The New York Clipper (March 1919)

March 2$, 1919 THE N EW YORK CLIPPER .17 ANTI-GERMAN MUSIC LEAGUE IS FORMED Mrs. William Jay Lanncb— Nation-wida Movement to Bar froi 7 .- Mrs. William Jay, the woman who waa chiefly instrumental in preventing the presentation of German opera at the Lex- ington Theatre, has commenced arrange- ments to form a nation-wide league to oppose all efforts to popularize German music in America. Mrs. Jay took an active part in pre- venting a German concert arranged for March 27 at the Hotel McAlpin and also brought about the discontinuance of preparations for a memorial concert on April 10 at Carnegie Hall at which the American dead in Prance were to have been honored with a programme includ- ing German music "There can be no doubt," said Mrs. Jay, "that there has been a concerted effort to put German music before the American public as an opening wedge in the end- less German propaganda with which America has become familiar. The bold- ness of the movement reached its zenith when announcements printed entirly in "V. German were sent out for a totally Ger- man program to be given at the Mc.il- , pin. The management of the hotel has | refused to tolerate the concert, but com- ing as it did right after the stopping of the German opera project at the Lexing- • ton Avenue Theatre, and followed as It was by the effort to include German music in a memorial service for the American -•.., .dead at Carnegie Hall, it must be recog- nized that the time for nation-wide ac- -~\f, ^••ttvity in this matter is here. - ,*T would be glad of co-operation in an . ^effort to bring a stop to this subtle and most appalling of all German propaganda, - """ and for that purpose have decided to form ■;, a league to be called the Anti-German - Music League. There will be no charge - - ; - for admission to it, and I would be glad to have those who wish to join it com- ..- munieate with me at my home, 21 West ~ - -Fifty-eighth street. Public opinion alone • * .'pan combat this evil." ■: Mrs. Jay said that those who were in .' sympathy with the pledge of the organi- zation needed no other qualification for membership. The pledge reads: *'*■' "Realizing the persistence of German musical propaganda, whioh is increasing, I pledge myself to boycott all concerts and institutions that continue exploita- tion of German music and German kultur ■ "■/' before the world is assured of German - reform and German repentance." ..'' In her personal effort to halt the musi- cal propaganda, Mrs. Jay recently wrote to the Board of Education, protesting : against the use of German' selections in .' the music memory tests which are part of the grammar school curriculum. Her pro- tect was based upon a letter which she ■ received from "An American Mother," who explained that she had lost a son in France and had no intention of letting her small children learn or become inter- ■».*s •-:v.i eated in anything-German. «& Mrs. Jay received a communication yes- terday from Arthur S. Somers, president of the Board of Education, in which was enclosed a letter sent to Mr. Somers in -; a nswer to *"* calling Mrs. Jay's letter to the attention of the assistant musical di- rector of the public schools. In the letter George H. Gartland, as- sistant musical director, informed Mr. Somers that it had been decided to ban Schumann's "Traumerei," Wagner's "Evening Star" romance and "Pilgrim's Chorus" and Liszt's Hungarian rhapsodies. However, "Who Is Sylvia T" and "Hark, \i' Hark, the Lark," win remain in the list - because of the fact that they are based upon English texts. Mendelssohn's "Spring Song" and Handel's "Messiah" are also permitted to JAY WTTMARK BACK FROM TRIP Last week spring came in smiling, and with her came Jay Witmark, of M. Wit- mark & Sons. For he had just returned to New York from another of those peri- odical trips to the trade in Chicago, De- troit and other cities en route, and this time brought with him a sheaf of orders that they are still counting and filling at the Witmark Building. He said that prac- tically every trip he had taken so far, since he started the habit, had witnessed a distinct improvement in business and conditions generally on its predecessor, and added that this March trip was so far ahead of all its predecessors in the excellent results it brought and the hope- ful outlook it