The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-20

HE BIRMINGHAM Al the visitor is appealed at the newness that shines on antiquity. Beams are highly vanished to preserve them. Fresh paint gives a discomfiting modern glare and gloss. Thatched roofs are clipped to sharp edges. All of the glamorous murx that sets off the birthplace or Anne Hath- away's cottage in an engraving are lost in the real thing.
 You absorb c great many valuable facts in Stratford. For instance, the origin of the expression more power to your ei- bow" In Anne Hathaway's cottage, where the greatest poet learned how Romeo should talk to Juliet, they have a leathern ale jug of the Shakespeare period 300 years ago. It is capa cious, and it would have been awkward to have drunk from it's lip when lifted modern fashion. Instead the ancient guzzler grasped it's handle with his strong right hand, swung it to his elbow and then, at varying angle, poured the beverage into him. At the first elevation his companions would cheer him with More power to your elbow" for the custom of the times was to drink until your elbow was too weary to sustain the heavy jug. And they called the jug itself a "black jack
  and died in Stratford for scores of gen eratons Before Shakespeares name went through the universe and began 10 draw worshipful hordes to the little town, no doubt the chief industry was to sus- tain life to herd cattle, to comb wool 10 spin, to build and tinker and launder. AS the population slowly increased without additional industries, the tourists must have provided the new sources of sus- uuit n visible bJSl- ness beyond the housing, feeding and guiding of visitors, some 5000 or l0.ooo inhabitants appear sleek and content.
 mean there have been no industries where wheels have gone around ana made something to be sold wholesale. There are several art schools and paint ing guilds in Stratford, but Of course there is no money in that And brew cry, but I don't believe wheels go around inside a brewery; besides it's disfguring stocks are kept smoky satisfying the local d~nand with no thought to the outside world. Newly rising is an aluminium fac- tory. It came down from Birmingham to give employment to any possible idle hands A furious cutcry went up in Eng land against such dissertation. But it IS going up beside the brewery where 1t can do no more harm than was already
 
 be a fine thing.
 They had heard of the high wages of the nearby industrial city of Birmingham. and it seemed good to think of enjoying the cheap living recommendation or Strat- ford -on-Avon on Birmingham pay But when the call went out for twenty men or so at Stratford rates, great was the chagrin of the hopeful young men. They railed and then one dark night they dragged the German howitzer that the war office had presented to the town as a war memorial, from it's prominent set ting, rolled it down to Clopton bridge and pushed 1t over into the Avon, where it's snout has just been submerged by the flood tide. Part of the old bridge was damaged. That's the way the town boys dissipated their disappointment.
 Oh. they're fine, these Stratford youths It makes you wonder, as you walk along the freshly whisked streets whether any of the faces you see are fairly like the moulds from which they came in the soixtenth century. If so, then Shakespeare got his ideas from such people as these. There across the street may walk the demure and adamant Imc- gene her descended self. This gloomy man bringing you your meals, and painting you with clumsy bits of transformation he must be a Hamlet crossed with Bardolf And I know a place wherein Falstaff surely flourishes.
 Strike me-" he boomed at me, not in invitation but in interjection strike me- sir, if happy idea of mine has not lam neglected by these trustees and guardians many and many year. They have thls birthplace garden, you know, where every flower and tree mentioned in any of his plays are grown and nurtured, sir We'll strike me, sir, why not publlc house where the citizen and the visitor sir, might repair and enjoy each ana every one of the many brews and distiiia- tions that Shakespeare has recorded in his immortal way' He had the bulbous hulk alright, and the ruddy nose, and but possibly, those Santa Claus folds at the top of his checks. In his case the pouchy cheeks merged unriLpingly with the forehead.
 Stratford has pulling fascination that not even sophisticated dramatic critics can resist. several of the London critics were foregathering after the birthday performance at the Memorial theatre, ana they kindly invited me to join them. conclave of critics usually is an ideal ap- proach to a convention of undertakers These were warm and genial. They ex- pressed themselves as "ravishd' and stunned with the beauty of it' and "very favorably impressed" Each had had telegrams from his London office asking if he were returning to do three important first nights there, and if hls understudy should be sent up for the Stratfori festival. No. indeed, they were going to stay with this. This was ''prodi- gious," smooth as gold" delightful as dream"
 ShaEespeare's birthday and death day is also the day of St. George. the patron saint of England. This was impressed upon me by the freshly re-illusioned crit ics 'It's also AmericaS patron saint