The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-06

First Woman TO Strike.
Other speakers were Francis Wilson,
who presided Norman Trevor, Ida Muller
OF "Chu Chin Chow" who was the nrst
women striker TO walk out: Wilton
Lackaye, Paul Turner OF the Equity legal
stan, Margaret Vail. niece of President
Wilson; Ernest Martin. vice-president
Of the State Federation OF Labor of
North Carolina: Raymond Hitchcock,
whose own production of 'Hitchy-Koo"
was called out on strike, and the Arch
deacon. the Rev. James Grattan Mythen.
a member of the Plumb railroad plan
committee. who advised the actors to
have a national theatre Of their own
and get rid of those supernumeraries.
the managerR"
Although the managers announced
they would reopen all theatres rmme-
diately plans for the comeback OF
Friendly Enemies" scheduled originally
for Monday. retreated further into the
distance. The company II still rehears-
ing. but ii was stated at the ONCE OF
A. II. Woods that the reopening was
still indefinite IN date, though denial
was made that the comedy was being
held UP pending q settlement OF the
present congestion in theatre traffic
The Selwyns. however. announced that
Challenge" would positively mako It's
debut In the Selwyn Theatre again to-
night. Arch Selwyn stated that no
threats Of trouble had been made BY
union stage hands in case the show went
on with non-union crews humping the
scenery. Far from being gun shy. the
Selwyns made Il known that they IN
tended 70 open their third Tea for
Three" company with Cecil spooner as
the principal player, on September 10 In
the Bronx Opera House. apparently not
seeing any hoodoo IN the fact that this
theatre was pulled" by the movie OPP
orators a week ago as a house belong
ing to Conan and Harris and therefore
unfriendly to the true knights Of tho reel
Equity Announees PlAys.
The managers are not the only pro-
ducers who are making postponements,
for the entertainment committee Of the
Equity announced that the programme
OF four one act plays advertised for
Monday night at the Lenox Theatre,
10th street and Lenox avenue. was de-
ferred by George K Denny, who Is d.
recting rehearsals, to Tuesday. with the
possibility that another star would be
added to a cast which already includes
Peggy Wood, Ernest Terrence, Ernest
Trvex, Constance Binney and--naturally
-Faire Binney, since neither of the
B1nney 0enOlBeueB NOulQ bilOW inc OtneT
to get ahead OF her.
Alexander Carr joined the Fidelity yes
terday. explaining he was for the
actors and for individuality" Ethel
Barrymore issued the following state
ment anent the great divide that oc-
Cured over the latest managerial offer !:
II am not a lawyer. but can I'M
derstand when a definite pledge is bro
ken. We were promised absolutely by
the managers through their lawyers that
the negotiations between them and US
should not be made public, and similar
pledge was exacted from US.
THE managers have broken their
word. After pledging themselves dis
tinctly and definitely that the contract
offered to US should recognise the Act
ors' Equity Association. by adroit legal
verbiage they have so worded the con-
tract that with the aid of the Actors
Fidelity League they could disrupt the
Actors Equity Association.
This, their sole object, the contract
they offer to us would bring about
After reading the managers proposal
can only say that I will never consent
to contract that would destroy the
Actors Equity Association. shall
be loyal to the Actors Equity Associa-
don as long as / am a member. I am
a life member"
Equity Strikers Arrested
A large and interested audience last
night saw two champions of the strik-
ing Actors Equity Association bounced
out OF the Hotel Biltmore by a police
man and started on n Journey toward
the Night Court.
The occurrence was the finale of an
act which Herbert Gelley. an actor.
tried to stage In the lobby of the
fashionable hotel while the Actors
Fidelity League, the anti-strike organ
ization, was holding a meeting in one Of
the banquet rooms
Gelley was supported in his perform
ance by Hall L. Oliver. a dramatic d.
! rector, who had accompanied him to the
scene, and who rendered a tenor ac-
compartment as Gelley poured forth In
| deep bass tones which filed the lower
floor of the hotel the war song OF the
Equity, which runs:
One for all
All for one;
All for Equity
As he finished the fifteenth stanza
the Fidelity members, 700 strong, be-
gan to pour out Of their meeting room
| for the street, and Gelley undertook to
bar their path and harangue them upon
the issues Of the stage war. The storm
Of boos and Kisses which swept the
lcoby at his first words temporarily
drowned out the sound of his voice, but
when the blast had substded his tones
| arose again.
"Shut upi" yelled Alexander Leftwich
J of the Fidelity as he shook q threat
| ening finger in Gelley's face. and when
| his command went unheeded he went
| out for q policeman. Meanwhile GeIley
/ held forth In the lobby. and as George
NJ. Cohan, president of the Fidelity.
made his appearance he cried
Wouldn't you support the American
Federation OF Labor"
The answer to this query was a loud
and emphatic "Nol'' which came from
| 100 lusty threats and was followed by
a cyclone of boos for the labor body
| mentioned.
Leftwich reappeared at this moment
with Patrolman Kaiser. and he insisted
that the officer take the men to the Night
Court while he accompanied them to
prefer a charge OF disorderly conduct
1t was afterward learned that a
\ rumpus had also developed inside the
| meeting when an actor named Charles
Hinton talked himself out OF his mem
bership In the Fidelity League. He be-
gan by asking innumerable odd questions
, OF Mr.. Conan along the line Of deter
mining whether the Fidelity League was
| union Mr.. Conan said that Il was
union 'since they were united TO get
the theatre back to where Il was" Hin
ton asked the president whether he con-
, sidered the United States OF America a
I n