The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-10
CONAN LEAGUE NOT
WORRIED 'FIDO'
Actors, Satisfied With New
Contract, Are Told to For
get and Forgive.
A. E. L. OFFICER EXPLAINS
Strikebreakers Got Agree
ments During lighthouses
Growing Rapidly.

The Actors Equity Association and
the Actors Fidelity League. continuing
their series of valedictory meetings,
played in opposition to each other yes
tcrday. The Equity had a secret gath
ering at the Lexington Theatre, at
which Indications were given that its
leaders decided to settle the strike to
prevent long drawn war of attrition
and to keep the stage hands and musi-
ciens from losing enough money to make
them peevish. The Fidelity had an open
meeting at the Hotel Astor at which
George NJ. Conan. the president an
nounced that II he thought ne could
bring Home Rule to Ireland he'd go over
there
The Equity meeting, which was at
tended by about thousand persons, not
counting newspaper men, who were
barred according to a custom that has
now become hallowed tradition with the
Equity, brought an interesting sidelight
on the final settlement from Justus Shelf
field. one Of the Equity counsel, when a
player in the audience said
81 walked out on strike. though
didn't have any contract at all. When
=
didn't the Equity make sure that men
like myself would get their jobs back?'
Contracts for Strike Breakers.
THE strike breakers got permanent
contracts" explained Mr.. Sheffield,
while the strike was going on. We
couldn't ask that these persons be
thrown out of their positions, because
some of the managers were In such
temper that the strike would have gone
on for one month more at least
IT want you to understand" he went
on, ''that a great deal of money was lost
by the musicians union. Mr.. Weber
says this amounted to at least 100000
a week in wages The stage hands
lost $4,000 a week-that was up to ten
days ago. before the season began. AZ
ter the season started 1t was calculated
$4,000 was lost by both organizations
each week
"The Ziegfeld Follies,' which was
represented in the strike by Eddie Can
tor, the Dooleys. Van and Schenck and
others. lost a great deal of money. Not
one of these players had Equity con-
tracts, but went out nevertheless at a
cost to themselves Of $4,000 week in
salaries.
ED wynn's loss also was not small
=
and musicians would have been $1,000
900 a week to each organization all over
the country. Since the managers were
willing to concede more than we orig
inally went out to get, We did not feel
we could in justice carry on the strike
any longer. The managers now are
showing every Indication of their will
ingness to do the right thing"
In response to another query Mr.
IL Al,oN 1for A
and Abraham L. Erlanger had assured
him that the Producing Managers Asso.
citation had promised 1t would see there
would be no discrimination by members
of the organization. All those having
complaints against managers on the
score of discrimination were referred by
Mr.. Sheffield to Frank Gilmore, execu-
tive secretary of the Equity. who heads
a committee ito take care of managers
who discriminate"
Forget, Forgive, Says Conan.
At the Fidelity meeting Mr. Conan
drew a hearty affirmative chorus from
the 500 members present when, after
reading the peace agreement he asked
them II they were satisfied. Mr.. Conan
then got in trim for the curtain speeches
he may make this season by the fol
lowing silver tongued effort:
"We must start to try to forget-to
forgive. We've got to get out of the
mess. Wen have to meet these people
play with them and travel with them
IT doesn't mean anything in my life
II they call us Fidos or the yellow
league. There may be slurs, but the
greatest weapon we can use is kind
ness. You can kill some men with kind
ness. you know"
The tone of this address, indeed, pre-.
vailed throughout the gathering, which
was marked by It's quiet, good temper
and its absence OF any rancor toward
its rivals In the Equity. When a vote
of thanks was proposed for Louis Mann
the vice-presdent, Mr.. Cohan drew g
general laugh by this Introduction Of
the player who has shown himself
never at a loss for words
I'm sure Mr.. Mann has something t.
say" Sure enough, Mr.. Mann did. utter
ing his remarks above a monoplane col
lar that showed an even greater wins
spread than usual. Said the oracle:
I'VE have reached the apex or all We
Struggled for. ! am happy to be known
by the name of Fido." And thereupon
to show there was a classical sanction
for this nickname applied by the Equity
70 the Fidelity. Mr.. Mann quoted from
Shakespeare without a struggle:
I'D rather be a dog baying at the
Moon than such a Roman"
While praising the work Of the board
of directors he came to the name Of
Janet Peeoher. whereupon a great surg,
he broke out with this:
"Gawd, she was tremendous I!
FfAaIffv na.oat