Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-01-02
MESSAGER PLACES
WAR BEFORE MUSIC
'llustriOus Conductor of the
Paris Symphony Orchestra,
AS Much of a Patriot AS a
Musician Describes Wars
Havoc

Andre Messenger. conductor of the Paris
Symphony, which plays in Burlington
Monday, said in an interview given
New Orleans paper early in November
that it was irksome for all of the mem
bers of the orchestra not to be in France
now that the French were pouring into
German territory.
Don't you think 1t will be wonderful
on Sunday" exclaimed Mr.. Messenger.
when Foch enters Metz and Strass-
burg. All | wish | could be there!'
Mr.. Messenger is as great a patriot as
he is Il musician, and could not talk
with interest on any subject but the
war. Like all true Frenchmen, he has
suffered SO intensely from the outrages
that Germany perpetrated in France.
that everything else seems of minor inn
portance in his eyes.
81 have been in the invaded district
several times, by special permission"
he said. II was in the Champagne Sec
tor: it was something awful. 1t will
take years to get the soil in condition
Tor production. Coal mines cannot be
put in running order for two years, and
cannot produce, at the rate possible be-
fore the war, in less than 10 years time
That gives a small idea of the devasta-
ton.
Men between % and 30 years of age
have almost disappeared in France"
continued Mr.. Messenger. at the Ecole
Normale all the students of the first
three years have been killed and the
same in true in every one of our tech
nica schools. I have a son in the army,
but was among the fortunate ones, and
did not lose him"
Mr. Messenger is afraid that the United
States Is not severe enough with the
pro-German element. What are you
going to do with your interned Germans
after the war;" he asked 81 think
It will be a problem to know what to
do with them, | tell you. In France
few Germans were informed, as they all
fled for their lives when war was de-
clared. No German can live in France
now. lie would be chased out like a
wild beast.
IF YOU Americans had seen what we
have seen in France, there would not
be pro-German allowed in the country
l heard that German singers and musi-
clans are playing in all parts of the
United States Wen. you may he sure
that would not be possible in France
Not after what we have seen. | saw the
sentiment change from pro-German tc
pro-ally when l was in Switzerland last
year. The Swiss were for the Germans
until they saw the refugees from the
invaded districts pass through their coun.
try. Then they became violently averss
to everything connected with Germany
Mr. Messenger suddenly dropped hi.
serious manner for moment ant
started to laugh heartily. 81 will tel
you q story about the Germans in Switz
erland, when | was there" he said
ut was while l was in Basel that ;
famous German orchestra was leavins
to go back to Germany. At the Sws.
customhouse the men were searched
and the custom officers found that tn,
Germans had put food in all their in
struments and cases Double basse.
were filled with cheese. bass drums con
tanned ham and sausages. meant 70
consumption in Germany. They wer,
fined 900 francs, and had to leave the foot
behind them. l have to laugh every tim,
/ think of 1t.
About % of the members of the Con
servatory orchestra were in the army
and got leave to come over here with me
and eight more were in the trenches an,
could not get away. Four of the or
chestra were killed in action. Those o
us who are here left France on an Amer
lean transport, and not a battleship, a
reported. We left from Brent, and ha,
pleasant trip, but we lost one mai
of influenza in New York.