New-York tribune., 1919-12-24
Cali Too Fantastical, Too
Unreal, for Expression,'
He Tells Bride on Trip
Up Harbor Through Mist
Friends Greet the Poet
Famous Belgian Says sSBlue
Bird" Production Alone
Brought Him to America

When the weather clears and anxious
friends and we'll wishers subsde in
their ardor to wait upon him, Maurice
Maeterlinck. the famous Belgian poet
ana philosopher, may get a real idea Of
America. He had none last night when
ne came ashore from the French liner
France on his first visit to America.
ne saw the city through haze as the
france came up tho bay, and by him
self peercd through the mist trying to
get some sort of an impression of the
gateway of America
w hen the shed OF Pier 81 cut short
ms view and terminated his mental
study Of New York he went into the
lounge and remarked to his young
french bride: at is all too fantasti-
cai' too unreal. for expression. Every
thing is so tall and misty; | can make
nothing real out of it,"
Scarcely Speaks English
He was one of the first travellers to
come ashore, and with Nine. Maeter-
.nck was swauowed up in a cloud of
friends, admirers, reporters and photog-
raphers.
The babble of those about him CON
fused rather than disturbed him and
ne made heroic effort to think and
speak in English. tongue which he
admits is little known to him.
eterlinck is massive man. His
head is large, his face wide, with little
or no color, and the general expression
of his countenancc gives the impres-
sion that he might be the coolest man
in the world
He wore shaggy brown ulster and
buff woolcn mufher and heavy gloves
OF brown suede leather In the lapel
or the outer coat was The small red
button of the Legion of Honor of
France
Resting high on his head was a
tweed nat, narrow of brim and high
OF crown; He removed it occasionally
when talking with women on the pier,
displaying a shock of straight gray
halr that glstened under the glare of
the arc lights and fell in wisps over
his forehead
Throughout his chat with friends
and interviewers the great Belgian
poet seldom smiled. even when hilaritv
was apparent all about him.
FINALLY after a persistent effort to
speak in English he suddenly switched
to French, and the interview went
along more expeditously.
Had Pleasant Voyage
He expressed much pride in the fact
that he had crossed the Atlantic with
out becoming seasick. He had antici-
pated dreadful days in furious seas
Coming to America, he explained
was somple thing, after all. He de-
scr!bed 1t as mere promenade, and
incidentally observed that he never
had any desire to come to America.
He frankly admitted that the operate
production of his "Blue Bird" at the
metropolitan Opera House and the
lecture tour arranged for him were
the only things that induced him to
leave Europe.
Concerning his plans in this coun
try Maeterllnck professed complete
ignorance. II am like this baggage
here about me, mere trunk" he said,
Tor don't know yet whore I am going
or what plans have been worked out
Tor me. do know that | will be here
Tor three months and will lecture on
the immortality of the soul My theme
deals with the what you might call the
beginnings of fresh signs of the souls
immortality and personality after
IN my book 'Eternity."
According to the ships PASSENGERS
Maeterlnck was seldom out of doors
on thG run from Havre. He said him
of his time to studying English.
Soon after the France had docked
and his hand luggage had been exam
med the poet and his tiny bride mo-
tored to the home of A. A. Anderson.
president of the American Arts Asso
cation of Paris, where they will pass
the night.
Nine. Maeterlinck wore long coat of
beaver and a hat OF the same fur. She
is 1alr of complexion with golden hair
which she wore in twist around her
forehead. She chatted in French to an
overflow meeting that foregathered
about her some twenty yards from
where her distinguished husband took
his stand with the interviewers.
Maetcrinck Will attend dress ro-
hearsal Of The Blue Bird at the Met
ropolltan Opera House on Friday fol-
lowing dinner given in his honor at
the home Of Otto H. Kahn.