraian In tho Ohio ISluto Journal
BOITO AND ITALIAN OPERA
I
T IS doubtful If a bilef cable dispatch
yesterday announcing the death of Ar-
ligo Boito awakened many thrills of either
recognition or Interest in Ameiican renti
ers. Tobi.i Gon In. the anagram name
under which he sometimes wrote, would
have l:?en still more unlllumlnatlng. Both
appellations have a queer look to our eyes,
and In this tespect ut least they are re
flective of tho singular character of tho
man who bore them. Indeed, tho history
of genius for genius Bolto unquestionably
was reveals few odder pages than tho-ic
devoted to this poet and musician of Italy.
((T COULD," sali
a nutshell nn
said Hamlet, "be bounded In
.ml count myself a king of
Infinite space." It Is still debatable whether
these words Indicate mere timid reticence
or supreme self-sufficiency, and in the aso
of Arrlgo Boito the world has still to learn
whether his rigid seclusion denoted shyness
or vain scorn of popular favor.
TTEl
XX -r
of high gifts.
They burgeoned brilliantly In "Mcflsto-
fele." an epoch-making opera, whoso In
Hplratloii nnd sincerity Influenced Italian
opera during llft incurs nf development
and Is felt even today. But from 1875,
when the final lcvision of "Mcflstorele" ap
peared, until bis death, Bolto mnde public
not n bar of his music. During most of
that long period Ills talents are said to have
ibebn expended on thu monumentnl music
drama of "Nero."
mALES
-- piece n
concerning that alleged master
piece assumed tne aspect oi legends, it
Is often said that tho work Is finished to
the last note, but Bolto Mmsclf would
never admit nny finnllty in tho matter. He
was continually revising tho score, an
nouncing a date for disclosure and then re
calling his pledges with tho plea that fur
ther changes were necessary. Within tho
last decade the New York Me'ropolltan has
several times listed the opera In the reper
tory, but ut the last moment the presenta
tion agreements were revoked. Not long
ago an Inqulicr, endowed with moral cour
age, flatly asked tho composer.lf the music
drama weio really completed and If so why
ho flldnt iclease it from his study.
"It's now a big. thick volume," replied
Bolto, "and therefore I can't aparo It. It
Is so handy for raising mo to the right
height on my piano stool!"
IK
Is no myBtcry about
'Meflstofele." The woik was written
to reflect In music drama tho spirit of
Goethe's "Faust" with more fidelity than
that of Gounod's work, with lcs3 sentimen
tality nnd with moro concern for the philo
sophical content. With respect to tho
libretto of Bolto's work, this bold venture
did not entirely succeed. Tho compression
due to the Introduction of muslo rendered
tho dramatic material episodic nnd some
what hazy In design. The prime virtue
lies In the score. In which pioneering Bolto
swept away with one gesture much of tho
old artificiality of Italian opera of the
"Trovatore" and "Lucia" school and paved
the way for the artistic reformation of
Verdi and the growth of the modern music
drama composers of which Puccini Is a
type.
THE chief reason why "Jleflstofelo'' Is so
seldom heard nowadays Is that It de
mands a basso of superlative powers for
the title role. The opera was last sung
hero at the Academy of Music some fifteen
years ago, with the Russian artist, Challa
pine, ns "tho spirit who denies" und Mar
garet Mclntyre ns Marguerite.
THAT Bolto In middle life failed to follow
up his "Meflstofele" laurels was mainly
duo to the diversity of his 'talents. Not
only was he a clever novelist, essayist and
translator, responsible notably for trans
ferring the prose works bf Beethoven, Wag
ner and Schumann into Italian, but-be
T3YE ON THEJMEL1
-y
was also u poet and dramatist of high
quality. His skill as n librettist bore spe
cial fruit In Ills fortunate partnership with
Vcrdl, for whom he supplied the respect
fully Shakespearean "books" of "Otello"
and "Kalstaff." It was even said that
Hollo's- lino tnsto largely Influenced Verdi
to write In the modern music diama style
and that tho guiding hand of the younger
collcborator can be traced In the masterly
slnceiity nnd forco of tho two greatest art
works of late nineteenth century opera.
Typical also wero the myths which arose
about the fnmous partnership.
