Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-02-04
TIME HAS NOT HURT
Madame Modjeska Was Young
and Charming as Ever.
SHE TELLS ABOUT POLAND
IL Ia Oppressed And Dead as Nation
Bur Lives In Iis Beautiful LiteIa-
ture, Al, and Music.

Madame Modjeskss company are
guests at the Morton; bat owing TO the
damp. unpleasant weather. Madame
ani her husband remained IN
their private ear and contem-
plated the picturesque scenery that
surrounds the train she'd A reporter
for THE HfRALD who called at the car
was ushered into the reception room by
the Count. and after a few minutes
conversation, Madame herself ap-
peared.
Time has dealt gently with Mod jeska.
In fact IL might be doubted whether
time has visited her ut all. She is as
youthful, as queenly and as teautifal
as when, years ago, she first displayed
her magnificent genius before san
Francisco audience. While chatting
about her career. Madame SAID:
"When we first came to this coun.
try. | had no intention of acting.
Monsieur and | Went 10 California
TO ike. We intended TO buy an
orange grove. While there 1 met
play Ophelia IN Polish. | knew no Eng
llsh. | did so; but merely as favor to
HIM. He was SO good and kind that
was willing to do anything to please
him. Then he persuaded me 10 learn
English. began studying IN January
and went on the stage IN August. The
first play | attempted III English was
'Adrienne Lecouvreure.' Since then l
have played almost entirely IN English.
have been back to Poland several
seasons, however, and played there"
Poland as It Is
Speaking OF the present condition of
the Polish people, Madame SAID:
"Soclally, they are the same as ever,
but politically they have been COM
pletely denationalized. But Polish art
and literature live, and we think there
IS no grander literature than ours. 1t
is greater by far than the Russian,
and superior to the German. There
are no greater musicians than ours.
The pianist who has caused more ex-
element IN this country than any other
performer, Is Pole, Paderewskl. His
music is essentially Polish. Whatever
he plays carries with 1t his national
spirit; his interpretations are models of
the Polish schools. We have great
a-tlsts, too, but they are seldom known
as Polish artists. That Is because
Poland has been destroyed as nation.
Part of it belongs to Austria, another
part to Germany, and a third part to
Russia. At the great art exhibitions,
the works of the Polish artists are
hung under the flags OF these nations,
and Poland receives no credit for their
genius.
Polish Art and Literature.
Polish literature has not been trans.
lated into English, at least very little of
it has, and go English speaking people
know little about it. They think we
are natisn of uncivilzed Slavonians,
who have no art, no literature, no clvili-
zation, netting but an ignorant, super
stltious peasantry. The English and
Americans have about the same idea of
Poland that the Poles have of America.
The first time came TO this country
tried 10 get a girl to come as my maid i.
but she said she wouldn't come to any
country where the people went about
naked. She had seen pictures of
American savages, and supposed no.
body in tins country wore any clothes.
The last time VIC were in Poland n
friend asked us t. bring back package
with us and leave It at Lima after VIC
had landed at New York. Monsieur
asked her what Lima. and she said
Lima, Peru. She had an idea We could
run over from New York some day and
deliver that package. very much as the
Englishman who thought he would
drive over from New York some morn
ing and see Niagara Falls.
Russia's D-spotic Oppression.
Russia has so completely crushed
aud destroyed the nationality of Po-
land that | am not SURPRISED that the
Americans and English have such
crude ideas in regard 10 it. The pollti-
cal condition of the Poles who are un-
der Russia, grows worse every day. too.
The present car of Russia is a stupid
blockhead. He thinks he can Russify
everything, Jews, Poles aud everybody.
He has crushed the Poles aud is now
trying TO drive the Jews from his king.
dom"
"Spes king OF that" said the Court,
al should not be surprised IL the pres
ent famine IN Russia was due To- the
cars cxillug the Jews. The jewish
merchants control the grain market OF
Europe, and ii would not surprise me
to know that these Jewish merchants
had corncred the grain market as n
means OF retaliation. One Jew will
never stand by and see another Jew
misussd, you know. They stand by
their nationality as long as they have a
breath OF life."
Russia has done about oil the wrong
10 Poland that Il ever can do" added
Modjeska. ''Somc day the map Of Eu-
rope may change, and when IL does
Poland may be a nation again. Until
that time il must live ia Its art and its