davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
Reviewing The
Reviewers
XIV
George Jean Nathan

Dramatic critic for "The Smart Set
~ EoRGE JEAN NATHAN, dramatic
n critic Of "The Smart Set" was born
in Fort Wayne. Ind, in 1892. Edu.
Gated at Cornell University and
abroad, he spent eight years studying the
theatres of England. France, Germany, Aus
tria, Russia and Italy. Author Of Another
Book on the Theatre" Europe After s:is'
"Bottoms Up" AFR. George Jean Nsthsi
Presents" etc, he has further written %
the theatre for leading periodicals and nsvs
naners of the United States and France. For
thirteen years he has been a dramatic critic
Mr. Nathan believes that such organirs.
tions as the Drama League exercise dele
terious effect upon the American theatre
and its drama. He is perhaps the only
American dramatic critic who has never Be.
lieved Augustus Thomas a great playwright
David Belasco a great producer, or Gran
Vile Barker anything save "a weli-prsis
agented second-rster." As editor OF "rhs
Smart Set" with II. L. Mehcken, Mr.. Nathan
was partly responsible for the popularilaten
/, America Of Lord Dunsany; he also intro
duced Theodore Dresser as playwright
is Mr.. Nathan's belief that Arnold DAILY 10
the best actor on the American stage; that
George Bickel is the best comedian; hat
Grace George is the most skilful aetren
This critic has written one play, The Etsr
nal Mystery" which was produced in hh
in Paris and Berlin and, in 1915, in many
American cities, but which was suppresstd
in New York and Detroit. Mr. Nsthsa
wrote the introduction to Eleanor Gates
"poor Little Rich Girl" md has written
preface for Arthur Hopkins new book, 'Hov
Is Your Second Act!' In the critics epin-
ion, Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra" Is the
best modern British play. Dunsany's "Goti
Of the Mountain" the best modern lnia
play, and Brieux's "Les Eaanetons" the best
modern French play. Mr. Nathan b. re-
viewed more than. 5000 plays in Ameriea
400 in England and 1000 on the Continent
He has simultaneously syr dicated weekly
critical article to forty-twt newspapers. ne
takes the drama seriously" but consider
the local theatre four times in five JOKE
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
Miss Emma Roberts

THIS American contralto gave re-
l. cital in Aeolian Hall on Tuesday af-
ternoon. According to "The World" Mrs
Roberts possesses "a voice of quality and
of compass, which she uses with artistic
intelligence" "Shc displayed" declared
"The Sum-" IAN intimate variety Of
charming interpretative manner in all the
lighter songs of her programme, while
in those calling for the communication
of deeper emotions she revealed more
touching tenderness and more profound
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16

thing that worried the more ecstatic Aboli-
tionists was their sneaking sense Of re-
sponsibility, the fear that they themselves
we're houting the fire by letting slavery
60" What a felicitous image Of Emer-
sonia dligent drinker from German
spigots"; alas, poor Emerson! he left the
German taproom too soon, and so remained
a "dilettante" all his life. And here are
Jewels three words long that on the fore
finger of Bellies Lettres will sparkle for
ever: professional sinhound," black
mailing Puritan" campaigns of snort
ing and suppression" "the pail Of Harvard
quasi-culture," college pedagogues," "the
gifted pedagogue," philadelphia, that de-
pressing intellectual slum," "pedants lect-
uring TO the pure in heart" "a leap to the
Vctorians, the crepe-clad pundits, the
bombastic word-mongers of the Nation
school" ,""the kept idealists Of the New Re-
public "the pious gurglings of Longfel-
low" the "gggle" and "kittenshness' Of
Mr.. IIowells, Rufus Wilmot Griswold,
that almost fabulous ass "the era Of GUS
pdors,' the "sonorous platitudes" [of Mr..
Brownelll, the "ealm superior numskullery
that was Victorian" eminent excoriators
Of the Rum Demon,' "the intolerable pru-
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16

