The Washington times., 1911-02-06
"Abominable for Rich Men to
Turn New Theater Over
to Opera, She Says.
DEGREES WOMEN'S
SLAVERY TO FASHION
Believes II Is All Right for Her
Sex to Vote, But Not to
Hold Office.
'Your miIIionaires are cowardsr

Your millionaires are cowards"'
That is what Nine. Sarah Bernhardt
thinks of the hackers Of the New Thea
ter who propose to turn that house over
TO opera.
'Abomniable! Abomniable! That's the
word. Those men ought to be ashamed
of themselves"
With this denunciation the worlds
greatest actress proceeded to tell her
views of the development of national
drama in America, to discuss woman
suffrage, to denuonce slavery to fashion,
and to tell her Impressions Of this coun-
try.
She is sixty-seven and a great-grand-
mother. The world could never guess
this from looking at her. She bounded
from her automobile yesterday after
noon and waved her hand gayly at
coterie Of bystanders. She saw the cam
era man and she struck a mock-heroic
pose and said in French, II am used to
that" She waved to the newspaper
men to come in, and though she had
just completed a weeks engagement of
ten performances in Philadelphia and
few incidental receptions. she showed
not the slightest signs Of fatigue.
Training School for, Actors.
What your country needs is a train
ing school for actors like the New
Tbeater and with men with money who
are big hearted enough to spend it.
In my theater In Paris / have forty
young women in training, and that is
tho part Of my work now 1 like best. Six
of those young women have been Sc
lected to take places in the Coincide
FranCaise.
You Americans borrow all your plays
Why don't you give your own writer's
a chance. You take our plays and spoil
them when you translate them. Your
young men can write plays If you give
them a chance. And you have splendid,
magnificent actors over here.
Nine Bernhardt can write English
and can understand the tongue. Some
times when she is angry she essays to
speak 1t. Ordinarily she trusts to her
translator in answering questions.
This is her farewell tour, but she's
coming back to this country.
Then I'm going to have good
time-a grand time" she laughed. Il
want to see your Rocky mountains.
I'll have to go to Colorado, and | want
TO see whether women out there really
vote and hold office. It's all right for
them to vote. but to hold oftice-never!
That's all wrong. A woman has duties
as mother
One reporter had the temerity to men
tion hobble skirts to madame. She
threw UP her hands in horror.
Women Should Defy Fashions.
Your women want too much to be
fh-what you call-Ze fashion," she said,
defying the translator. They think
that's very French. They ought to do
like / do-dress as they please. Then
they would be always in ze fashion.
They put on too many frills.'
Jumping from fashions. Mime. Bern
hardt told something Of her plans. She
makes them with confidence, despite
her sixty-seven years. and there is no
sign that she will not be able to fulfill
them.
Il am to play piece next summer
by Rostand." she said. ut is to be a
great national play. I will give it in
my own theater. II will be patriotic
from beginning to end
Suddenly the actress turned to her
manager and inquired, Am 1 going to
give La Samaritaine' here? l want to
SO much"
She was told that it was not on her
repertoire.
Il am so sorry. 1t is great work
But you must have clergymen here. too
-yes?" she said, referring to the cam
paign against the presentation of that
play in Philadelphia.