The sun., 1908-03-22

success and many Of Johann StTauss's oper-
ettas were composed 10 very bad librettos
But now Il 10 quite different.
Beautiful music will not save a bad
ibretto, for they infinitely prefer u good
plot with Indifferent music 20 fine score
and an inadequate and stupid plot. YoIsee,
then, that my Waltz Dream would mover
have run 400 nights in Vienna II its hbretto
had been a poor one'
Mr. Strauss other successes have been
confined TO Austria and Germany, but his
new h,,ht opera. 'Didi,' with Sardou
book, will have an English and American
production, as " III also his musical YER
sion of Bernard's Shaw's Arms and the
Man
There Ia no doubt that to have run In
London THE Waltz Dream will have TO be
rearTanged still more, or else the original
teIt restored, as Mr., Straus suggests. In
Paris, where the production is 10 take place
very soon. the piece is to be presented abso-
lutely IN it's original form.
Mr.. Strauss gloom at English efforts TO
mould his opera 10 English taste resolved
itself into despair when no spoke OF the
interpretations which have appeared in the
American production of his cherished
opera.
Yesterday was the anniversary ut the
wedding Of Edward VII and Queen Alex
andrs. The occasion has called to the
mind Of a courtly investigator the fact
that they are now the oldest married pair
among the crowned heads Of Europe. The
King and Queen of Rumania are older IN
actual years, but they married rather late
In life II seems strange 10 recall that
when the present King of England was
married the g eat figure in political life here
vas Lord Palmerston. whose name now
seems TO belong to ancient history
Before these lines reach New York the
Kaiser -Tweedmouth correspondence VIII
be added, the last recruit, TO the long list
Of nine days wonders now forgotten. The
affair has recalled am episode in the Pre-
miership Of the Duke Of Wellington.
He got news Of letter written by the
King Of Prussia TO G orge w, requesting
him TO vote for the election OF Prince Charles
Of Mecklenburg as King of Greece. Yelling
ton WIS furious and wrote TO Lord Aber-
deen. Foreign Secretary at the time, indig-
nantly complaining Of the action OF King
George.
1T is not usual for the King Of England,
he said, to receive from other soveregns
letters which do not pass through the hands
Of his Ministers. Indeed, have known OF
letters having been returned because copies
have not been sent with the sealed letter,
the COPY being for the information Of the
Minister But il il still more unusual and im-
proper for the King 20 answer a letter from
another sovereign without the advice OF
his Minister. Whether he advises or does
not Wellington added, 'the Minister ls
responsible II he knows Of the letter being
written
The King was advised that he must not
answer the letter. II then came out that
the letter had been addressed not to him
neraonally but - the Duke of Cumber-
land who was to enlist the support OF the
King
The Cabinet was not satisfied. Although
the King replied saying that he could not
commit himself without the advice OF bis
Ministers, Aberdeen wrote to the British
Minister in Berlin to inform the King OF
Prussia that IL was the intention OF his
Britannia Majesty TO be guided in the mat
ter solely on the advice OF his responsible
Minister. No wonder that George Nv. V'ept
that Wellington is King OF England and
O'Connell is King Of Ireland
In connection with the opening out OF the
Mall into Trafalgar Square the officials
are faced with small but knotty problem
The equestrian statue Of Charles l., the
most interestin monument OF the kind
in London, is il. the direct alignment be-
twoon the Strand and the new entrance
TO ST. James's Park, and it seems Impossible
TO carry out the scheme Of Improvement
In It's entirety without removing 1t to an
other site in the vicinity.
But TO remove this statue would be worse
than sacrilege in the eyes OF every Lon
doner proud Of his city and its associations,
and those who proposed change OF situa-
ton have been overruled. The statue,
for one thing, is Charing Cross. 1t stands
nm the very spot upon which the famous
Eleanors Cross was erected by Edward
/ end is the central point of the metropolis
from which all the official measurements,
including the famous four mile cab radius,
are made.
While therefore tho statue stands on
historically sacred ground, its own vicissl-
h,des have been sufficiently thrilling TO
earn for e absolute immunity from latter
day change. IL was cast by Leseur In
1888, but had not been erected when the el'lI
war broke out. Itwes then sold by the Par
lament to one John Rivot, brazier, for
the purpose Of being melted down. ond this
BROOKLYN ADVERTISEMENT.