The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-03
ACTORS STRIKE
NEAR END, BOTH
SIDES INTIMATE
Frank Gilmore Tells Lex
ington Audience Peace
Is Near on RialtO.
CONAN ALSO OPTIMISTIC
representatives of Labor Fed
Grafton See Rift-Mann
Cracks a Joke.

with both sides predicting a speedy
and TO the actors strike yesterday.
wiseacres along Broadway declared
that the ice was breaking and naviga-
t,on along the Rialto would soon be re-
opened.
effect came at big mass meeting of
the Actors Equity Association at the
Lexington Theatre, when rank Gill
more. the executive secretary, as
serted that the end was coming sooner
than any one expected-which started
the betting that the strike SaS nearly
finished.
Following limitations to the same ef-
feet from representatives of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, George M. Co.
nan made a similar statement last night
M n crowded gathering OF the Actors
Fidelity League at the Hotel Biltmore
that was notable among other things for
attempts by Equity fans to throw the
meeting into confusion, demand by
louis Mann, the vice-presldent, that one
of these men be arrested for remark
sighting the judiciary. and the first
Joke perpetrated by Mr.. Mann since the
strike began.
pan 10 neep OuEtatn tps
While the hubbub was beginning to
overflow here Mr.. Cohan left to attend
a conference at which he said plans
would be laid to keep the curtain up
phrase used by Florence Nash in
epeech that carried the house by storm.
Among the productions which 1t was
planned to reopen to keep the curtain
upo was The Challenge" which Arch
lazln OrNf n
cover at the Selwyn again on Saturday
next with a cast of players and stage
hands composed of people who had been
loyal"
The other plays among the five which
Broadway had reason to believe would
surge back to life were East Is West
and Friendly Enemies" reported on
the wey to revival next week; George
Whites Scandals of 1912" said to be
Manned for Saturday. and the 'Ziegfeld
Follies." reported to be ready for Sec
ond opening night on either Saturday
or Monday with the full consent of F,
Ziegfeld, Jr., and the original corps OF
loneliness The only possible way fol
these productions to go on would be witt
noii-union stage hands and musicians
which was likely TO add further excite
ment to the great White Way once the
union workers grew busy.
The Producing Managers Association
held an important conference last night
announcing that they would issue g
statement about midnight.
report was going the rounds that a
their last meeting the managers voted
SO to In favor of recognizing ths
EQUITY, but Arthur Hopkins, who ha:
taken pains to see that the public get'
the proper publicity from the managers
during the strike, said the producers
had not so far mado known a changed
front.
PIaywrights I'm Action.
The playwrights, banded together az
the dramatic committee OF the Authors
League Of America, at a meeting yes
terday formulated plans to add to Tho
managerial worries further In the ho
weather They appointed a committee
consisting of Eugene Walter, Augustus
Thomas, Eugene Buck, Rupert Hughes
and Owen Davis, to present to thu
managers assurances from Charles 3
Shay and Joseph Z. Weber Of the stag
hands and musicians unions that the!
would not hold out for a closed shol
a. part of the settlement with thu