NM COPEAU'S third evening Of
NE French plays at the Theatre
AVAe du Vieux-C -Colombier, on Mon
day evening, which was given to Alfred
de Mussets "Barbcrine' and Jules Re
nards "Le Pain de Menage,' was received
with almost unanimous praise by the
critics. The only distinctly unfayorable
critique was from "rhe Evening Sun,
which was not pleased either with Bar
berine" or with the acting.
After referring to "the elderly lady
who slept" the critic Of this paper
writes:
"Thero was, in fact, a soporihc charm
about this classic French play that even bad
acting could not wholly remove
The company did not play in high comedy
spirit and only two Of the cher players
gave full value to their lines and TO their
characterizations
A more favorable verdict is given by
"The Sum-:
at is difficult to conceive Of anything
more remote from our present fashions in
enjoyment than this sensational tale
The poetry and graceful elegance Of
de Musset's literary style are here 20 be en-
joyed by those who take pleasure out OF
this rare opportunity to hear the poets
plays to-day. There was the usual excellent
az ting by the company"
J. Alexander Pierce, in The Tribune,
speaks of "consummate acting and in
novations of staging"
"The Evening Post" has this to say:
at was presented with all the faithfulness
TO the spirit Of the written play, and all the
quiet finish to which NJ. Copeau's company
is accustoming US; and its nice shades OF
fun-making delighted the audience.
The parts of Barberine and Uric were ad-
n,irably taken by Pauette NoizeuX and Henri
Dhurtal, respectively; that of Rosenberg
the most important in the cast, was not quite
so we'll done b. Suzanne Byng."
"The Evening World" was not edited
with the play itself, speaking Of it as an
artificial romance" with "unconvincing
sentiment and juvenile humor"; but 1t
liked the acting much better, declaring
that
IN. Copeau made Musset's unreal Hun
garan romance a thing of vivid beauty.
In the role Of young braggart Mile. Byng
was effective, and Francois Gournac acted
amusingly as a travelling salesman"
"The New York Times" has this to say
of the acting:
"Paulette Noizeux made a very lovely and
appealing figure as the faithful chatelalne,
and she played her comedy scenes with a
delicacy and intrinsic humor truly exquisite.
Madeleine Geoffroy impaired a vigorous
touch Of character to the loyal and down
right handmaiden. As the Queen, Valentine
Tessier presented figure of elevated wom-
anhood and she read her valedictory speech
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
Jacques Copeau and
the Vieux-COlOmbier
Achieve Fresh Fame

with fine feryor and distinction. II
Suzanne Byng however, VINO TOOK the ho,s,.
Of the evening"
Svetozar Tonjoroff gave this opinss
in "The Evening Mali:
an de Mussot's charming fantasy 4
Copeau found opportunity FOR eharrhs
stage effects and some exotic acting. B,S
opportunities we're fully utilized By the s,,,,
decorators and b. the cast. 'Barberins VA
good 70 see and good to hear The sin.
plicity Of the stage arrangements, based .,
the principles Of the Vieux- Colorbisr b.
sugges, rather than build, gave some u.
lightful cfeets.'
The brilliancy Of ". Copeau's acting IN
the Renard one-act piece is highly praised
by several critics.
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
7 Asst Wednesday tCas the ninety
~ sirth anniuersarr Of the birth Of

J Asst Wednesday tCGs the ninety
II sirth anniversary Of the birth OF
.Gustaue Fl1ubert, French novelist, icho
.,cds born at Rouen December f9, 1891.
He pas educated at Rouen and did not
leare IL until 1S40, when he tcent up 10
Paris to study ldr. Sir years later, his
mother being left quite alone through
the deaths Of has father and hIs sister,
Flaubert icillingly abandoned Paris and
his ldw study to make a home for her
at Croisset Here he spent the rest Of
his life, crcept for occasional visits to
Paris and his trGuels through Brittany
and Inter Greece and Egypt.
On returning from the East, in 1850,
FLdubert set about the composition Of
".Madame Bovary," ,chich, after almost
sir pears of preparation, ras finally
submitted TO the "ReUuc dc Paris
where il appeared as a serial. The
government brought action against both
publisher and author on the charge Of
immortality, bit both were acquitted;
and when MADAME BouGry" appeared
in book form it met Nth Varm re-
ception.
Flaubert never married. The only
sentimental episode Of any importance
in his life, according to ". Em'te
Faguet, was youthful entdngle1nent
1cith Nine. Louise Colet; their letters
hare been preserved. The latter years
of Flaubert's life lOere desoldte and
melancholy. His best friends pere
taken from him, By death or by fatal
Misunderstanding, and in 1872 he lost
his mother. He felt the anguish Of the
,Uar of 1870 so keenly that the break
up of his health has been attributed TO
it, and he began to suffer from ner-
uous malady. He died suddenly, Of a
stroke Of apopLeTy, on May 8, 1880.
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
The New Miniature" Orchestra
IN MONDAY evening the Miniature
Philharmonic Orchestra gave its
~ initial concert at Aeolian Hail.

