New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-17
TREE COMING
TO GIVE SHAKESPEARE
Sir Herbert Announces Plan at
End of Lecture on
"Our BetterS."
FESTIVAL IN THE CENTURY
Clever Talk and Bits of Acting
Applauded by Audience of
Prominent New
Workers.

Sir Herbert Bcerbohm Tree, the Lon
don actor-mauager. put i'm little more
than AIN hour OF his eighth and last day
in New York giving a lecture on "Our
BettcIs" at the Hudson Theatre yesterday
afternoon. with several hundred members
Of the League for Political Education as
his audience SIR Herbert LET the cat out
OF the bag Just as the audience was nook
ing on its furS. lie explained the purpose
Of his visit herc--the first time in six
teen years.
Robert Erskine Ely. director of the
league. had just put a rising vote OF
thanks for the talk when Sir Herbert
said
- want 10 take this opportunity for
saying goodby TO my friends. VINO have
been so Kind to me during my short stay
I'm NcW York Perhaps il will interest
you--you know perhaps. mat the news
papers have imputed several purposes to
me in coming here They were all wrong.
merely wanted 10 SPY around New York
a bit TO see whether New York wanted
me 40 come here "a little later to give
ShakespcaIian festival--
Right here Sir Herbert was interrupted
by handclapping.
And now / know" he said. as he
gestured his farewell. To the representa-
tives Of the press Sir Herbert had no tuI-
thor word of enlightenment as TO his
plans "You heard what was said That
is all can say at present he replied
one OF sir Herberts theatrical friends
was overheard a little later saying as ne
shook the ctor-manager's hand. III see
you when the leaves begin to fall again.
Sir Herbert. it was said, was to manage
the Century Theatre in this city TINS
he denied soon after his arrival.
Warning Against Snobbery.
"Our Betters" according to Sir Her
bert. are merely ourselves. And as for
ourselves we are but creatures of habit
IN mind and IN body.
1T Il, easy enough" he said. 40 have
the couraee OF other peoples minds but
the power to fulfil ones self is the great
est Trims IN the world" lie said the
world was on the threshold Of a new and
higher sociology. @ spiritual science he
called g. Even the conceptions Of what
IS the right kind of education, he said.
were lettering. Graduates Of our uni
versities-mauy OF them-were mere
"derotees Of good form" Sir Herbert
pointed out the dangers Of snoobery
among the rich, the powerful, the aristo-
cratic. the socialists the dogmatic and
lastly snobbery among the cultured-"the
highbrows.'' as Americans call il.
IT we could only set standard Of
pronunciation throughout the English
speaking world what q fine thing it would
her' he exclaimed. rhe suggestion met
with applause from the audience sir
Herbert told how he tried TO make two
records Of Shakespearian English on
gramophones in the British Museum
little while ago. 81 was to record Ham
let's suliloouy and Falstaffs address OF
the eve Of battle. The thought Of my being
so astonishingly in the presence of pos
terity gave me stage fright he went on
and / vow il I didn't speak Hamet's
address In Falstaft's voice and Falstaf's
In Hamlets But the srapg thing about
It is that Hamlet and Fastaff are really
one and the same person
Sir Herbert Displays His Art.
Theroupon Sir Herbert duplicated his
not SO serious blunder for the benefit OF
the audience He stood as he delivered
the lines Of Falstaff In Hamlets voice.
Then. dropping into the chair beside the
table on the stage. the actor lapsed into
the voice OF Falstaff. beginning with the
well known. TO be or not to be-" accom-
panied BY the bbUious outbursts Of
Shakespeare registering hero. The eX-
change Of conditions surrounding the two
characters made Sir Herberts hearers
sigh for more. The language spoken In
Shakespeare's time he said, was un-
doubtedly Of the type now spoken in
northern England. The language Of the
cockney to-day viii be the jargon OF
gentility Tomorrow he said.
Sir Herbert sails to-day for England
or the Mauretania.
Among those on the platform at the
lecture were: Oscar S. Straus Alton b.
Parker. A. Barton Hepburn, Henry
Clews, John Bates Clark. Elgin II. j..
Gould, William h. Rowland. a. NJ. Bag
By. T. Townsend Martin, George w. Bur
leigh Louis Wiley, Henry NJ. Leipziger,
ETsnklin Sargent.
Among the occupants of boxes and or
ehestra seats We're: Mrs. Samuel Inter
myer, Mrs Charles r. Alexander, Mrs.
A Barton Hepburn. Mrs. John w. Alex
ander, Miss Spence. Mrs. Elgin Il. j..
Mrs Charles Duggin. Mr.. and Mrs.
Chester a. Braman. Mrs H.. II. Flagler,
Mrs J. u. Greenhut, Mrs. Charles Stew
art Smith. Mrs Condo Thorne, Mrs Hen
~ MOrgcuthau, Mrs. Frederick II. Van
Buren and Miss Louise Scott.