The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-09-15
MUSICIANS ARE
HARD HIT BY WAR
FRENCH SINGERS, TEACHERS
AND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
SUFFER MOST.
SMOTHER THEIR PRIDE
Some In Dire Straits, Others Are
Starving Despite Comfortable
Public Appearance.

Paris, Sept. 9.-French musicians
-instrumentalists, concert singers
and teachers, excepting those who
have gone to America-are among
the greatest sufferers from the pro-
longation of the war. Those who
had savings had eaten them up in
two years waiting for revival of So
cial life and the concert and soiree
engagements, while today that reviv-
al seems to be as far off as it did a
year ago.
Some musicians have had engage
ments, such as opera singers and
cafe consert artists. Altho they
have suffered less than those who
have had nothing to do, they have
felt the situation acutely. One sing
er, who held title roles at the opera
and who received about 500 francs a
night before the war, now gets ten
francs. There are also teachers who
have been able to secure pupils, but
with a reduction of from fifty to sew
enty-five per cent in prices. There
are many others who have not been
able to maintain their classes at all.
They, with the instrumental artists
out of employment, are in the worst
position, for teacher is obliged to
keep up appearances, generally pays
a pretty good rental and has a rath-
er expensive household.
Many Hit Hard.
"You would be surprised" said an
American musician in Paris to The
Herald correspondent, ''if you know
the names of some great artists that
1 could cite who are in the worst
possible dilemma as a result of pro-
longed idleness. One of them, a
woman who has been applauded by
people from all over the world, is
living on almost nothing, doing her
washing and cleaning her own apart
ment. Another is selling off his rare
furniture piece by piece, tho before
the war he posed as man of consid-
cradle means. The rare engagements
that such artists now get is only a
drop in the bucket. for some of them
had incomes of from 10000 francs
upward before the war, lived accord
ingly and now have nothing"
The musician in greatest distress
in Paris is not the poorly clad and
worn-faced street singer or musician
who goes the round of the Paris
courtyards. Today the latter are
the aristocrats of the profession. One
of these playing in the courtyard,
with a baby lying in her violin box.
looking much worn, attracted the at
tention of charitable people who in
vestigated her case and found that
she had in her year taken the first
prize at the conservatory. Having
located her. these people offered her
such aid as she required, but she
made no reply. The inference was
that her courtyard work brought her
more than these charitable people
offered.
Pride Is SmOthered.
The number of musicians who
have smothered their pride and gone
into the street is very limited. how
ever. Most of them are in dire
straits in spite of their comfortable
appearance in public, and some of
them are nearly starving. Their re-
lief is a most delicate and difficult
matter, as few of them are willing
to expose their needs. A good deal
has been done in this direction, how
ever, by society of musicians.
French and Americans, called "L'aide
Affecteuse aux Musiciens," who thru
their personal acquaintance with
their fellow artists find it easier than
most charitable organizations to ex-
tend a fraternal hand. AS the war
goes on, however, with a constant
MULTIPLICATION of charitable commit
tees of different sorts and repeated
demands upon charitable people for
funds, there is less spontaneous and
generous response for the relief OF
euch nOVerty as this