New-York tribune., 1919-05-25

the beautiful, which in it's very nature
is both guiltless and incapable of the
political sentiments now abhorred by
nearly all the civilized peoples of the
world, the masters who created it with
neither knowledge nor premonition
that those who came after them would
revert to moral savagery and the prac-
titioners who lived under that saw
agery and in some cases sympathized
with it and upheld it, Yet such distinc-
tion ought to be instructive in every
intelligent child. To Danish Wagner's
dramas from the stage of America can
as little serve the cause for which the
nation pledged it's wealth, honor and
life as to bedaub the statues of Goethe
and Schiller, as was done in some
places. The people set up a statue Of
Heine in New York years ago largely
as protest against the attitude of the
German Emperor, who would not toll
crate memorial to that uncompromis-
ing democrat in Berlin. Why should it
have been thought patriotic to dis
honor the symbols of our veneration
for the genius of Goethe, who refused
to hate France and its literature even
while Germany was striving to throw
Oft the Napoleonic yoke? Or of
Schiller, who hymned freedom in what
is now called the "Ode to JOY" which
Beethoven, hater Of German politi
cal institutions and lover of the
British constitution, helped to make
immortal?
Why should Wagner's dramas have
been banished from the stage of the
Metropolitan Opera House? Because
of the political beliefs of their COM
poser? Assuredly not, for he was a
revolutionary against the monarch-
cal state while living, and after his
death left no preachments which could
bring comfort to those who attempted
to destroy the political ideals for
which America went into battle. He
wrote silly lampoon on the French
government after the Franco Prussian
War, but its banality avenged itself on
his fame. He wrote march to glori-
fly William l, but his political reputa-
ton wrought its rejection at the func-
tion for which he had designed it. He
also wrote a march to celebrate the
centenary of American independence
but with it he garlanded as little ar
tistic glory as with his foolish French
farce.
Should Wagner's drama be banished d
from our stage because of the doc
trines which they inculcate? The world
has learned to smile at Wagner as a
philosopher. Even Bernard Shaw
breaks down in his elucidation of the
doctrines of socialism, which he as
sumes to be the basis of "The Ring OF
the Nibelung," when he reaches Got
terdammerung" wherefore he pro-
claims that drama to be more opera, and
poor opera at that. But the underly-
ing purpose Of the tetralogy is to teach
that selfish cgoism, finding its ex-
preston in brute force, must give way
to dspensation of justice and love
/ the selfish will Of Wotan is broken b,
the willing self-sacrifce of Briinhide
Shall we quarrel with such an cthica
conception? Or with that which lie:
at the base of "Tannhauser"-thats sal
walton comes to humanity through the
love Of pure womanhood? Then must
we also condemn the uplifting fable
Of Alkestis and empty our vessels OF
contumely not only upon the eighteenth
century Austrian Cluck and his
French librettist. but also upon Eu-
ripdes, in whose favor the statute OF
limitations may surely be pleaded. Is