IN MONDAY evening the Miniature
Philharmonic Orchestra gave its
~ initial concert at Aeolian Hall,
under the baton of Jacques Grunberg.
The organization is made up of thirty
two musicians, and a note in the pro-
granme gave this as the aim: ITO con-
stitute happy medium between chamber
music organizations and the great or
chestras." "The Evening Sum-" review
ing the results of this interesting venture,
said:
"An orchestra of such unique size and
uniform quality should have no trouble in
finding it's place in the music world and in
delivering us from the modern tendency tow
ard quantity, volume and massiveness,' which
so runs the statement-'has had the effect
of obscuring the important musical litera-
ture for small orchestras, with the result
that many symphonic gems OF rare delicacy
and beauty have been entirely neglected
Jacques Grunberg, one OF the youngest
musicians OF the city, proved good and
capable leader Of these thirty-two and handled
well their playing Of some truly rare music.
For, when the opening Gluck overture was
done, they launched into a new Rebikof
suite, The Christmas Tree IL wasn't ex-
actly patterned on Clement Moore's nursery
classic. but it had fine, wild, almost Pc
trouchkan glee Of its own, and the large au-
dience gave hearty sigma OF liking IL. 4
Mana yucca novelette,, two pieces by Her
man Sandby, the Scandinavian 'cellist, and
miniature march OF Mr. Grunberg's own
fashioning came in the second half Of the
programme; while at the end the ex-
quisite Petite Suite Of Debussy was proof
Of the little orehestra's present endeavors
and pledge Of its future"
"The Globe" agreed with "The Evening
Sun" that "for a symphony orchestra Of
thirty-two there should be field here"
while "The American" spoke of the de-
but as "auspicious."
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16

"Borberine," by Alfred de Musset,
and 40 PAIN dc M6nage," by Jnies
Renard, produced Monday eUeH'Hg os
Jacques Copeau at the Theatre dH
Vicug-C -Colombier.
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
<fN HADAME BOVARY," generally
N considered the finest of Flau-
hert,s novels. is the story of

y
WI considered the finest of Flau-
bert's novels, is the story Of
the young and attractive wife of a medi-
ocre doctor-a general practitioner in a
small town. She had been educated in a
convent, and after few uneventful years
on her fathers farm married Charles Bo-
vary, not for love, but because he happened
to present himself and marriage seemed
to her then the important feature Of a
woman's life.
Charles Bovary is dull, unambitious,
self-satisfed-and seriously fond of his
wife. AS good as honest, he is tremen-
dous boor. Emma, his mental superior, is
imaginative, pleasure loving, spiritually
restless, the slave of curiosity. Her first
real taste of gayety, house party to which
she and Charles are invited by a certain
Marchioness, one of Bovary's patients, who
has large chateau just outside Of the
village, leaves Emma chafing at the con-
fines Of her life, even more conscious Of
her platitudinous husbands shortcomings,
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
What II. L. Mencken's
"Kultur" Is Doing to
American Literature

The folonq article by Stuart Sherman, based on r. L.
Mencken nec book "A Book of PrGc pablshed oy AHred
Knopf is here REPRODUCED IN its entirety The article appeared m
Th Nation presented TO the readers OF Ihe ReVW as
notable niece of irOnic Wrttlng
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16

with peculiar emphasis and insistence. So
that presently one begins to suspect that
his quarrel with American criticism is not
so much in behalf of beauty as in behalf Of
Kultl,r which has been too inhospitably
received by such of his fellow citizens as
look TO another Stdmmrater than his. OF
course. the true explanation is that Mr..
Mencken's culture propaganda is what
drummer (for das Sch0ne) would call his
side line" Beauty is the main burden Of
his pack.
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16

