The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-06-09

VIll-L the herman grand opera sing
M ers be locked up in American in
ternment camps with the other
German enemy aliens?
This is what the United States Govern
ment authorities are now considering, and
it is probable that the voices of many high
Iy paid Metropolitan Opera House stars
will not be heard during the period Of the
war outside the wire fences of an Ameri-
can internment camp.
What has Germany done about foreign
artists who were found in Germany? They
have been locked up in internment camps.
These artists were not seized for any cause
except that they we're merely citizens of
countries against which Germany had de-
clared war
What sort of treatment has Germany
given these imprisoned foreign artists?
They are for the most part confined in
the Ruhleben internment camp which is
located in a race track near Berlin. From
Ambassador Gerard's statements We know
of the wretched conditions of this camp
Musicians, painters, singers, sculptors
actors are herded with gamblers, jockeys,
prize fighters and criminals. They are
crowded into filthy, badly heated quarters,
with leaking roofs and none of the ordinary
primitive comforts of life
Ambassador Gerard again and again, in
diplomatic correspondence and more re-
Gently in his writings and speeches, has
told of this wretched camp and protested
against it.
While Germany without a moments hes
itatiOn, locked up all foreign singers in in
teTnment camps, We have allowed German
singers to tour America and collect mill
ions of American dollars, some of which
may have found their way back to help
Germany carry on the war
II is true that the Federal authorities
finally laid their hands on DR.. Karl Muck,
the leader of the Boston Symphony Orches-
ira, and he is now interned. But the De-
partment of Justice officials said in regard
to the arrest of DR. Muck that he was zone
of the most important captures since
America entered the war"
That the German public feel that the
German opera singers now in America
should behave like loyal Germans is made
very plain by an article recently published
in the Cologne Zeitung under the heading:
Unworthy Conduct of German Prima
Donnas."
This German paper refers to the recent
appearance in America of Miss Frieda
Hempel and Madame Matzenauer. and
says as translated by the Literary Digest:
1.-The Allgemeine Musik-Zeitung reports
that Frieda HempeI, a singer attached to
the Royal Prussian Chamber, who is at
present in America, has written a letter 10
The editor of an American musical weekly.
dated New York November 2. 1917. in the
English language. Of which the following
IS a [retranslation of theI German transla-
ton:
May ! ask YOU as expressly as possible
to contradict the report that have at any
time refused to sing The Star-Spangled
Banner" in Providence or elsewhere? l
do not know how ;his report arose. since l
have sung patriotic American songs in my
entire Autumn tour | shall sing THE Star
> pdu6ltA LDdlllltl lltAl NtliAdg dl NlG DG-
ginning of my concert in Providence
'CSignedD FRIEDA HEMPEL'
According 10 the same authority, Marga-
-ete Matzenauer singer to the Royal Bava-
ian Chamber has had the following pub
ished in America:
although have sung in German in the
Opera House yet some of my
greatest successes have been made in
French operas like Samson and DaliIa"
II Italian operas like Aida" have abso-
utely no feeling, to say nothing of sympa-
by. for Germany in this war ] first quick
V aroused the fury Of the Germans in San
Francisco, where ] sang The Star Span
lied Banner in all my concerts | have
lad American songs in all my programmes
his season. on the West coast. in New
Orleans, Chicago, Cincinnati and other
titles"
This, then is the unworthy conduct" of
hese singers-they have never refused TO
ing THE Star Spangled Banner" when
to, and they have included in
heir programmes songs of nations at war
With Germany!
Commenting on the rather half-hearted