The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-23
LOYAL ACTORS
MOBILTZED TO
SMASH EQUITY
Enemy Scouts Precipitate
Near Riot at Opening
Session.
LOUIS MANN AT HELM
Cohan and His Promised
LOUIS MANN AT HELM
Cohan and His Promised
100000 Are Tempo
rary President.
STRIKERS RAISE $21, 900
Ethel Barrymore and Helen
Keller Featured at Benefit
Meeting.

Two mass meetings OF actors yes
terday in connection with the strike
raised such a rumpus that they must
have been heard even by Helen Keller,
who spoke at one of them. At her
meeting Ethel Barrymore raised s21,-
900 in fsrty-five minutes for the
Equity strike fund, while a rival or
ganization Of actors, with the promise
Of 100000 from George NJ Cohan and
the moral support of the other man
ayers. was formed despite opposition
tactics by Equity rooters.
This new organization was generally
considered to offer a chance for a split
in the actors lineup and the ending of
the strike. The situation among the
theatres remained unchanged. with
the Winter Garden variety show and
AT 9:45" at the Playhouse operating
as smoothly as though they had
Equity licenses.
Near Mob Scene Staged.
No pulsating drama presented on
Broadway, particularly one which deals
with class struggles. is complete without
a mob scene. SO It was quite in order
that the present theatrical MASTERPIECES
putting on along the Rialto without
mutual cooperation should result yester-
day afternoon in scene at the Hotel
Biltmore which came as close to riot
as the throats Of 500 actors and actresses
hurting denunciations and charges
against the Actors Equity Association
could bring It.. --..,.----
Challenges were shouted to the Equity
while Louis Mann, who had called the
gathering together to consider takiIrh
advantage of George NJ. Cohan's offer
10 devote his time and 100000 to a new
organization of actors not connected
with the A. Z. A. screamed for order
for fear his own mass meeting would get
out of his control. Amid the storm OF
emotional language with which the ar
= tists present displayed the artistic re-
straint OF a tornado two emphatic ac-
ousations were made against Equity
leaders-the first that one of them had
choked and maltreated boy actor, al
though he was on strike, and the other
that they had dragged woman out of u
sick bed and intimldated her into plead
ing with her husband, stage manager
that he should leave his work with The
Royal Vagabond" and join the great ex-
odus.
This led to hearty. not to say stem
torian objections on the part OF little
band of Equity scouts who had filtered
into the assembly. For while 1t looked
as though several fist fights might en-
sue extemporaneously. but the gathering
finally compromised by bowling at them
Thereupon, quiet having been restored
10 the extent that man didn't need
megaphone to make himself heard, Mr.
Mann set his plans going for an inde-
pendent actors organization. and at tht
PSYCHOLOGICAL moment Mr.. Cohan wa:
escorted in to bring about the climax.
That led TO more cheers and genera
turbulence, and when It subsided Mr.
Cohan announced that he was willing tc
retire from producing for good and giv'
all his money and energy to the new
body, provided the Producing Manager
Association were willing to sign waiver'
on him Then the afternoon meeting
was adjourned to give Mr.. Cohan tint
10 get this permission to retire before
the meeting TO perfect the organization
in the evening-and also to give thu
players time to recover from their head
ache. This counter revolution. IL sue
cessful, was generally looked upon las
night by the elated managers as herald
ing the first definite break in the dead
lock- brought about by the players
revolution.