New-York tribune., 1910-07-17
Anglo-Amerlcan Memories
IXXNI.
copyright. 1910. by George W. snalleyo
London. June %.

London. June %.
Theatrical mana cement" says Sir
e,uire Bancroft. how much more than
,ex, do we owe to it, Some acuuaint-
,,ce with many ef the most able and
,,ost gifted people in every rank Of life,
:. our own and other lands whom we
never should have known at all but for
,he calling we have loved and served"
he is speaking. as he does often in
che hook from which ] quote. fer him
self and his wife: who also speaks for
herself. The book is not new 1t was
,,,,l,lished last year with the title. THE
psncrofts. Recollections of Sixty Years. :
Tf Is interesting from more points of
,;ev than one. for here. between the
same covers is a record of a successful
mana gers experience. told with aston
isffng frankness. and of the relations of
The Bancrofts" with people outside
their own profession.
have long known Bancroft. and of
course liked him-everybody likes him
But apart from liking. the most extraor-
dfnarv thing about him is his balance of
mind. When he had made fortune he
know il is unique-to retire from man
ecement. though still young man. he
saw. and he says, that theatre manag-
ing is a speculation; or. 20 use his own
word. a gamble. He knew when he had
enough-just short of million is the
figure he gives-and he closed the books
The net profit on the twenty years
MANAGEMENT exceeded the sum OF floo'-
na1~ figure which I imagine might
valT enough have been larger then, and
has grown larger now.
That was five and twenty years ago
The Bancrofts. however. did not subslde
into idleness. I suppose l may say tha1
the rollcan Of their friends is a larger
c7e to-day than then: and that brings
me 10 the point l have chiefly IN mlno'
The social relations Of the stage
These relations are now much wider
than they were generation ago pc
1ieve I said the other day that the late
King had much to do with the change.
since he liked not only plays but play
ers He was not the first to confer a
title on an actor. Queen Victoria was
the first. upon the original recommenoa-
zion Of Mr.. Gladstone. which failed 10
take effect because Irving refused the
offered kniehthood: and finally upon the
proposal Of Lord Salisbury. This was
followed by the bestowal Of the same
title llron Sir Squire Bancroft. IN 1881
7,ron Sir Charles Wyndham, in ISo-'
7lDon Sir John Hare. in 1907. and upon
Sir Herbert Tree. in 1909 It was sup
have been among the Birthday knights
Of yesterday but he is not
No actress. I think. has received any
Ffnlilar. recognition. No woman can be
made q knight. but there are orders and
distinctions Of royal gift which the KING
might. if he chose, bestow- But he mas
not thus far chosen. The actresses VINO
marry into the peerage take their titles
SIS other women do who come into them
f.v marriage. through their husbands A
lady famous in her early youth upon the
stage is now Countess Of Orkney be
csuse her husband is Earl Of Orkney.
I Is not even Yet forgotten that Loro
Chief Justice CoIeridge once asked from
rhe bench. upon the mention OF her
maiden name: But who is Connie Gil
christ? You had TO dwell in the upper
air or sit on the high seat Of judgment
r. he as ignorant as that The wives OF
sir So,,ire Bancroft. Sir John Hare, Sir
charles Wvrdham and Sir Herbert Tree
are respectively Lady Bancroft, Lady
Hare LADY Wyndham and Lady Tree.
all shining. in respect Of their titles, by
: reflected light.
The question whether actresses shoulo
fe decorated for themselves and on thelr
own account does not seem TO have oeeh
raised IN London. or not publicly raised
The demand for the Legion Of Honor IN
behalf Of Nine. Sarah Bernhard was
early made AMI long pressed in Parls
en5 steadily refused by successive min
listers and ministries, for it became what
here would be called a Cabinet question.
Her secession from the Theatre Francals
was long alleged as preteXt for re-
fgsing IL but not. think. her sex 1his
agitation provoked no corresponding
agitation in London There were two
reasons why il should not. First. there
Is no English Legion Of Honor Second'
there Is no English Sarah Bernhard
There are. however. orders in this
country which may be. and are, con-
ferred upon women, and there are
actresses Of high distinction There IS
The Order Of Merit, Instituted by the
ls1e King in 1902, limited to twenty
four There were only twelve oris1naI
APPOINTMENTS. Of which Miss Florence
nightingale Is an honored member
late recognition Of lifelong services to
humanity. There are other orders. more
numerous and less coveted, which 1t is
needless 10 particularize. / mean only
n make II clear that an order or title
might he conferred by the sovereign
upon actresses as well as upon actors, II
such should be his royal pleasure
OF candidates there was to be no lack
II ] We're allowed TO make list L
Should q back 10 memories of long ago
J cannot remember a time when MIS-
Kendall vas not by common consent OF
the iudicious. II not always of the gen
eral the most accomplished actress on
the English stage. If il be question
O testimony perhaps the testimony OF
The profession is best. II may not De
unanimous but whenever ] have put the
question. Who comes first? / have al
says had the same answer-in technique