New-York tribune., 1920-01-04

tnat the lecture would be in English.
As was making contract, written in
Enghsh, Tor lecture tour in an Eng
isn,speakang country and as Mr.. Mae
terlinck has known English ever since
boy, it was naturally not entered in
the contract what language the lectures
would be In. It was accepted by Mr..
maeseriinck that the lectures would be
IN English. When left him he was
70 address large audience. In writing
20 me In November he said that he
could not prepare two lectures in Eng
ilsn, as one had been q sufficient task.
Says He Declined Try-out
All my announcements stated boldlv
that the lectures would be in English.
as TINS was the most often asked ques-
zion IN our selling campaign for Maetcr-
itnck. On his arrival here he never
took exception to these statements, and
wnen l asked him personally if he
wished to try out his lecture at Car
negie Hall he stated that he did not
need such try-out, as his voice would
carry. Had he taken this trouble,
which the greatest Of men do before
undertaking such tour, the trouble
OF MS language would have been noted
and with the aid Of competent coach
come, as it has been in the case Of
many other foreign speakers of note.
II have been absolutely prevented
from seeing Mr.. Maeterlinck either for
business or for social purposes except
on two occasions, which together would
not exceed half an hour. Mr. Russell,
VINO claims SO often that he is Mr..
Maeterlinck's friend, has barred the
door to me on every occasion. And
N a a ~ %kn
settle all vital points.
II had read in the press that Mr..
Maeterlinck had phonetic system, de-
vised by Mr.. Russell's son for learning
English, but never have I seen the man
uscript of this lecture. l was astound-
cd when, with the audience, learned
that Mr.. Maeterlinck did not have q
normal English version of his manu-
script. and that he depended alone on
language OF overnight creation.
Expresses His Regard
For Mr.. Maeterlinck 1 have the
highest regard, and personally he is
one Of the most charming Of men.
After / had arranged the order Of the
program, Mr.. Russell called Dr.
wright, who was to be one Of the
speakers, aside and instructed him to
invite the audience to interrupt if the
">o NV ucdIu. LIE. wright,
following these instructions, elabo-
rated in advance to the audience the
course. which later was followed. Ma
audience, without invitation. would
have acted voluntarily so boldly. The
strange part to me is that DR.. Wright
was present on the insistence for
months of Mr.. Russell, and acted under
his direction, without consultation
with me.
DR.. Wright further stated that the
subject Of the lecture was not tha.
which Mr.. Maeterlinck would give, and
this mornings papers state Mr.. Maeter-
ilnck forbade my using the subjec.
"The Unknown Shore" No word has
ever come to me forbidding the use
Of title chose when at Monte Carlo.
Mr.. Maeterlinck said he would SPEAK
on spiritualism, but as he gave me nc
definite subject, l had to chose the one
used. He wished to give me different
one, but he never sent it to New YORK
as promised On October Is, l wrote
him asking for the belated subject,
and in November he wrote that he
would speak on "Some New Intimations
of Immortality" 1t was then too late
to change my printing and the new
subject was run as an underline every
where it was possible to include it
1.-THE statements In this mornings
papers that Mr. Mcdonald has been
appointed to handle any business be-
tween myself and Mr.. Maeterlinck is
the best proof of the existence
Of the barrier erected by Mr.
! Russell to prevent my dealing d.
rect with the great poet it has been