New-York tribune., 1921-12-12
Belasco Picks
Love as Theme
OF Dinner Talk
ssOnly Thing in the World
That Really Matters,'' He
Tells Those Who Give
Him a Testimonial Feast
Otis Skinner Toastmaster
Occasion Fortieth Anniver-
sary of Noted Producers
Connection With Stage

David Belasco was given testi-
monial dinner last night at the Hotel
Biltmore by the Society of Arts and
Letters, commemorating the fortieth
anniversary of his entrance into Amer
lean drama, More than 500 men and
women prominent in drama. society
and finance were present. Otis Skinner
was toastmaster.
The speakers were Otto Il. Kahn.
Rose Coghlan, Janet Beecher. Augustus
Thomas, Charming Pollock and Charles
S. Whitman. AT Mr.. BeMsco's plate
was an engraved gold spoon, presented
by Mrs. Wander Linden, on behalf of
the society. Mr.. Belasco made the
closing address.
Among those at the speakers table
were Lima Abarbanell, Janet Beecher,
Rose Coghlan. Marie Doro, Geraldine
Farrar, Elsie Ferguson, Frances Starr,
Olive and Alma Tell. Marjorie Ram
beau, Lenore Ulric, Mrs. Frances Thur
man Seal, Daniel FREEMAN, Justice
Charles L. Guy of the Supreme Court,
Sam Harris, William Hodge, Otto Kahn,
Darwin F. Kingsley, Louis Mann, Will
liam Fellowes Morgan, Adolph S. Ochs.
Charming Pollock, Antonio Scott. Otis
Skinner, Augustus Thomas, David War
fielo, George Cohan, T. Coleman du
pont, Charles Whitman and Dora
Barber.
Mr.. Belasco responding to an elo
quent introductory address by Mr..
Skinner, took as the keynote of his
speech Love, the Grand Passion"
Only Thing That Matters
Love" said Mr.. Belasco, SIS the
only thing in the world :. that really
matters. 1t is the one thing that counts
in the long run. Love tells the whole
story-my whole story. Love built my
Little Theater, love put on my plays
aAd still puts them on. Love guides
my character and a glow of love for
your society and its friends brings me
here tonight in answer to the glow
which prompted this touching tribute.
Pecple are always saying to me-
the doctors and my friends in and out
Of the professon-tha I am working
too hard. tell them no--I don't work
too hard play pretty hard and my
work is my play. 1t is such good sport
that love it more, and more as the
years &c by.
"Since nothing is wasted. our love
is ths one real thing we leave behind
Us. IN the work we leave, for The
cnly thing we really keep are those we
S-s tMay. AS C4lDeTt duDDard once
sad: The man who does not love his
WORK, who finds no pleasure in it. who
cannot toll at it until he drops, is a
slave
"Io go on with our work. however.
we all need encouragement
tion. 1t is great thing, encourage
ment: We all long for it and all need
1t. Need say to you how much of en-
coUragement your kindly tribute to-
Fight has given me? We are all hu-
man. No ane among us but needs the
sppreclative touch to be at his best.
Need for Affection
we must carry affection into our
wefk to bring inspiration because All
that narpens happens again. AS Peter
Grimm said: The curse of our lives is
the vast army of beings caring nothing
for their work, iaboring solely for
money No one can do this and succeed
The appeal to love is not only nee
essary to the drama-it is the KEYNOTE
OF all art, CT all science, Of all business.
1t is the foundation, the mortar. the
bricks, the beams and the thing itself
Even the hard-hsted financier has been
made to-day to recognize its value
the very dust in the street knows it.
AS stand here talking to you to.
night all the teeming memories of the
past come surging back. seem to sec
among you many a friend and comrade
Of other days, men and women whose
names have long been written in ths
book of death. / see John McCul
Tough, Edwin Booth, Lawrence Bar
rett, Lester Wallack, Augustin Daly
Richard Mansfield, Billy Florence
Charlotte Cushman, Adelaide Nelson
Ada Rehan, Henry Irving and Helen;
Modjeska. | see them smiling with u,
as they listen to our talk-a goodl,
company.
Il can scarcely credit tha. I. Is I VIII,
am here and that all the strange, event
ful experiences of my life have actu
ally befallen me.
cit is not likely, l suppose, that W,
II we Go meet again, why, we shall
smile; if not, why. then, the partin,
was we'll made"
AT the conclusion of his speech MI
Beiasco was given an ovation, tn
diners rising and cheering him.
Mr.. Kahn in a short speech referre
TO the guest of honor as "a wise oil
idealistic bird" and lauded ideals dis
played by Belasco in his long connec
tion with the American stage. In tn
course OF his remarks Mr. Kahn re
TERED TO the different sorts of ideal
ism encountered in American life-s.th
practical idealism of the late Theodor
roosevelt, the aloof idealism of Wood
row watson, the clear-visioned idealisr
OF secretary Hughes, the Henry For
type OF idealism, which the speaker de
ciared had been turned into mania b
sne arrogance and ignorance of grea
weaitn, and the idealism OF Debs. whicl
lee Led him into treason to his country
:. inc ideaiism of Belasco, Mr.. Kahn SAID
was the ligles- two Of itnaliara