The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-15
CONAN DEFIANT
TO FRIARS' PLEA
IN factors FIGHT
Will Keep Self-Respect and
Won't Return to Club,
He Tells Them
MUSICIANS TALK STRIKE
5000 Stage Hands Pledged in
Sympathy Walkout; Suits
Called Bluff.
MUSICIANS TALK STRIKE

Members Of the Friars Club who had
sat In the throng of 1000 striking actors
At q meeting in the Hotel Aston bear
ing all the earmarks of an uproarious
labor gathering and cheered the leader
Of the stage hands. who said the $4,000
men in the organization were ready to
20 on a sympathetic strike, put aside
their personal feelings last night and
for the sake of lifelong personal friend
ships marched around to the Conan &
Harris Theatre and with tears in their
eyes begged George NJ. Conan not to re-
sign from their club.
This appeal on the stage OF the thea
tire came as the dramatic climax to a
Gay during which the musicians had in
dicated they were prepared to line up
with the actors and the stage hands, and
q labor representative of the American
Federation OF Labor threatened to in
woke the Sherman anti-trust law and the
Sunday closing law against the man
ayers. The parade of 900 Friars was a
fCrerunner of the parade which the
strikers announced would take place
next Monday. at the same time that they
started their series of benefit perform
arces at the Lexington Theatre. y.
But no parade. no matter how large
the numbers participating, could equal
that held last night in the feeling back
Of It For no other manager belonging
to the Producing Managers Association
would the Friars have turned out. nor
would they have displayed the depth of
feeling they exhibited when they asked
him to reconsider his resignation, handed
In because not only he himself but his
dead fathers memory had been affronted
by some irresponsible players. And the
great little man Of the theatre himself
visibly sensed the undercurrent of
strong affection as Capt. John ]. Glea-
son. dean of the Friars, began to ad-
dress him on the stage Just before the
evening curtain went up.
Friar Pleads with Cohan.
George" began Capt Gleason, I'VE
don't want to lose our best friend and
our beloved abbot
tits no use your talking" broke in
Conan, facing the throng of fellow club
members who ringed him about with
his chin up, his cigar tilted at an ag-
gressive angle and his head thrust for
ward in the determined way familiar to
thousands. 81 know what you're going
to say, SO you needn't say It. I'm not
q speaker. and i can't talk to you my
self. But / want You all to know that
I can fecl. and that I'm feeling this
very deeply.
81 consider this a very wonderful
compliment-a very wonderful thing
you fellows have done. But want you
to know that I'm with my associates.
the friends who have helped me to get
TO the position I've got to-day"
The actor-manager. who has been
looked upon by most of Broadway as
the Yankee Prince" himself for his
many secret charities to distressed play
ers backed up against the drop curtain,
and his eyes flashed over the assembled
players as though he was fighting all
the actors in the world with his back
to the wall. That challenging cigar
came out of his mouth and was lifted
In his arm in an attitude of defiance
that has characterized his tense mo-
ments on and of the stage.
Were in for a fight" he said. his
voice growing sharper ut seems
very bitter fight. I'm going to fight
everybody who's against me. I'm with
the managers not because think
they're right. but because know they're
right.
VIII Keep seIf-Respect.
I'VE may be licked-I may be licked.
But there's one thing I'm sure of. I'm
going to come out OF this fight with my
self-respect. I'm. only little fellow.
There are bigger interests involved in
this than have. II It were just a mat
ter of myself. 1 wouldn't care what you
said about me-"
"Nobody's said anything about you"
interrupted a member of the club
"But when you attack the men that
have helped me-" resumed Conan, II
can't stand by and watch It, may have
broken my word to others in the past,
but I've never broken my word to my
self And though it's the toughest thing
I've ever had. to say. no argument can
make me go back into the Friars or the
Lambs so long as / live"
A hopeless silence seemed to descend
on the men who stood before him amid
The scenery for THE Royal Vagabond."
not yet set up. Sophisticated thespians
" no had marched along Broadway from
the clubhouse at 10 West Forty-eighth
street, tramping behind four mounted
COPS and the flag with an air of bra
vado or self-conscious grins. passed their
handkerchiefs ostensibly to their noses
or openly wiped their eyes.
"But we want you to come back as our
friend" pleaded an impulsive young
Juvenile on the edge.
Quotes Stacker slur.
mo man with red blood in his veins
and know you've all got that-would do
anything but what I've DONE" retorted
Conan. They're saying out on the
streets that the man who wrote over
There stayed over here"
WHO'S saying that7" demanded a
FrIar, stepping forward belligerently.
"Oh. won't go into that" said Cohan.
What want to say is did stay over
here. Buff you understand what
meant did write over There"
There was loud applause and wild
cheers at that, while the slender man
ager leaned forward tensely. Then Will
lam A. Brady stepped forward and
pleaded with Cohan.
in all the years I've lived in this
city" said Brady. 1--WE never seen
demonstration like this made for any
man. They're your friends. Don't leave
them--not without thinking II over"
tits no use, Bill" said CohaE.
w. A. Brady Adds Plea.
TIN your friend, too" went on his
fellow manager laying his hand on Co
ANS shoulder Remember the tunes We
used to sit in Shanley's and j used to
predict you'd be a millionaire? marched
with them tonight. And ask you. for
Gods sake, don't leave them without
thinking It over"
Young George Conan kept silent, not
even shaking his head. He looked like
old George Conan then. The face that
has maintained Its alert youthfulness
for all its gray seem TO age suddenly