The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-09-26
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 the great artist who wears 1t is an out but in reality.
 Now what is more she did not wait until the war clouds began to hover to talSe out her naturalization papers. but away back in 1908 she became an American citizen in order to give her family every advantage of the new world and to nurture them in true democracy
 She is an American alright and if you demand proof I point you to the tact that she named her eighth child George Washington, who according to a newspaper reporter who got sight of him when he visited the 75-acre farm near Paterson, N. J., which for some years was the home of Schumann- Heink, he said that he was "as Ameri- can as the flag that was raised on the lawn every Fourth of July"
 
 Now she was not posing as American before the public whom Barnum said liked "to be humbugged," but to the Berlin correspondent of the Musical Courier she rang the right note of Americanism, and he went out his way to state that "the great diva always speaks of America as her home" And it's public Knowledge that all during the war she gave herself unstintedly in service to her adopted land.
 
 Just because Schumann- Heink takes it upon herself to sing without charge for the Downing Industrial institute at Brewton, you need not imagine that she is a novice when it comes to know ing how to get money our of concert tours, but you can set it down as being born in her big womanly heart to do something for the girls who are making brave struggle to do something for Themselves. She knows full well the value of her time and the money pro- ducing power of her voice.
 It is true that from the time Herr Director Platen offered her s900 to sing at the Royal Opera in Dresden, she served faithfully German managers for b years without her salary going be- yond the $1500 mark. It was in New York that the financial value of her voice and art was first discovered. Mourice Grau engaged her for the sea- son of 1S9S-9 at the Metropolitan opera house at s6500 a year, which seemed big sum to her. but when he found that she had made an immediate sue cess, he tore up her contract paid her full seasons salary for one third of seasons work and gave her a new contract for $12,O00 a year.
 
 This be it remembered was 20 years ago, long before the day of screen fla vorites and before Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford and other movie favor ties had flashed forth in the moving picture world. But Maurice did not go down into his pockets any too soon for Schumann Heink was offered be- cause of her American success $6O00 a | year for 10 years in Berlin, and s1o, 900 a year for 10 years in Hamburg. I have seen the statement that in one season 1 in the United States she earned s1250 at the time. two-and-o half times as much as the President
 But she did not earn this large sum of money by singing in opera. She had found out that she could make concert tours which were very much more profitable than being tied down under a contract with. even the Metropolitan | Opera company. It was not only to her financial advantage to take advan- | tage of the great field awaiting her in 1 this land where thousands were anx- ] ious to hear her, but it was a great thing for the people as it gave so many more chance to sit under the magic spell of her truly remarkable voice. She was quick to cultivate the American field which was very much more productive than the Fatherland 1 It's to her training in concert work 1 that we get the chance to hear her | this afternoon, for had she been merely a diva whose talents were devoted ex- clusively to the grand opera she would not have been prepared to follow the leadings of her heart at the story of | the need of Alabama girls. But being accustomed to touring the country she knew that she could easily pull off the | stunt, and so she just went about to arrange it in her own way. I am sure that she enjoys singing in this country, | for she has gone on record saying | The Americans go to musical enter 1 tainments for the sole purpose of en- toying themselves"
 l It may not be known to some but | long after she got her engagement at | Dresden she had to undergo an ex- 1 traordinary amount of drudgery hav- ing to appear in comedy and farce as we'll as in opera. Finck well points out that this hard and varied work gave her the experience she needed for a stage success, and was. therefore, 1 invaluable. This is why she was taunted as being a comedienne rather than singer. even after she was en- gagged at Hamburg But no doubt it was her comic ability which made for the nonce abandon grand opera to become comic opera star in Loves 1 Pottery"
 l l heard of rather amusing thing which is said to have occurred during her engagement at Dresden. It's a l good story, even it be aporriphal It tells of Richard Strauss. whose fond- ness for bizarre orchestral effects fs noted, and who is. it seems to be- never happier than when evolving weird themes or Niagara roars from the de- moniacical blendings of reeds. brasses. let, nd