The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-16
CHOAYE, GUEST OF DRAMATlST
SPEAKS AT DINNER GIVEN BY
HENRY ARTHUR JONES.

The Host Praises the American Drama and
says That II Is Ahead OF the English
-BrOHsOn Howard DeplOres the writ
ing OF Plays for Tired Business Men.
Henry Arthur Jones gave a dinner at the
Hotel st. Regis last night in honor OF the
dramatists OF America. at which forty-six
persons were present. The speakers OF the
evening, besides Mr.. Jones, were Joseph n.
Choate, Joseph l. C.. Clarke, Bronson
Howard, John Corbin and Sir Caspar
Purdon Clarke. Mr.. Jones in introducing
Bronson Howard said by the way:
The American drama at the present time
is in a lustier, healthier and livelier state
than in England at the present time. II
may be cuder and more hobbledehoyish,
but vitality is better than style. Vitality
10 the virtue of youth; style is the virtue
Of old age. l belong to a betting nation,
and some time ago ! offered odds that
there would be a national theatre in this
country before there was one in England.
I started in at odds Of S to 1, then / increased
them to 100 to 1. Still no takers. My
own belief ia that the odds should fairly
be on this proposition 1000 to IL
Mr.. Choate was down toNspesk on Eng
lallu dllA hthCtiCds AAV DatN bh1S 10 ae~
grown a little tired OF talking of that, seeing
that he had talked Of little else for some
time. He said he did not know exactly
what was meant by America. He did not
agree with some wild persons who believed
that America meant all the continent He
spoke of the trip Of President Roosevelt TO
Panama and OF Secretary Root to South
America and said that those were Americas
he did not include. Mr.. Choate mentioned
49, ra,,,h IA1ApAAI ,.Urn thu ntnGA Infar-
course and feeling betwee England and
America in much the same vein that he had
touched on the things before.
Before he sat down he quoted Charlotte
Cushmsn, the famous actress, on her
calling. She said: My own art equals
all other arts. and is a little in advance Of
them all, because 1t embodies the result
and communication of all the rest. When
God created the world, that was poetry;
when He gave it form, that was sculpture;
when He put on the colors, that was paint
ing; but when He introduced living, breath
ing human creatures, hat was the drama.
Mr.. Choate said that MIR. Jones had done
most Of all to elevate the calling that he
professed, the stage.
Bronson Howard speaking on the 'Ameri-
can Drama" said hat the drama would be
nothing in America until people ceased
to regard it as amusement only. Il hate
the tired business man." said Mr.. Howard.
He is the cause of plays being produced
that keep four other men at home. l wish
he would go home there md rest. The
drama has no future in this country until
we cease to cater to the tired busines
man.
~Puritanism is one of the things that has
hurt the stage said Mr.. Howard, "and Mr..
Jones did a fine thing in speaking for the
drama in Harvard. where every tradition
is Puritan and which is to-day the most
anti-Puritan of the universities. 1t pre-
sents a fertile field. 1t is not a necessity
of any nation that it, should produce a
drama. II remains to be seen whether
America will. If like Rome it turns to
material things it will not produce a drama;
ibwill merely reflect it,"
In responding TO Art and the Drama
Sir Caspar Purdon Clarke said that he did
not know just what the drama was but
that he knew something about it because
he once had painted the scenery for one Of
Arthur S~ullivan's productions. He had
acted of stage and had acted successfully
he said.
Among others present were Roscoe G.
Gage, Bernard M. Ernst, Victor Herbert,
Marc Klaw, Archibald Selwyn, Paul Arm
strong and Charles Klein.