The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-23
AUDIENCE IMPATIENT
1000 Music Lovers Take
Part in Great Ovation and
1000 Send Gifts.
ENRIGHT GIVES BANNER
Famous Singer Achieves a
Notable Triumph on His
Silver Anniversary.

The silver Jubilee Of Enrico Caruso
at the Metropolitan Opera House last
night was very nearly broken UP by
Mayor John r. Hylan when at the last
moment he demanded the removal Of
James NJ Beck as one Of the speakers
OF the evening.
Mr.. Beck, 1t will be recalled, was the
principal speaker recently at a meet
ing Of protest in Brooklyn against the
appointment by Mayor Hylan Of WILL
lam Randolph Hearst as chairman Of
turning soldiers Mayor Hylan backed
his demand for Mr.. Beck's removal by
threatening to refuse to permit the
principal event Of the evening. the
presentation Of a great silk nag Of the
city to the tenor, to go forward until
assured that Mr.. Beck would not
speak.
1t is known that when tho programme
was submitted to the Mayor a week ago
in its entirety his Honor made no OBJ
lection to the presence of Mr.. Beck's
nArns as a speaker. Consequently Otto
II. Kahn and others running the affair
were astounded when the Mayor sent
Grover Whalen, his ssecrstary. behind
the scenes after the musioas part Of the
evening to order tine omission Of Mr..
Beck as a speaker. Refusal meant the
wrecking of the whole evenings pro-
sramme before an audience OF 1000
persons who had gathered TO honor the
tenor.
Audience Held Up 20 Minutes.
For twenty minutes the audience
waited impatiently IN front Of the
dropped curtain while Grover Whalen
issued the Mayors ultimatum behind the
scenes From his box the Mayor sur
veyed the wondering audience. who were
growing more and more impatient over
the inexplicable delay. When Mr.. Beck
was informed Of the situation he i'm
mediately offered to withdraw. saying
that 1t was the tenors evening and he
would not put a damper on the whole
affair. He withdrew, therefore. leaving
the Mayor to his triumph. thief curtain
rose THE Star Spangled Banner was
sung and Mr.. Kahn made his address.
The silk banner was to be presented 70
tho tenor by Police Commissioner En-
right. On It's stan was a great silver
plate stating that It was presented to the
tenor by the city under the direction
Of his Honor Mayor John F. Hylan and
Philip Berolzheimer. City Chamberlain
in appreciation Of the work of Mr.. Ca
ruso for the Mayor Hylan peoples oon.
certs" in Central Park Mr.. Carust
spent much time in this work.
Whether the Mayor determined las
week to wreck the jubilee at the last
! moment II Mr.. Beck spoke or whether
something occurred since that time
} which caused the Mayor to deliver th'
attack was q matter of conjecture las
night.
} with the exception OF Mayor Hylan'l
unexpected ontribution-unknown tt
: the audience who had crowded the opers
.. house to pay honor to the glory OF
Enrico Caruso's voice. which had fol
, a quarter OF a century delighted the
world-the evening passed without sin
, gle hitch.
Brilliant scene In opera House.
From the stage where the great tenol
I sang in three operatic numbers, and
5 later in sober evening attire received thu
plaudits that shook the walls like !
= seismic tremor, he could see New York;
n music lover. waving hands TO him owe
n a sea of faces, shouting and clappin'
!, from boxes draped in brilliant blend
K ing of the national emblems of Ital!
n and America. from galleries where s.
J o@sax- was tia crowd That to clap va
| almost to lose ones balance
Nothing was finer In the evening
programme than the modesty with whicl
: he received the acclaim and heard him
= self lauded by directors, managers, pa
y irons and civic representatives. He re
2 ceived a thousand gifts, glittering Il
u their gold and silver. scintillating wit
diamonds. sapphires and other preciou
- stones which were displayed at tn
= public reception on the stage. The teno
:. made his bow to the audience at tn
u end of the performance while the cheer
. were greater than the beating OF
:. storm. All stood In the fervor of thei
!. acclaim. To the audience Caruso said 4:
:, my heart is beating so hard with tn
= emotion that I feel that / am afraid
= cannot put but a few words together
I am sure you will forgive me II
not make a long speech.
'"I can only thank you and beg you
accept my sincerest and most heartfe
gratitude for your kindness. I assur
Q you that will never forget this occa
sion, and will ever cherish in my hear
of hearts my affection for my dea
10 American friends"
l. He bowed deeply at the end an
s. thanked all again.
s. Kahn Praises Tenor's Voice.
Otto Fl. Kahn, chairman of the boar
:, Of directors of the Metropolitan Oper
;. Company. was the first to address tn
singer from the stage.
10 he oil faz
=, voice of our time" ne said. and po.
=. terity will envy H. We cannot admir-
~ the voice without admiring the man an
- we do admire him"
>. Mr.. Kahn spoke also OF the singer
- 'oyaitv to America, Fnd OF the bond
,s uaitins italy, the land of his natlv!t,
te