The New York herald., 1922-10-01

Special CORRESPONDENCE to THE NEW YoRK
HERALD
New York Herald Bureau,
London, Sept. l6.
SCENE /.
Place-London-- sitting room at
tached to a suite of six others In the
Ssvoy Hotel
Time-Cocktail hour.
Persone--Feodor Chaliapin and seven
British reporters asking leading ques-
tions in Bronx French and THE New
YoRK HERALD correspondent talking over
their heads with the great dramatic
basso who will sing at the Metropolitan
Opera this winter, in fluent Moscow
Russian.
Chaliapin Gin French) Be seated.
gentlemen, and enjoy with me the whisky
from which. poor impotent being that
j am. have had to abstain since I
was last in England, for my voices
sake. / have been in Russia
To THE NEW YORK HERALD corre-
spondent Gin Russian) God forgive me !!
I took back with me all / could
Bespatted reporter from London Daily
So-and-So--Monsieur Chaliapin, they
say that you have lost all your money.
your fortune How is it you can be
SO gay?
Chaliapin (in French) Alas! Indeed
] have. But Cooking out the window
into the steady drizzle outside) while
the sun shines In the sky--Oh it doesn't.
we'll, well, never mind--while the sun
should shine in the sky and there is
nearly seven feet of poor Feodor. energy
10 move 1t, will not allow myself %
become respondent. Would you h1p. me
cut my throat?
Bespatted one once more placing a
leading" question--What is 1t. Monsieur
Chaliapin. that strikes you most forcibly
about London. now that you have re-
turned?
Chaliapin Gin Russian to THE HER.
ALD)-That there wasn't fog when
arrived.
In French to Britishers:
"Ah What strikes me most is the
terrible disadvantage l suffer by not
being able to speak your wonderfully
lovely language. cannot understand
that I should find English so hard tn
learn. ! make tolerable headway In
French, in Italian and German, and In
Russia i am noted for my knowledge
OF swear words and slang. But English
/ cannot learn
.'Do you not think. gentlemen, that the
wisest course I could adopt in order tc
imbibe English culture and language
would be for me to engage governess
for myself? Go back to my school days
again? If only / could get a governess
who knew nothing on earth except Eng
lish
b''When i was in Berlin recently I stood
outside the Reichstag gazing in stupe.
ned wonder at a lovely statue OF q beau.
tiful maiden on the top of the building
In my demonstrative manner / cried
aloud my praises of the beauty. From
behind me came the remark In German
That is the only modest beauty we have
left i'm Germany Surely that Is not
so in England. gentlemen"
Aside to THE HERALD correspondent
In Russian
Have I said anything wrong or for
that matter right? This pretty little fell
low on the left has me guessing all the
time; with his white spats In my face ]
cannot think"
Spats Wearer-Sir, may / ask, what
Is the funniest thing you have seen In
London this time?"
Challapin, with scarcely restrained
laughter. in French--Ah Let me think
To THE HERALD in Russian--"How
penetrating are this gentleman's ques-
ltional! WHAT'S the funniest thing ]
have seen in London My word. man.
is there anything funny in England
What on earth shall tell the child ?"
HERALD correspondent, soto voce, In
Russian--"Say, he is
Chaliapin, in French My darling
man. the funniest thing have noticed
in London since my arrival is your last