revealed, that superlative adjectives were all that adequately met the case. PHONOGRAPH RIGHTS TO SONG IN DISPUTE JAZZ SONGS A HIT IN SCHOOL A substitute music teacher in a Newark, N. J., school last week put the question of the pupils' favorite style of music to a vote and unanimously they voted in favor of the rag-time and jazz tunes. Not one in the room voted for the classics and the teacher who had been attempting to teach the children one of the songs from the 'School book asked that the favorite song be named in order that it could be sung. Tn rapid order came "Minnie Shimmie for Me/* "Ja-Da," "Smiles" and a half dozen more of the most popular numbers. When questioned regarding it the teacher said that the music room was the place for recreation and the children should be al- lowed to sing their favorite sdngs. OLD HIT STILL SELLS Howard Swope, a Cincinnati insurance man, was around the Friars' Club last week proudly displaying a good sized check received from M. Witmark & Sons. The check represented the past six months' royalties on the sale of the old instrumental number, "The Mosquitoes Parade," written by Swope more than twenty years ago. Swope, was in those days known as one of the Whitney Brothers, who presented a musical act in vaudeville. The Whitney act was one of the standard attractions of twenty years ago and was a success in both this coun- try and England. MARSHALL IN VAUDEVILLE Henry Marshall, the songwriter and composer, is in vaudeville with a seven- year-old partner billed as Adelaide. The child is an infant wonder, discovered in Philadelphia by Harry Jordan and Bart McHqgb, and the act wherever it has been seen has scored a hit of great proportions. Unfortunately, on account of the child's years a permit to play in New York has not as yet been obtained and Marshall is compelled to play the .towns .where the ruling in regard to children appearing on the stage is not so strict. RUTH ROYE A SONG BOOSTER Ruth Rove is, according to Harry Von Tilzer, a song booster in a class all by herself. Miss Roye went into the Palace theatre bill on Tuesday of last week, replacing Sidney Phillips. One of her feature songs was "Put Him to Sleep With the Marseillaise and Wake Him Up with an Oo La La" and Harry says that during the week over twenty-five acts called at his office and learned the song, all of them stating that they had decided to use it after hearing Miss Roye sing it. THIEVES GET BERLIN'S CAR Automobile thieves saw Irving Berlin's ear standing unattended in front of a Brooklyn theatre one night last week and immediately took possession of it and started off at a great rate. The song- writer came out of the theatre just fit time to give the alarm and after a spirited chase the machine waa recovered and the bandits-taken to jail. Riccordi Co, SmIu to Enjoin Colombia Phonograph Co. from Ms hint; "Pal of Mine" Record - Riccordi & Co., the music publishing house, has brought a suit against the Columbia Phonograph Company asking for an injunction restraining the defend- ants from manufacturing and selling a phonograph record of a song entitled "Dear Old Pal of Mine," by Harrold Robe and Lieut. Gitz-Rice. The song in question was bought by Riccordi & Co. from the authors, copy- righted and published. The Columbia Phonograph Company had it sung' by Oscar Seagle and made a record of it, their contention being that Riccordi A Co. did not acquire or own the phono- graph rights to the song and that they were privileged to use it if they so chose. The case waa heard before Judge Mayer in the United States District Court last week, and the important question as to whether the making and selling of a phonograph record of a copyrighted song is an infringement on the copyright is the point at issue. According to a recent court decision, "rights" to a play em- brace the motion picture rights, whether the latter are expressly stipulated in the contract or not. In other words, "rights" include all rights unless the same are specifically retained. There are many who maintain that the same should also apply to a song, and that when a pub- lisher buys a song, his copyright protects it from every kind of an infringement. Nathan Burkan, who appeared for the plaintiff company, asked that the court issue an injunction restraining the de- fendants and stated that the damages suffered were