Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1921-06-23

Austria Is AL export country for dra'
| matte literature, chiefly comic plays
and musical comedies and for music In
general. Before the war the success
Of certain types of plays of Nicnnese
origin. especially ouerettas, depended
| entirely on the reception in the United
Suites and England. Royalties of many
thousands of dollars used to flow rcgu-
larly to Vienna from overseas. When
the United States entered the war this
was stopped and all royalties were
treated as property OF alien enemies
and put under the supervision Of the
public trustee. Since the conclusion Of
peace several well-knOwn Austrian au
thurs-umong them Leo Fan and Franz
Lrhar-have repeatedly tried to get
into the possession OF their money.
which increased In value from day 10
day with the rising exchange rate OF
the dollar. Hitherto all these efforts
appear to have failed.
ii has been reported here that Amer
lea intends 10 relei.se the SequfSteleh
property ur private persons Of former
~ IIbSlllt t1ub ~ ms bNtoi'V
doubtful whether they would derive
i.uch benefit from the realization Of
this promise. as it IS intended, accord
ing to the LATEST news, to pay the
money not to the different owners d.
rect, but To the Austrian government,
which Is supposed to receive the sums
in dollars nnd 10 hand them over ~
the Interested parties In crowns at the
pTr-WRr rate of exchange,
MIllionaires In Paper Crowns.
Although II profitable transaction for
the state, This would be but a poor
consolation for the ultimate receivers
OF the money, considering that the
crown has today less than one One-hun-
drcdth part OF It's normal value. The
patience OF writer's and composers. who
We're once accustomed to incomes in
dollars. is therefore put To II hard
proof. Theoretically they are multi
mllionairrs in crowns. but practically
it is quite uncertain whether they will
ever see these millirns
Still, they would soon forget this bad
luck if they could find sufficient com.
penSation in new connections with the
United States. As soon as the war was
over American theatrical managers and
publishers agents made their appear
ance In Vienna and purchased Austrian
literary and musical works. Ii looked
at first rs if with the reop"ning of tn,
gates OF the dollar paradise Il new
period of prosperity had arrived tol
uuullar authors But there arose an.
other difficulty. This time II was the
copyright question. America takes the
position that the copyright agreements
were violated during the war by Ger
many and Austria nnl that they have
not yet been re-eStabiShrd. This
means that In the United States the
works of German ana Austrian authors
are now unprotected.
Trying to Protect Authors.
A big American publishers tirm has
recently sent Il circular letter To sew.
rral Austrian and German authors Of
thp foremost rank, in which IL ulludrs
to this difficulty. The firm says that it
has done what II could to bring about
4 favorable decision in America and
that il has 50 far in vain invited the
German authors and their Austrian
colleagues to lodge II joint protest with
their respective governments.
The American government the let
ter proceeds. will not protect the Ger
man and Austrian works until Ampr-
can works are assured the same pro-
lection In these two countries. AS
things stand AT present II IN dangerous
for American publishers to risk much
money for printing German or Aus
trinn works, because In case Of success
any other firm could come out with a
copy of the edition. To remove this
condition the firm In question declares
the closest cooperation Of the Ger
man and Austrian authors Is indis-
pensable.
In the meantime an attempt Is being
made to assure some of the most popu-
Hr Austrian authors their royalties,
whose payment has been prevented by
the war. Ii Is said that in the case OF
Lehar alone they amount to about
$50. 900, or from 5,0O0.O0 to S.OOO.OOO
paper crowns.