TT WAS hinted that the aged Vcrdl was
- nt work upon a "King Lear" opera and
that Boito tills time had had an actual
share In tho music. When Verdi's execu
tors found no such work the legend-makers
suggested that It was In the secretive
Bolto's possession and that he refused to
surrender it. Milanese art circles aro now
expected to bo deeply Interested In tho
seaicli through Bolto's effects. Perhaps
rare treasures will be unearthed. Perhaps,
on tho contrary, even the long-awaited
"Nero" maybe found to have been revised
out of existence, as was tho meaningless
picture, lovcred with Innumerable strata
of paint, In Balzac's very human and tragic
tale, "The I'nknown Masterpiece,"
TN TRUTH, anything eccentric may bo
7. postulated of tho genius ( Bolto. One
of Its products was a complete score and
book for a "Hero nnd Leander," but tho
composer was so dissatisfied with his own
work that he urged Mnncinclll to write en
tirely new music, a task which was suc
cessfully accomplished. When Ponchlelli's
"La Gioconda" was given the libretto was
accredited to an unknown, "Tobla Gorrlo."
Boito was masquerading again.
Of late years very little has been chron
icled of his actions. The natural outgrowth
of such persistent supcrecccntrlcity was
comparative obscurity. In tho dayu of self
advertisers a distinguished talent was for
gotten. Boito seldom complained. He was
king of his "nutshell." II. T. C.
''ho shortage. of Bed
The ilnml Will Cross nurses needn't
Now Tluj t be so alarming after
all." "Why not. Mr.
Bones?" "Why, bcause youth can add a lot
to feminine charm."
N'ifw wouldn't that Jar you? Here tho
boys nre studying real hind trying to learn
French, when along comes somebody with
the suggestion that they be sent to Russia!
A military pact between tho United
States and Cheat Britain? Wo have an in
formal one already, and so many precedents
are being broken nowadays that whether it
is formal or not does not matter.
What Do You Know?
QUIZ
1, Whnt U u Mmvlan?
2, VW" Is Srrrrtary of I.nlxir In the Wilson
Culilnet?
3. Wlirro Lufajrlle t'nlvrrrity lofatfd?
4. Who Is (inrral Sir William RobrrNon?
It. .Ntm the author of "Pllftrlm's I'rozrrss."
6. Identify "Tlie I led lord Tinker."
7. Ilmv does luilolroue net Its numr?
8. Wlio Is conductor of the tiilljdeliihla Or-
rhrslra?
0. Hliere It Mtti?
10. W"it l the full
U-bout?
form and meaning of
Answers to Yesterday's Qui
llr.. I.larrr I'rult Jndxin Is president of the
1,
l imrrMir oi ( lilruto.
2. Kansas li rullrd the Hiinflonrr Btule,
3. London Is dm largest city In the world.
4. Juru.ir. n iiouerful. lurice eutllke unlmal found
In Nurlli anil Smith America, slmlhir In
innrklnca to the leopard of the DM World,
(irnerul I'rlnln Is the 1'rrmli Ileal eoninmndrr
on tho Marne-Alsne tmttlrfruiit,
V luioijnrrusy. rs-riillarllr rhuructrrWIe of
un Individual, or In literature or urt a
tMileul iiiunnrrlom of htlr.
J, Tractor, li furmlnc motor, oper.ilrd by oil
nr Rii.nlliie, which Is iidiinlrd for nlonliic.
harrow Inc. trrm hlni.-, tiiltltuthur, ete.
g. l'runklln K. I.ane Is Secretary of the Interior.
0. Oeorse llern&rd, rlhrjw. IrUh playwright, critic
and iihlloMMiher, wrote "Candida.''
10. Bruradlrr Cleneral James II. Harbord la In
command of the American , uatisea la
hjdart Hjii(.a.y,y lA-pnf! li n'nmj i
POTARHTOR
V1'.'. - t
Zt T. f - - . JX' i ... - V
of View I
The Readers' Point
Banish the Kaiscrblume
7V the f.'rfttor of the Bi eiiliij Public l.cttgcr:
Sir Is it not about tlmo that tome one
stalled In to educate the people nnd they
nre not few- In number who go about wear
ing a cornflower In their buttonholes und
also did something to stop tho sale of this
flower on the various stands In this city?
