Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-07
ny MARGARET B. DOWNING.


. Sonora Ferrara. wife of the Cuban
ambassador, is one of the powers Of the
musical world of Havana and recently
khe has been making a search of the
records regarding the origin of the So
called Mexican song LA Paloma." 1t
Is entirely against the protest of Mexico
that La Paloma" has become fastened
In the minds of musicians in this and
other lands as a plaintive air which had
its origin In the Aztec country, and OIL
cials from that republic are always
amused when 1t is rendered in their
honor. Sonora Ferrara has gathered
some interesting data regarding La
Paloma" and its author. SebaStiano
Yradier, a Spsniard of Vittoria. who
died in 1865. He offered his song to
Bizet when that famous composer was
engaged on the score of Carmen" but
while the tuneful melody was not en-
bodied In the opera proper there are
hints of it in the ballet music. There
Is an extensive literature around the
song, but Sonora Ferrara has but to re-
call the words of the opening stanza,
"Cuanda sail de la Havana" C'When /
depart from Havana'') to prove her
case. Yradier visited the Pearl of the
Antilles and he composed an equally
popular song in the Spanish countries,
cay ChiQuita" and the music for the
graceful and intricate dance Habanera
colloquially known as contradanza
criolla. But he gave credit for the
foundations of these typical melodies to
the Negroes who had brought them
from Africa. Sonora Ferrara has made
charming studies of what might be
called the folk music of Cuba, the ma
jority of the production being credited
to some other country. La Paloma"
has such a hold on the affections of
people of the United States, that its
authentic history and the story of its
composer will be cordially welcomed.
Il
The late Gen. Horace Porter and that
veteran ambassador to Germany, DR..
Andrew j. White, have penned whim-
steal descriptions in personal CORE
spondence of the various songs played
in their honor on official occasions
when Gen. Porter represented the land
of Uncle Sam in the French Republic
he accepted an invitation to attend a
flower fiesta on the Riviera. His advent
was heralded by prolonged sounding
Of trumpetS and then the local band
convinced that its leader had mastered
the last word in American patriotic
music, struck up There Will Be Hot
Time in the Old Town Tonight" That
rollicking tune had gone to Paris during
the exposition of 1900 with an itinerant
band from New York and had taken the
French by storm. A most accomplished
scholar was Andrew j. White, but he
was rather an Indifferent Judge of
music. However, he instantly recog-
nized that "Old Folks at Home" could
not pass muster as the National Anthem
Of his country and he suggested yam
kee Doodle" But invariably he found
the bandmaster favoring Dixie" and
on occasion MY Old Kentucky Home"
The World War, however, had brought
universal acceptance of THE Star
Spangled Banner" in foreign lands
even before Congress officially desig-
mated this anthem as the national
hymn.
Senator Tydings' purchase of Pop
lar, CobblerS and Coaches Islands, be-
tween Kent and Tilghman Islands,
south of Easton, Nd, as a democratic
rendezvous during the open season re-
wives interest in that lovely section of
the lower counties. where history was
made in lengthy chapters during the
seventeenth century. Poplar Island
the largest Of the group, was originally
the patrimony of Gov. Thomas Greene,
who was named in the viii of Leonard
Calvert to become his successor as
chief executive of the province, and
who. on June 10, 1913, became second
governor of Lord Baltimore's Palati-
nate. One of the lineal descendants
Of Gov. Greene is Mrs. John j. Ras-
kob, who was before her marriage Miss
Helena Springer Greene of Cecil Coun-
ty. The chairman Of the Democratic
Committee is one of the financiers of
Senator Tydings' project to unite the
islands in a sporting club where men,
bers of the Jeffersonian school Of poll
tics who may be kept in this section
during sultry weather may find pleas
ant retreat. About 10 years ago Mr..
Raskob built spacious Summer home
near Centeryille, In Cecil County. and
on land which had once formed part
of Gov. Thomas Greene's domain in
northern Maryland.
The Ambassador to London and Mrs.
Dawes, who have been passing a brief
vacation In Spain, have fulfilled q de-
sire of many years in visiting the ar
chiveS of the Indies in Seville. Nat
urally they were deeply interested in
the letters Of Ferdinand and Isabella to
Columbus and in the collection of state
papers relating to the earliest attempts
at colonization in the New World. One
Of the able assistants in the splendid
library of the Indies In Seville is Miss
Irene Wright OF Pennsylvania. who had