Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-21
IRVING DIDN'T ISLANDER
AMERICAN CRITICS..

Sir Henry irving has given a fat con-
tradlction to the London Daily Tele.
graph Of an alleged attack he made on
American critics
In reference TO America" he said,
81 should like to ask the Daily Tele.
graph to give the publicity Of its col
umns to the denial Of as cruel SANDER
as ever appeared about an actor re-
greet to say that 1t was prin ted in New
York, and as it only appeared on the
day that | left there for England, this
IL the first opportunity that have had
OF denying II. In the first place, here Is
my speech on the closing night.
" Ladies and Gentlemen-It has been
privilege to act before the American
audiences, and II Is u privilege to thank
you-and, through you, TO thank the
great public of Amerlca--for the grac-
Gus and Inspiring welcome that we have
received All good things come to an
end and We particularly feel this,
knowing that our American season ends
tonight, 1t is for us the close Of a
pleasant experience that we shall al
ways remember.
on a memorable occasion more
than twenty years ago. we were first
welcomed to America, here, In your
hospitable city. Other visits have sue
ceeded the first, and not a Earring note
or an unknd word has ever CHANGED
to mar the happiness OF our intercourse
with the great public of America. This
Is a memory that | shall always cher
ish.
AS said by Shakes peare'
"''I count myself in nothing else so
happy
AS in q soul remembering my good
friends"
"'You will not long remember me.
The actor is soon forgotten. But / shall
long remember you, and often recall
your cheering plaudits and your con-
slant kindness. For my company and
for myself | thank you. and would ask
you to think Of us as ever your CRATE
ful and loyal servants.
We are TO sail away tomorrow and,
In bidding you farewell, ! can only tell
you that our hearts are fun of graft
tude and affection. The wish In my
heart and on my lips is--God bless
America.
"That truly expressed my feelings,
and you can imagine how ineXpresslhly
panied l was on being shown, when We
were a few hours at sea, the following
gross misstatement In a paper which
has tremendous circulation
In a curtain speech delivered last
night at the Harlem opera House,
where he played his farewell American
engagement, Sir Henry Irving, who
sail Cor England today, arraigned the
Amo,1tan drama and American critics
in scathing terms. He spoke for more
than thirty minutes, and. with voice
at times choked with emotion, he said
The American stage is not what II
used TO be. 1t has deteriorated sadly,
Your critics have been unnecessarily
harsh and severe They have been
harsh at the expense Of justice. To-
morrow | sail for England, and | leave
without regret, / shall make but one
more trip TO America,
such things" said Sir Henry, cause
me infinite grief, for | have never re-
ceived anything but kindness from the
great American people and its best
critics during my visits to the United
States, visits which began on oct IS,
1883, and have always been most hap
by ones In every respect
NOW as to your immediate future,
Sir Henry" asked the interviewer,
when may we expect to see you In
lNlliNhu dbhlll
Not until next year. at the earliest,
7 start on a tour soon at Newcastle-on-
Tyne, and agements for the prov
inces, which will occupy me all the au-
tumn and winter have long been made,
! hope to open I'm Beckett so that my
time win be fully occupied during the
next ten days IN rehearsals.'
zone more question, Sir Henry said
the Telegraph representative, before
we part. 10 what do you attribute the
want Of appreciation OF Dante IN
America"
Mainly" replied the actor, ''to the
fact that American playgoers know lit
tie or nothing Of Dante, the poet and
man. Moreover, they prefer their old
favorites, The Merchant Of Venice,
Waterloo. The Bells and Louis XII
We played Sardou's drama some forty
times, but the old pieces were wanted,
and they drew enormous audiences