Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-09

wi Sha keSpeare still lives IN MS
native town: l believe it does
The people here are brought up
to feel that their duty is to give to
their country, not merely to get what
they can out of it, and they have shown
the effect of this upbringing ever since
the war began
The speaker was the mayor of this
town. the world famous Warwickshire
village that produced William Shake
speare. Stratford's chief magistrate is
A. f. Flower. one of the towns most
substantial citizens and scion of a fam
lily whose members have been among
the most generous votaries at the
shrine of the bard. He referred, with
true civic pride, to the part which
Stratford is taking in the war in tell
ing the writer about the plans which
Shakespeares town is making for the
celebration of the approac ching tercen-
tenary of the poets birth. which falls
on the 23d day of April
Those plans prove to be a little uncer-
tain. The national arrangements for
celebrating the tercentenary as fitting
ly as war conditions permit are prac-
tically complete, though Britain is
Obliged to leave to her eldest daugh-
Ter, America. true national comment
grafton pf the 50oth anniversary of the
birth of her greatest poet. but just
what Stratford itself will be able to do
depends in detail. ii seems. upon po-
litical and other developments in the
next few weeks
Had it not been for the war it is
safe to say that Stratford next month
Oll have heen of Of
the most remarkable series of COM
,nI MOI ative ceremonies ever held in
this country. Every one of the nations
vi /. e world already has paid homage
to hakespeare by presenting it's flag
to tratiord to be unfurled in connec
ton with the annual celebration of the
post S BIZ thday anniversary. and every
one of them certainly would have been
represented at what was intended to
be the greatest festival ever attempted
in his honor. Even the kaisers play
ers probably would have been among
the actors appearing at the Memorial
Iheater. commented the mayor. some
what grimly.
For several years preparations for
celebrating the Shakespeare tercente-
nary have been going on here. The
writer was shown one of the results
yesterday at New Place. the museum
which now stands next to all that re-
mains of the foundations of the house
IN which the bard died This consists
VI a pcdutllui ColiectlOn OF neEdiult
surcoats' and banners made entirely
by women in the district during the
past few years. Embroidered in silk
on rich cloth. they represent the arms
Of every one of the knights mentioned
In Shakespeare plays-thirty-two in
all, beginning with St. George of Eng
land and ending with Eleanor Ouch
ess of Somerset. the heiress of Richard
Earl of Warwick-and were to have
been worn and carried in the great
pageant which was to have been
feature of the tercentenary festivities.
Everything of an ambitious character
In this connection has. of course, been
indefinitely postponed. and at present
it Is even uncertain what will be the
program at the fortnight of Shake
spearean performances that will be
given at the famous Memorial Thea
ter.
The war has made hay of all our
plans said the mayor of Stratford
the last straw being the calling up
of the first groups of married men on
April II, exactly three months earlier
than had been expected. We have ar
ranged with F. r. Benson for a cycle
of Shakespearean performances. be-
ginning on April -, and the ideal pro-
gram for this commemoration would
have been series of the historical
plays. done in chronological order. But
these historical plays to have their
proper effect should be acted largely
by young men. and not only are young
men scarce now. but no one likes to
see them doing anything else than