New-York tribune., 1919-08-14
Strike
Closes 2 More
Theatres Here
Continued from page I

said that If the injunction sought by
tha managers was denied every theatre
in Chicago would be closed. But both
sides had agreed to postpone action
pending hearing and decision on tho
application for an injunction restrain
ing Equity officiais from calling a
strike Of the companies playing CUP
n Mabel's Room" and "Cappy Kicks"
Grant Mitchell, star of "a Prince There
Was" at Cohan's Grand Opera house,
is one of the ardent leaders of the
Chicago strikers. or, rather, prospective
strikers. Broadway knows him best as
The Tailor Made Man"
Scgmund Zeisler, master in chancery,
before whom the application for an
injunction was made, refused to issue
temporary restraining order, but the
opposing counsel reached an agree
ment to delay strike action until the
injunction was either issued or de-
MED
New Feuds Growing
The theatrical region is broken out
like a rash, with new feuds between
striking actors and those who have
refused to strike and actor managers.
Charges and counter charges ill the
air. All sorts of wild rumors are
passed along. Now it is one prominent
actor who has deserted the strikers:
now it is another who has deserted
rumors start with suspicious frequency
that "the other side" has been max
ing ovetures for peace.
viii Paige, publicity director for the
Producing Managers Association. was
authority for the statement that Paul
Turner. counsel for the Actors Equity
Association, had broached the subject
of a conference to Morris Gest, mem
ber of the P. NJ. A. Mr.. Turner denied
last night that he had out any "feeler."
Mr.. Turner said:
81 met Mr.. Gest yesterday in front
of the police court, where he said he
was answering a summons. In the
course of our conversation the strike
was referred to. l did say to Mr..
Gest that | felt the present situation
IN all respects was 'regretable'; that
although | had made inquiries of many
managers and many people connected
with their Offices, | was unable to find
the point of difference or learn from
any individual manager that he felt
that the request of the Actors Equity
Association was not just one.
Believed Settlement Possible
"Therefore l could not understand
why conference could not be held
which would lead to settlement.
also told Mr.. Gest that it seemed to
me that the position the managers
were taking was robbing them of the
respect of organized labor and all who
were in sympathy with it, and that their
refusal to arbitrate could only lead
eventually to massing against them
OF all classes of people who labor in
the amusement world"
C1nfajD William II 90 ~ Jop;oJ xyor
terday that he had sent the telegram
that was the cause of George M
Cohan's resignation as abbot of the
Friars. Mr.. Cohan also declared that
the telegram was not from Captain
Harrlgan, but from some person who
signed himself member"
"'Captain Harrigan and l are pals, "
said George Cohan. ''The Equity
crowd knew that knew who sent that
telegram and they gave out Harrigan' s
name to throw me off the track. Har-
rlgan is one of my very best friends. -
Ihe telegram in question read:
Both our dead fathers were great
men. Mine is sleeping peacefully in
turned over in his grave because Of
your treatment of the actors"
Managers State Position
Inc POSITION or the PRODUCING Mana
gers Association was set forth in a
statement by Arthur Hopkins. He
said:
"The Producing Managers Associa-
tlon cannot deal with or recognize the
Actors Equity Association for the rea-
son that 1T has ceased to be the repre-
sentative Of the actor and has become
his Dictator
"A member of the Actors Equity
Association can no longer freely enter
into any contract with a manager
which he is certain OF fulfilling His
first obligation is to the Actors Equity
Association. He signs an oath and
gives bond that at all times he will
abide by the dictates of the associa-
ton.
"If he is ordered to break contract
he will break it or be expelled from
the association and called a scab
1.-The contract between actor and
manager ceases to be contract be-
tween two parties The Actors Equity
Association Is the third party and
the predominant one. No matter
how profitable and pleasant the
relations between the individual
actor and manager may be, these
relations arc at all times exposed
to immediate destruction by third
party. The Actors Equity Association
has demonstrated that it will not hesi-
tate to destroy these relations. The
present strike is d complete demonstra-
tion of that fact. The hundreds of
actors working peacefully under the
Actors Equity were ordered out at an
hours notice. Great havoc and great
suffering were wrought at the Equity
Associations nod.
Unlike Other Trades
"The theatrical business is unlike
unique and individual service. The
peaceful continuation of this service
must be removed from any danger of
lnterierence or there can be no thea
tire. The Producing Managers Asso-
clation wants to deal with the actors
collectively IS TO the form of contract
1t welcomes any organization Of actors
whose fundamental principle shall be
the fultilment under all conditions of
the individual contract
The Producing Managers Assoca-
tion again offers with any dependable
actors organization to submit matters
or contract fultilment to a joint board
OF actors and managers, with an ont
slde umpire. The Producing Managers
Association will bind itself to stand al
ways on the one great fundamental
mat the theatre can only live when
contracts between individuals are sup
ported III their enforcement by every
agency of the theatre.
"brlng us an actors association that
Is founded on the same principle. We
Will offer it a form of contract that is
better than the former Actors Equity
Association contract.
But 1t must be an organization in