The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1918-06-28

a wonderful gilt, had all the ele-
ments of power and beauty in the
most remarkable voice the world has
ever heard, and she was therefore
not only the greatest soprano but
incomparably the worlds greatest
artist.
Miss Maxwell came and charmed
us, and yet she was not heralded like
Neilssen as a $4,000 singer, nor
like Madam Claussen with the Euro
pean stamp of approval.
1t is quite difficult to analyze
voice in a few concert numbers or
to Judge it's limits. 1t requires the
test of an entire operate score or
probably a number of scores. Not
only the lyric power and beauty, but
the sustaining qualities must be
reckoned with. But Miss Maxwell
was generous with the audience and
sang in program of widely varying
possibilities. She does not exhibit
so much of the temperamental ten
denotes, but is more convincing in
voice that nature has provided with
it's own charms and needing no arti-
fetal aids. Her middle and lower
registers seemed to be her greatest
endowment, and yet she assembled the
gamut with consummate tact and
ease, occasionally scaling altissimo
heights with precision and beauty.
1t is truly wonderful gift, unat-
tainable unless touched by nature
and then perhaps with years of
struggle before there is a subcon-
scious awakening and genius springs
into view.
We had Nielsen, once an Ameri-
can comedy queen, little heavy
with time, and Claussen with what
might be elegantly termed eccentri-
cities of voice, but the audience this
year was more than pleased with
the new voice. Again and again
came the applause, but not until the
singer had generously sung the popu-
lar air, keep the Home Fires Burn
ing" and then that everything
heart-throb, "The Last Rose of Sum-
mer," did enthusiasm sweep the tent.
1t was universal and genuine, and
Miss Maxwell had reason to remem-
Der that she had made friends in I'm
ion City.
The assisting artists shared in the
reception with Miss Maxwell. Miss
Schubert, the pianist, was particu-
larly effective in support of the voice
and an artist of interpretive power
and skill. So was the violinist, Milan
Lusk, in his numbers and obligato
work thoro musician.
This paper had no report of the
lecture, but it is said to be one of
the most popular ever heard in Union
City. The comment was of the most
fattering nature.
On Tuesday night we had Sir
John Fraser, a Scotchman, noted
English war correspondent and trav-
eler. His was one of the most i'm
portant contributions to the chau-
tauqua. He spoke for more than an
hour on the warning countries, and
to endeavor an extract would be
useless. 1t was a compact historical
sketch reduced to short and graph
ic recital. He began with the assas-
sinatioIf of the Crown Prince at the
hands of Serf, but not in any man
ner an act in which the Government
was connected. This was followed
by the unreasonable demands of
Austria and refused, and then the
first gun was fired. 1t was the sig
nal for the German dynasty prepar
ing to strike for world dominion.
Servia expected the help of its Slav
allies, but they failed and Servia,
already reduced by former wars,
was laid low. The speaker had a
great deal to say of Servia and the
Balkans. He has travelled extensive
ly thru these countries and the
mountains and directed his remarks
to the national character of the peo
pie and their struggles. He devoted
more time to Russia, however, than
any other. Russia. needs more SYM
pathy than censure. The Russian
people are very religious, humani
tartan and democratic. They have
been ruled by the Romanoffs, but
the aristocracy of the ruling element
is only an upper crust. Hundreds of
years ago Russia was the most demo-
cratic country in the world. Rus
slams are hospitable, good-hearted,
but slothful people, and when they
entered the war the armies were
poorly armed and equipped. Russian
labor demanded more pay and fewer
hours. An appeal was made to the
powers by the Cossacks, Russia's
greatest warriors, for more arms,
but with the industrial disturbance