The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-07
Negus of the Autumn Season
 Tn the World of Society
Invitations Issued To Fall Weddings Begin Their Work For the Year-Music and Other Interests Serious Frivolous of Feminine Society-News of We'll
 Known People in Other Ctes-Personals

Was it only yesterday that the old world was calling us barbarians. and salternately smiling and scolding at our Hack of culture It seems hardly cred litable in view of recent happenings happenings which are showing such a demand for music in New York that 1t lis beginning to dream of itself as the worlds musical Mecca
 No one would dream of questioning lthe title of Paris to prominent place in lthe world of art and yet, something Fclosely resembles a wall went up from tthe banks of the Seine not long ago lover musical conditions over there. It Twas muttered by the manager of an lopera house which had to be closed while brand new. A friend of his-an orchestral conductor-had already eX- pressed his skepticism by asking the question: Are you sure that music is loved in Paris?" Naturally the unfortu- mate manager is inclined to conclude that it is not. He even gives reason for ilnis doubts The up-to-date Parisian, he lssserts, has no time for the opera. He goes to his tango as one goes to his fclubs, returns home for dinner and then lit Is too late for anything but a moving picture show. However, only the Amer ican whose patriotism outweighs his common sense is apt to make up his mind that the complaint of the unfortu- mate Paris manager signlzes the passing Hof Paris as one of the worlds muscal lcaptals. At the same time it is steadily ldrummed into our receptive ears that xt " ale opera season-when there is an opera -season-that quite transcends that which Hny portion of Europe can show. Huge lfigures of money spent are quoted to prove our devotion to music and we are more and more impressed with the idea that America alone enjoys the best in art and that the poor old world has to get along with mediocre performers.
 Perhaps we were never so thoroughly unciyiized as our foreign observers were apt to think us. notes the Spur; perhaps we are not so superior now as some of our own would persuade us that we are. What may be asserted with safety is that the ambition to make New York q musical mecca has an appeal for the lmagination that is hard to resist. Why should the metropolis be known as the paradise of gunmen and the happy hunt ing ground of the black hand? Merely as means of relief from those ever present topics, the police and politics. we should be justified in the endeavor to make Gotham synonymous with good taste in mSsic.
 A different explanation of our interest 5n music was put forward a little while ago by one of those who finds it prof itabe to visit our shores and exhibit his musical attachments before us Accord ang to Josef Hofmann, we like music, but not in the serious way in which those of older civilization like it. "I find" he says. that must not play any piece or movement that lasts more than 10 or 15 minutes We need not quarrel with our critic, especially when he adds that performer has to make good" separately in every city he visits. What Is this if not an acknowledgement of cul- rural independence. disposition among ns not to accept regulations at second hand but to test them for ourselves?