The Washington times., 1922-05-14

years dSO.
Over the cigarettes. while be-
tween us on the table perched
raven in bronze, Mr.. Zolnay con-
fided to Victor Flambeau some Of
the experiences Of a career as ro-
mantle as that Of any hero of fact
or fiction. There were adventures
almost too fantastic for belief. And
1t is exactly this temperament for
meeting the seemingly impossible
that has enabled Zolnay to COM
prehend the nature Of Edgar AL.
Ian Poe. and express it so elo-
Quently in bronze.
zolnay began to model early. He
was born in Rumania. AS a child
he showed great versatility. His
father decided to send him to the
university in Bucharest, that he
might enter one Of the thoroughly
respectable learned professions.
A career like that of a musician
or an artist was almost incon-
ceivable to the conventional father.
During his college days, how
ever, the young man developed
such musical ability that he de-
cided to compete for a scholarship
at the Royal Conservatory of Mu-
sic, and he won it. There he had
as a classmate the new world
famous Knelsel. of the Kneisel
Quartette of Boston.
FATHER HORROR-STRICKEN.
Zolnay's father was horror
stricken when he learned OF his
sons musical inclination. III I
knew that you would become a
great virtuoso," he said to the boy.
that would be all right. But to
think that you might have to play
In theaters and dance halls, I
would turn in my grave! To be
musician is no occupation for the
son of a gentleman"
So the student continued his
college career, renounced his mu-
sic, and was graduated from the
university at twenty-one. mean
time having served a year in the
army, as required of every male
citizen at the age of twenty. 1t
was while in the army that his ad-
ventures began. And it is to the
discipline of that years training
that George Julian Zolnay feels
he owes much. He was a soldier
in the bodyguard of the King Of
Rumania. Like most brilliant
young men, he was implicated in
army pranks.
"Our behavior" confessed the
sculptor, who has lately retired as
president OF the Arts Club of
Washington. a position of dignity,
"our behavior was such that there
came an order one morning from
the War Department transferring
our whole regiment from the Cap
ital to the Black Sea, a Turkish
territory. occupied by Rumania-"
It was in this lonely region, for
30 it proved to be, that young Zol-
nay came near getting into a still
worse scrape.
INVADED A HAREM.
The soldiers had been warned
never TO enter the Turkish
houses, nor to do anything what
ever that might offend the Turks.
as the government did not wish
70 provoke hostilities. Sent on a
long Journey one day by his com.
manding officer, Zolnay was told
that he might stop for lunch at
the house of a Mr.. oliver in a
certain village along the way. So
as he and his servant drove into
the town during a shower. in his
haste to find the house Of Mr..
Oliver, the only Englishman
there, he entered the first place
he saw which seemed like 1t. not
noticing the Turkish children play
ing under the porch. He raped
at several doors, and finally
opened one and entered.
What was my CONSERVATION"
said Mr.. Zolnay, ito realize from
the shrieks OF lightly clad women
who dived under cover, that hal