New-York tribune., 1910-10-03

,,,o,rsit promenades and Of duellists SCI
,1;n.- f-heir scores of honor under the
trees.
The Mulberry Garden became the Ia
,-arite rendezvous of fashion Wne"
cromwell closed the Spring Gardens
md their glory passed when me NauA
hall Gardens. beyond Miiipailh' "e
,renea after the Restoration More or1a-
.--e-,.s1 shade trees were substituted fo-
- t,aol, and white mulberries. with
49, I,,s.io,,s fruit. and few Of the an
,io,,t holes remain in the public or royal
.,s.s,,re grounds Of the West End To
- ..,o ,,eterans one must go far afield
,-,,-r the suarIning hives Of suburban
,,,,,,ia-iou. where once We're secluded
--,Ilapes- or follow whitechapel long
u.av east 10 Stepney and other ancient
rarlefs where wealthy merchants
6welt in luxurious retirement and took
,,~i6e in their mulberry trees
The most omnivorous Of memorial
rroiects Is the Shakespeare National
Theatre. It's advocates are as vocifer-
ms IS the mulberry trees are rcticent.
They assume that ali other obligations.
rstriotic or intellectual. should he set
aside until the national Indebtedness 70
Shakespeare Is liquidsted by a national
fteatre literally endowed. for the CTea-
ton and enactment Of great drama.
This Is the star to which every memo
rial enterprise is TO be hitched' Even
- ----F, FED a
tne scheme Of paramount importance.
Various decorative improvements At
Hvde Park Corner. Trafalgar Square.
the crown lands between Hsymsrket
snd Orange greet and elsewhere have
been recommended bv enthusiasts as
e,Iftsb ble memorials 70 King EdNard: and
n each instance amendments have been
offered providing for a site for the na-
tional theatre with the most effective
and artistic approaches which land
scape gardening can devise. Not con-
tent with stalking out claims On any i'm
proved site with q royal name which
may be proposed for the ornamentation
q the imperial capital. some members
Of the Shakespeare committee have
zentured to assert that the best memo
rial TO King Edward viii be the con-
st-uction ard endowment Of 2 national
theatre,
Considerable reserves Of unconscious
humo- are drawn upon In the develop
u7ent Of this singular proposal. King
Edward. II is urged. vas the greatest
playgosr Of his time, and by his constant
he
collective judgment OF the nation that
tie drama should be reformed. II he
had stayed away instead of patronizing
every form of public entertainment.
from WagneTian opera and classical
tragedy - musical comedy, hysterical
1nelodrara and thoughtless farce, the
argument for reform would be more
plausible. Apparently he Was satisfied
With current drama and enjoyed it. The
reformers VIII have ii, however. that he
rzpreseatcd public taste for the theatre
and also national consciousness that
the drama Of the time ought 10 be both
rednsd and reinvIgorated. and their con-
clusion Is that the completion OF the
Shakespeare National Theatre will be
the most artistic and useful method OF
handing down King Edwards name TO
ncsterftyi
There is something delightfully."- unaf-
fected in this idea Of Commenorating a
2reaI reign by founding and endOwins
d national playhouse. The reformers
sre bent upon having their project
dominate every aspiration OF the time,
.- A-~,-rr ,,of e-4-7 'l0zx-p1 ~, al tho
other rods. !. y. T.