New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-25
Music and Patriotism
Mr.. Kahn Explains Their Relation Al,
the Civic Orchestral Concerts
To the Editor of The Tribune.

TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: As the fragmentary reports as puh.
lished Of what | said at the inaugural con.
cert Of the Civic Orchestral season NAV \.
ept TO cause an erroneous impression. I vent.
IRE to ask, not for my sake, but for the .ak.
of the cause of the Civic Orchestra, whe,h.,
lou will be good enough to print what | dd
say, as follows:
1--WE are Americans, from whatever me.
we may have sprung, and as such We ar.
servants of humanity and OF liberty. ".
are not called upon TO undergo the supren.
test and give the supreme proof OF our fair.
and allegiance. With a clear conscience ".
osn saw what has been so nobly said e..
hundred years ago by the Parliament Of Scot.
land: 1T is not for honor, or for riches, a,
for glory, that we fight. but for nb.rv
alone, which no good man loses but with hi,
life
Liberty and love of country are indeed
the highest and noblest things that n,.
ton can fight for. But there are other things
high and noble, which in our devotion to ,hi,
supreme purpose we must not permit 10 fall
into neglect. One of the greatest Of tho..
things is art The bitterness Of war and IN.
strident voices Of conflict should rem,i,
hushed in the house of art, belonging. s,i,
does. to all nations. The aag Of ar, 4,
still a neutral flag, and, please God, il will
remain So In the stress and turmoil Of COZ.
fict it is our duty to see TO 1t that IA.
sacred fame burning on the altar Of art
shall not be extinguished by the storm Of
the passions of war.
at is in this spirit that my colleague,
pnd myself have again undertaken this sum.
mer series of concerts for the people. And
il is appropriate that the excellent orchestra
which you see before you should this season
be under the direction of distinguished son
of our ally. France glorious, sublime, heroic
France. to which the hearts Of all OF US 20
cut in deepest sympathy, admiration and rev.
erence. know you welcome him cordially,
and, as you will get to know him better, you
will come TO appreciate at his full and high
worth the new conductor of this organization,
Pierre Monteux, an artist OF France and until
recently soldier Of France.
But. while cultivating art, we must bear
in mind that at this time every communal
manifestation in whatever direction must b,
related to the one supreme effort in which
we are engaged and which every man and
woman of this country must keep before
themselves in everything that he or she does,
thinks or aims TO accomplish az this tint.
The keynote of our activities must be patrl.
otto service. II is TO emphasize this rels.
t:onship that we have arranged that at every
one of these concerts somo distinguished
speaker shall appear TO say few words to
you on the subject Of patriotic service and
duty az these may relate 10 particular and
concrete objects TO be AIMED at and sus.
tanned The first one of these distinguished
gentlemen 10 address you is Colonel Chat.
field. He needs no introduction, as, better
thar by any such, he is introduced through
the uniform of the United States. which he
wears, and has worn for many years
May | take this occasion TO say that II Is
the hope and intent of the Civic Orchestra
organization TO attain a genuinely high ar
tistic standard for these concerts? Our task
will be greatly facilitated if the press will see
FIT to take critical notice of these concerts,
because it will stimulate all concerned in the
performances to greater efforts Il 1t Is felt
b. them that they are taken as seriously
from the point of view Of artistic s,asvs.
rnent as they aspire 10 b., and as we tops
they will deserve to be.
OTTO H. KAHN.
New York. June %, 1917