Evening star., 1924-11-28
PASSION PLAYERS
F|NANCESAT ISSUE
: ~,
Oberammergeau Citizens,
Il Suspicious, Demand State
ment on American Trip.
l;y the Associated Press.


NEW YORK, November 2s.-Seeds
OF dissension and suspicion have been
s.vn In the soil of ancient Oberam-
'rnergau, Bavaria, because Of dissatis-
: faction with the financial results of
the visit made to the United States
last Winter by twelve of the prin-
c'pal actors in the Passion Play, 1t
became known yesterday.
- Benedict Stuckle, as chairman OF
the Hiematkunst, the association into
which the 1,700 inhabitants of the
village have been organized, has
visited Frank D. Waterman, fountain
treatment accorded the Passion Play
ers by their American sponsors. He
told Waterman, who was one Of the
first to underwrite the proposal to
bring the players here, and went to
the village to invite the actors to
America, that although $275.000 had
been collected by the American COM
mittee $4,000 had been turned over
20 the villagers. The citizens of
Oberammergau, Stuckle said, were
dissatisfied with this amount and de-
manded detailed financial statement
from the players. This the actors
were unable to furnish, as none had
been given them, he stated. AS a
result, William Lechmer was deposed
as chairman Of the Heimatkunst, and
even the venerable Anton Lang, for
so years the villages leading citizen,
the portrayer of the role of Jesus
Christ in the play, found himself
under suspicion.
Comes Over for Statement.
,merica to obtain a detailed fnan-
DIAL statement, as he said the state
'nent obtained from the committee in
charge Of the tour and sent to the play
rrs by Michael Francis Doyle. a Phila-
delphia lawyer, was not explicit enough.
Waterman said he intends to find
out whether there is any justice to
the complaints" and that he will call
:, meeting of the underwriters so that
Herr Stuckle may tell them his story.
He added that if Il am in any way
cesponsible, / am willing to bear my
part"
Waterman explained that the play
ers were brought here by a commit
tee of about 80 men, each of whom
nut up $1,000 or more as a guarantee,
and that George Gordon Battle, the
lawyer, was chairman. Mr.. Battle, he
said, had appointed an executive COM
mittee of three eminent men, headed
ny Ludwig Nissen, who died recently.
mittee were John D. Rockefeller. jr. 4;
w. A HarrimaS, Arthur Curtiss,
James and Haley Fiske, president of
the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.
Assertions Are Denied.
Mr.. Battle denied Herr Stuckle's as
eertions and pointed out that, al
though $4,000 check was all the
cash the Passion Players took back
with them, they in reality had de-
rived 100000 out of their American
trip.
At the request Of Mr.. Battle. Elmore
I.effingwell, who acted as secretary of
the committee, made public the finan-
cial report Of the venture. This indi-
Gated that the players received $26,000
before coming to America, $4,000
while in America, $4,000 in deposits
for future orders for the carvings
they were displaying, $4,000 for out
standing indebtedness, $4,000 just be-
fore they sailed for home, and that.
n addition, they will receive $4,000
on delivery Of uncompleted orders and
Bout $4,000 from goods to be placed
II sale here December 1.