New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-29
Z NEVER SAID IT,
YYETTE INSISTS
Those Awful Things About
America Being a Bluff
All a Mistake.
WILL GIVE CONCERTS;
BUT VAUDEVILLE?-NO
French Singer, Absent Six Years,
Says She'll Stay Here Till
the War Is Over.

Yvette Guilbert never said il. Six
years afterward. almost TO day. the
truth is out at last. She never said it
positively. She never said that America
is all bluff, or that everybody in
America is impolite, or that Americans
wouldn't know real art If it came up
and shook hands with them. or any OF
those things. She was simply misun-
derstood, and she is none too certain
that it was an accidental misunder-
standing at that.
Nine. Yyette, in the heyday Of her
powers the greatest singer in France,
is back in America after those six
years. She arrived Saturday on the
New York, but not until yesterday. in
her apartment at tho Knickerbocker,
was she ready to talk for publication.
She insisted upon that one day of
grace, because, TO use her own words,
she Is such poor sailor
When the war is over. says Nine.
Guilbert, she will return TO her home
in Paris. She has had enough of it all.
But do not understand by that that
she has come 90 America merely TO
escape the war. With the full strength
of her fine voice, she wishes to put in
disclaimer. She would have come 70
America. anyhow, declares Nine. Yvette,
because she likes America.
While she happens 20 be here, also,
she will give a number OF song recitals.
But not in vaudeville Six years ago
Nine. Yvette sang n New York's vaude-
Vile theatres, but her art was TOO
subtle a thing for the patrons thereof
Il was that experience which led 20
reports that the singer would like 10
remould some portions OF America
reports that were printed IN the news
papers In the form Of interviews when
Nine. Guilbert sailed for France. And
II is those interviews that the famous
singer wishes 20 dsclaim.
81 am Misunderstood! she cried. at
is all because / do not speak English
well enough. But that - not all. j
was misrepresented in your papers. On,
ny. They came to see me, your re-
porters, aad in their stories they de-
scrlbed o room that | was not n, and
a dress that / was not wearing, and -
oh. everything wrong!'
Madame apartment at the knicker-
booker has floor. a ceiling and some
walls. Il is furnished chiefly with fur
niture and contains some rugs and
Few pictures. Nine. Yyette wore dress
of some light shade.
III / could only speak English" con
t.nued madame, with an accent that
seemed TO have been borrowed from
Anna Held. But / am so afraid you
will misunderstood The terrible con-
dition Of the theatrical artists in Paris
if | only could make II realized and
do something for them In Paris there
are 81, 900 actors, actresses and operat c
singers who are destitute. One can dc
80 little for them my own home Is
filed with relatives. refugees from the
North of France.
Ever since the war began ] have
been singing in the hospitals -four or
five times a day-every day. Finally
felt that | simply had 70 get away from
it all. After have sung in New York
shall probably make a short tour, and
then I shall acquire a country place
and remain until the war Is ended.
81 have brought back some marvel
lous songs songs that tell the entire
history OF France Tor thousand years
Oh, the hours that | have spent in re-
search in the librariesl But it is won
derful-the spirit, the magnificent
spirit, of Francel You will know. It IS
all in the songs"
as it the old songs themselves that
you are going to sing, or have you had
songs written about certain periods Of
French life?"
"Therel You sect | am misunder-
stood" The hands of madame flew in
frenzy 70 her hair. 1T is the songs
the songsl | have gone back and have
found the songs Twenty years | have
been looking for them! On, they
are
Make no mistake about it, Nine.
Yvette will sing the old songs. And
remember, also, that she never breathed
so much as a syllable against America.
Positively!