in excess of $250. No ac- counting of the profits of the Columbia Phonograph Company accrued by the sale of the record was demanded. The judge, after hearing arguments, reserved de- WALKER PLACES COMEDY HIT One of the new comedy songs which Is scoring a big hit in France is called "Toot Sweet" and is by the American composer, Ray Walker, who went abroad with one of the first entertaining units. Edouard Salabert, the French music publisher, has obtained the publication rights. The lyric is by Henry Marcus, who is working with Walker on a number of new comedy songs. FUND FOR YOUNG COMPOSERS A plan to raise (175,000 to insure the founding of a musical department of the American Academy in Rome where de- serving young composers may be sent for a three years' course, was advanced at a meeting held at the residence of Otto Kahn last week. The speakers were Mr. Kahn, Frank Seymour, Grant La Forge and others, all of whom favored the pro- ject BROOKLYN HAS NEW MUSIC FIRM A new publishing house has opened offices at 107 Havemeyer street, Brook- lyn. The name is M. F. Meyers Music Publishing Co. and the new house will publish instrumental music exclusively. The first release is "Jazz-A-Muffin," a jazz one-step by Sam Meyers and M. F. Grump. Morris Grupp, the trombonist with Eva Tanguay, is featuring it. STANLEY MURPHY GETS $1,200 The subscriptions for the benefit of Stanley Murphy, the songwriter, who is now at a State Asylum on Long island, Suffering from a nervous breakdown, now amounts to a little over $1,200. „ Murphy, according to physicians, is suf- fering from an incurable malady. RING HAS NEW "YTP4-ADEE" Blanche Ring has a new chorus song which, according to St. Louis newspapers, is another "Yip-I-Adee." Miss Ring ap- peared at the Orpheum Theatre in that city and the number caught on imme- diately. It is called "All 'Those in Favor Say Aye." Stern A Co. publish it. HARE MAKING RECORDS Ernest Bare, the young singer, who so successfully played Al. Jolson's part in "Sinbad," while the comedian was ill re- cently, is making a number of records for the big phonograph companies. One of the best are "You Can Have It, I Don't Want It," from the McKinley Music Oo. catalogue. VAN Ac SCHENCK WRITING SONGS Van and Schcnek, the vaudeville team, have taken up the song writing business and during the past few months have turned out a number of clever songs. One of the best is called "Grape Juice BUI," a comedy prohibition number, the lyric of which is by Andrew B. Sterling. ITS A LISPING SONG "Thtop Tour Tbtuttering, Jlmmle," a song recently purchased by the Leo Feist house, is not a stuttering number as pub- lished in various, newspapers, says Phil Kornhelser. It's a lisping song, anybody can see that, says the professional man- ager. McKTNLEY SONGS SCORE "You Can Have It, I Don't Want It" and "Sweet Hiawaiian Moonlight," two recent publications from the McKinley' catalogue, are already in the "hit" class. Scores of well-known singers are featur- ing these songs with much success. STASNY SONG WINS CUP The A. J. Stasny Co. won another cap at a song contest held in Philadelphia last week. The number which was awarded the prize is "Can You Imagine." This song also won a cup at a contest held in Newark a few weeks ago. "RAMBLE" HAS SUCCESSOR "Didn't He Ramble T" George Primrose's big comedy song hit of twenty years ago, has a successor in "On the Ozark Trail," a clever number by Will Skldmore. Jo- seph W. Stern & Co. publish it.. WILLIAMS HAS NEW SONG Bert Williams, at the Palace Theatre this week; is scoring one of the big bits of his act with the new McCarthy A Fisher song, "You Can't Have the Key to My Cellar." SONG DEMONSTRATOR FOR VAUDE Irene Le Clair, a pianist and song dem- onstrator, who for the past year has been connected with the F. W. Woolworth, Springfield store,_ is going into vaudeville. DUDLEY'S SHOW REOPENS Bide Dudley's musical show, "Come Along," which dosed recently to permit recasting, reopened in Hartford, Conn., on Monday night. DORR ON SOUTHERN TRIP Eddie Dorr, of the Harry Von TQzer Co., left on Monday for a trip through the South. GLOGAU Of NEW POSITION Jack Glogau, who for the past year has been connected with the Al. Piantadosi Co., is now with the McCarthy & Fisher Co. BILLY GEDNEY WITH STASNY Billy Gedney has joined the profes- sional staff at the A. 3. Stasny Music Oo.