New-York tribune., 1912-02-20
BRYCE WITHDREW NAME.
Action Due to Belief That Durbar
Was To Be Bur!esqued.
PHONE STRAIGHTENS THING
Entertainment of Association for
Blind Came Near Being
Upset by Letter.

Tor the Blnd, winch Helu dH enter lohilihSht
at the Astor last night. came near being
upset because word was received that Am
bassador Bryce desired that he and Mrs.
Bryce be stricken from the list of patrons
of the affair.
Mr.. Bryces action was due to the fact
that certain Englishmen had been shocked
at learning that the durbar planned by the
association was 10 be burlesque or the
recent crowning at Delhi OF the Englisn
monarchs as Emperor and Empress OF
India, and that an elephant from local
showhouse was TO be taken into the ball
room and paraded about in imitation Of tho
splendor that accompanied the real durbar.
As soon as word was received OF Mr..
Bryce's sentiments. DR.. John II. Finley, OF
the arrangements committee, and Winlfred
Holt secretary Of the ASSOCIATION. got into
communication with the British Ambas-
sador by long distance telephone. They
explained that no travesty OF the Durbar
was intended. and that there would be no
characters representing the English rulers
In the pageant Upon this information Mr..
Bryce withdrew his letter. saying that It
was TO be considered as never having been
written. and was pleased 10 have his name
and Mrs Bryce5 remain as patrons.
''Oh. you nice reporters must not make
anything OF this Miss Holt said. There
is really nothing 10 1t. I have just heard
also that the dear elephant can't be pres
ent tonight No doubt this whole thing
was started by some one who was not
asked 10 be a patron. Our intentions were
TO present only simple bit of nonsense
no tTavesty OF anything"
To support this last assertion Miss Holt
read the following lines from the revised
programme, disowning all authorship or
the verss for herself
40 iurbar have we
fGts from over sea
Soldiers had they-So ~
Music 20 gladden. our hears
rfI. stars 10 present their parts
And when this all 10 oer
GLADDEN. your hearts once more
For IN trsading a measure
We help the blind to see
And so. TO quote another poet British
one, II was Humble ye. my people, and
be fearful in your mirth!'
And as 10 the elephant. he also seemed
to yield 10 the same poets notion OF the
resnect due 20 a king. In the name OF the
Fnperor OF India, make way. on. lords OF
thA Jungle, wherever you may roarn'-for
he surely made way last night and did not
roam about the ballroom OF the Hotel
Astor
After all the excitement and explanations
the Manhattan Delhi purbar came on as
planned, except tina. the elephant and some
hobby horses were left out The pro-
greume had been carefully scruttnized by
Parsee Rustom Rustomjee- who SAID tnat
there was nothing sacrilegtous or oo)ec-
t,onabls In IL. Nevertheless, the committee
stood ready 10 change the anair 10 an
Arabian Nights ball az the last minute.
This. however, was unnecessary, and the
grand procession from the gates to the
throne took place.
First there were the buglers from the
naval militia and Squadron A, ornamented
with red and yellow turbans and with
sashes wound gaudily about their uniforms.
The ROYAL carpet carried by eight pages
came next, and an escort or Boy Scouts,
al.o with turbans and sashes. Father
Knickerbocker and Miss Manhattan, who
occunied the throne, were escorted by men,
bars NJ Squadron A (sgain the turban and
sashes TO show that they were orientais)
ard a beterogeneous collection of envoys
,oges royal guards, soldiers and sailors.
There was q presentation OF gifts IRON
Ninerva Operosa, and then more OF the
nonpIace. buglers, tumblers and all the
nonulation of an Indian city at Durpar
time. with a chorus OF sixty members
Professor Inayat Khan r. Pathan ana his
staff gave three Indian songs, and founa'
the Oriental juggler with "kismet' gave
an exhibition II had been expected that
rather Knickerbocker would be too stalo
an old party TO wait for the dancing OF
the Princess sta Devi, but Miss Manhat-
tan persuaded him TO remain while TINS
young person performed in way Which is
already familiar TO the theatresoing puolc'
'The general dancing began before the
nrocess,on TO the dais and continued
afterward until lete in the morning hany
of those on the floor affected oriental dress,
There were not a few harem skirts ana
sor,e that were considerably short while
there was more than an abundance OF gilt
terine ornament, but OF odd or queer dane
inp thero was q nc ticeable lack. whether IL
was ~ the kind that comes from the orient
or the Barbary Coast.
In fact. the chief excitement or the Dur
bar was before the event and In counting
.ha raceints afterWard