I do not suppose that the vtearers know that
they are Haunting the nntlonal flower of
Germany, the Kaiser's own flower, named
the Kalserblume.
1 can remember bow my own dislike for the
flower began In the days when we were
neutral and on occasions such us the sink
ing of the Lusltania or of some German
xictory cornflowers sprung up everywhere in
the coats of obviously German-born wearers
and sympathizers. If this flower is now
being flaunted through ignorance. It Is time
the flower dealers and tho people generally
were informed on tho subject.
A. W. ROBERTSHAW.
Philadelphia, June 11.
Truth About Russia
7'o the Hdltor of the Evening I'ubllo I.cilgtr:
Sir The prominent space you have given
to that unwritten "Letter to the People of
Russia" in today'a issue wan, to my belief,
a service rendered your reader., the appre
ciation of which will long live in their minds.
It was the greatest joy for me personally,
as well as to somo of my friends, to read In
your paper, a paper that la rtaching thu
minds of tens of thousands of readers, a
description of tho Russian, nav more than
a dcFeriptlon, a warm sympathy for all Jhat
Is Russian, nn analysis of the present criti
cal situation, for 1 may frankly say, no
other newspaper, c.xcspt the very radical
socialistic ones, has dared to face the true
character of things In Russia as boldly as
you have today.
I want to assure you that truths such as
you have given us trfday will be Imbedded
In ur minds, tho minds of your readers,
for a long time. And a reciprocal apprecia
tion to you for tho continuance of the noble
work will always remain in our hearts.
HARRY ROSEMAN.
Philadelphia, June 10.
Danger to Women as Messengers
To thcEditor of the i.'vciiltif Public Ledger:
Sir Apropos of your article In the June
7 edition captioned "Soon T.clegrams May
Be Delivered Here by Women," may I give
a side to this matter that may not occur to
the persons who read tho article?
The Idea of a young woman going alone
to deliver messages to and to tako messages
from somo of the places that aio customers
of the telegraph companies is fraught with
great danger, nnd tho community would do
well to recognize this. Possibly It Is rot
generally known that In New York it was
found necessary to enact a special law ior
tho protection of the women who ha-e en
tered this trade. The law now prohibits the em
ployment of women under twenty-one yiurs
of age ns messengers nml regulates the hours
of women more than twehty-ono In such tm
ployment to ten hours u day. six days a
week, as well ns prohibiting their working (.
between 10 p. m. and G a. m.
Your article says no women under eighteen
shall bo employed. There Is so much dif
ference between eighteen yearn' and twenty- r
ono years that we who are Interested In the
questions of women In Industry Blncerely
hope Pennsylvania will keep as high a stan- '
dard as our sister State that has mad the
study of women In the messenger servlo and
has stt twenty-one ycarB as tno minimum
age. A. ESTIJLLI3 LAUDER,
Executive Secretary Consumera" League of-'
Bastern Pennsylvania. fcV
Philadelphia, June 11. s
W or
Cheap at inai
a ..i.ii.il.l- ... nsAa mi !. itataanr "
-,- .. tua uiiif (n (hA Alllfw at 15.000.000 an
hour. This Is an appalling total, especially v-j
when It Is considered that this uoes not in- a;
elude, tho cost or the property uc-siroyea pr
tho still greater value lost in tne nveB sac- ji
rinceu. tiui li we slop vo iiuhij. wi ., n,
first few hours of peace would cost If Ger
many were the victor, we shall count this
immense investment as made with inevitable
wisdom. The life Is more than 'meat and' free
life Is possible only by beating Germany.
Itocherter Post Express. ,
. i '
art l rl....l.
micu isirctuuii .w
mi... t.-.iIoaw lu r.i,lvf nf relinrln from ths )
iig .. - -.-., a .-. -- - -'-. . fl
fmnt' nf the iirocrcsslrg victory. He may '. .
nevei- have heard of the professor who 'A g
warned his Btudants that there were two 4't$$
kinds ot progress torwaru anu uucHwuru. y."-ri
St. Louts aiar. i . x
' . c- .
n..t tllna ' -f'-iH
With Koch. Halg and Pershing "on the
gato" at the Marne.-the a'gn Is up on'UM1
box oltlce window., "They shall rot raaavv-"
Hi 'in,, I. aU.TUiaali ... -i .-.'
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ii.
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