MI fed with life or literature IN
A'A America, for he is lover Of the
beautiful. We have nowadays no beauti-
ful literature in this country, with the pos
sible exception of Mr.. Dreisers novels;
nor do we seem in a fair way to produce
ANYTHING asthetically gratifying Prob
ably the root Of our difficulty is that, with
the exception Of Mr.. Huneker, Otto Heller
Ludwig Lewisohn, Mr.. Untermeyer, u. b
Viereck. the author Of Der Kampf um
deutsche Kultur in Amerika," and few
other choice souls, we have no critics who,
understanding what beauty is, serenely
and purely love it. Devoid Of aesthetic sense,
our native "Anglo-Saxon" historians can
not even guess what ails our native litera-
ture. For a competent historical account
of our national anesthesia one should
turn. Mr.. Mencken assures US, to trans
lation. from some foreign tongue-we can
not guess which-by DR.. Leon Kellner.
Thus one readily perceives that Mr..
Mencken's introductions TO Conrad, Drei-
ser and Huneker and his discourse on
"Puritanism as a Literary Force are OF
, the first Importance to all listeners for
the soft breath and finer spirit of letters.
Though a lover Of the beautiful, Mr..
Mencken is not a German. He was born
in Baltimore September u, 1880. That
fact should silence the silly people who
have suggested that he and Dresser are
secret agents Of the Wilhelmstrasse, told
off TO inject subtle doses Of Kultur into a
naif and pious people" Furthermore, Mr..
Mencken is. with George Jean Nathan,
editor of that stanchly American receptacle
for beHes-lettres, "The Smart Set" He
does, indeed, rather ostentatiously litter
his pages with German words and phrases
-unqlaubIich. Stammrater, SklaUenmoral,
KuItur. Bicrtische, KGfeekiatsch, die
e1eiqe Wiederkunft, Vile @ur Macht
u. S. W. He is a member Of the
Germania Mannerchor, and he manages to
work the names Of most Of the German
musicians into his first three discourses.
His favorite philosopher happens to be
Nietzsche, whose beauties he has eX-
pounded in two books-frst the "philoso-
phyP then the "gist" Of it. He perhaps a
little Aauntingly bangles before us the
seductive names of Wedekind, Schnitzler,
Bierbaum, Schoenberg and Korngold. He
exhibits certain Teutonic gusto in trac-
ing the "Pilsner motive" through the
work of Mr. Huneker. His publisher is
indeed Mr.. Knopf. But Mr.. Knopf dis
arms anti-German prejudice by informing
US that Mr. Mencken is of mixed blood
Saxon, Bavarian, Hessian, Irish and Eng
lish"; or, as Mr.. Mencken himself puts 1t,
with his unfailing good taste, he IS a
"mongrel." One cannot therefore under
stand exactly why Mr. Knopf thinks it
valuable TO announce that Mr.. Mencken
"was in Berlin when relations between
Germany and the United States were
broken off," nor why he adds "Since then
he has done no newspaper work, save
few occasional articles" Surely there can
have been no external interference with
Mr.. Mencken's purely aesthetic ministry
TO the American people.
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16


THE sheer verbal loveliness of writing
= like this can never pass away. II is
the writing of sensitive, intellectual aris-
tocrat. 1t has the quality and tone of high
breeding. 1t is the flower and fragrance Of
a noble and elevated mind that dwells ha-
bitually with beauty. Does not one breathe
a sigh of relief as one escapes from the
ruck and muck Of American culture" into
the clear and spacious atmosphere Of gen.
uine aesthetic criticism? II by exchanging
our American set Of standards for his
European" set we could learn to write as
Mr.. Mencken does, why do we hesitate?
Well, as matter of fact, there is already
q brave little band of sophomores in criti-
cism who do not hesitate. These humming
Ephemera are mostly preserved in the
pure amber Of Mr.. Mencken's prose. At
everything accepted as finely and soundy
American swift A. the pebbles, out gushes
the corrosive vapor of 4 discriminating
abuse. The prospect for beautiful letters
in America is visibly Frightening
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16

As Mr.. MENCKEN conceives the
~ aesthetic ministry, there is nothing
In the world more dispassonate, disinter-
ested. freer from moral, religious or po-
litical significance. The typical American
critic" to be sure, is a pestilent and dan
gerous fellow; he is Puritan; he is OBJ
sessed by non-esthetic ideas; he is ever
bent on giving instruction in the
sphere Of conduct; he is always talk
ing about politics and morals. But,
Mr.. Mencken assures us, criticism, as the
average American intellectual under
stands it, is what Frenchman, a German
or a Russian would call donkeyism."
Now, though Mr.. Mencken is not C~r-
man, he has an open mind One may even
say that he has a "roomy" mind. And by
that token he is quite certainly not a
typical American critic. We imagine that
he may fairly be taken as a representa-
tive Of the high European critical outlook
over beautiful letters"-as he loves to
call such finely sensitive work as that of
Mr.. Dresser. He does not wander over the
wide field Of conduct with birch rod he
simply perceives and feels and interprets
I the soul Of loveliness in art-to use his
own expressive phrase, he beats a drum
!. FOR beauty.
One Who does not fix firmly in mind Mr..
PMeneken's theoretical Standpunkt is like
ly TO be somewhat confused by his prac-
ice. The careless and cursory reader Of
these bellies pages of his will probably not.
II Is true, be impressed with their esthetic
purity and serenity, not at first. Ones
first impression. indeed, is that Mr..
Meneken has as many moral and political
irons in the fire as the typical American
critic"-the poor native whose blood is
not 90 richly tinetured with Saxon. Ba.
varian and Hessian elements. He has a
dozen non-esthetic standards which he in
cessantly employs in the judgment Of
books and authors. He has "philosophi-
cal theory" politics" social ideas"
"ideas Of education" and moral convic-
tionsD with all which a piece Of literature
has to square, IL IL is % please rim. These
general ideas be treats by no means as
tri6es: he thrusts them into ones face
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16

dishness and dirty-mindedness Of Puritan
ism"-"one ingests a horse Doctors dose
Of words, but fails to acquire anv ilumi-
nation"
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
By Stuart p. Sherman

n TR. MENCKEN is not at all salts
MI fed with life or literature in
ANA America, for he is a lover Of the
Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1917-11-22
Millions of Acres of Land Worthless
Because not Properly Utilized
ByDR. l. E. EVANS
Head Of Colonization Department. Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad

The thing should consider present should be: What
do for the future? How the people going get out of the soil the
greatest of value for the greatest length of me and what the
soil and different locations according to the topography of the country
and the climatic conditions, are best suited for?
1t should be made to know where to look for certain
lands that good for certain productions and be from authoritative
and reliable and not from speculative standpoint only Now,
this should be taken through organizations that make special study
of the topography and climatic and soil production valuations Of each
separate district There industry that has been sadly neglected.
and today becoming only remnant of the original geatnesshat OF
rang-hough ignorance of distribution of lands properly
adapted to stock raising There today millions and millions of
of upland paus and hdes for and winter grazing that
good for nothing e but worthless at the present me simply because
have water great abundance and sufficient agricultural land
adjacent for the raising of certain amount of winter feed But
through careless legislation the watering places and the rich little val
tributary necessary the erpetuaon of the stocraisng
utilizing these beautiful upland and grazing fields have
allowed be TAKEN promoted and sold for fruit and truck garden
ing purposes they hundreds of miles from the market
commodities and when there thousands OF already
proven valuable for such purposes and good for nothing
And pity that these lands could not be procured
again the useful grazing lands be used to produce vim
Ter feed and water places
Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1917-11-22
Employers Should Educate Boys Forced
to Quit the Grade Schools
ByAFRED RoNoovE Superintendent. San Francisco Public School.

Public education improve standard
zenship.
When boy leaves school without finishing his elementary school
the welfare and happiness of that child threatened
But conditions sometimes force children to leave school
TO help make living for those at home, themselves included
They should be allowed least hour every day continuation
school until they seventeen eighteen Of the
of their employer
such schools the mathematics and sciences other subjects
that allied his vocation would the boy The worker who
his technical knowledge only renders himself eff
nt workman making his products marketable but the road
promotion and higher pay The experts in craft their
technical education
The time has for boy rebel the modern tendency to make
him small insignificant the wheel of industry and to be thus
converted into human machinery The great captains of industry
through the machinery which American genius has for the
part invented boys tools to feed this machinery
1t only true that the apprentice who learns his trade under
modern system usually learns only single part of it and knows little
nothing of other processes involved the trade whole
He has become automatic part of the machine which he is
working.
the of his
feeds the machine the modern an with the hoe hoe bound
10 and the object of attack the constant to lower his
He to be thrown of employment in times of depression
Such hope handicapped the struggle for better wages
and conditions because captains of industry hold them slave workers
in part of the trade.
It economic shame that children must sometimes drop out
of school before completing the but they must let
insist that the follow them to the shop insofar
be made to.
Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1917-11-22
Island of Mindoro.

So prolific was the Island of Mindoro
In the Philippines at one time in the
production of rice that 1t was popular
~ called "the granary of the Philip
pines" Sugar, cotton, hemp and 9TH
er crops thrive on the island when
properly cultivated. Yet its economic
conditions are extremely backward,
rnd large part of its population is in
a constant state of poverty. 1t has al
together about $4,000 Inhabitants.
Among these are $4,000 Tagalogs, 1900
Mungyanes, 1000 Visayans, and OF
Ilocanos less than 1000. OF the whole.
over 1000 are pronounced savage; a
large proportion of the remainder are
lenSely ignorant.