beaten or surrendered to overwhelming influences. The Jewish Theatrical

Trust was attacked by the Editor of the New York "Dramatic Mjrror" as

far back as December 25, 1897. He was the famous dramatic critic

Harrison Grey Fiske. He wrote:

"What then should be expected of a band of adventurers of infamous

origin, of no breeding and utterly without artistic taste? Let it be

kept in mind that the ruling number of these men who compose the

Theatrical Trust are absolutely unfit to serve in any but the most

subordinate places in the stage, and that they ought not to be

tolerated even in these places except under a discipline, active,

vigorous and uncompromising. Their records are disreputable and

in some cases criminal, and their methods are in keeping with their

records."

Fiske's article was reprinted in March, 1898. The Jews, of course,

acted as one man as is always the case when one Jew is censured for

wrong doing or when one group of Jews is exposed for malpractices. All

the Jews in the United States came to the rescue of the Theatrical Trust.

Pressure was brought to bear on news companies which handled the

circulation of magazines in the United States. Leading hotels were

induced to withdraw the "Dramatic Mirror" from their news stands.

"Mirror" correspondents were refused admittance to theaters controlled

by the Trust. Any number of underground influences were set in

operation to "get" Fiske and his business.*

Libel suits were brought against Fiske for gigantic damages for the

strictures he had printed upon the personal characters of members of the

Trust. For once the Trust members came off badly. They were revealed

to be a much lower type of men than the American public had supposed

was in charge of the American theater.

The fight of the dramatic critics, first against the bribery and then

against the bludgeoning of the Theatrical Trust, makes a story of which

echoes have frequently come to the public through the Press. Conciliatory

at first, with managers, actors, playwrights and critics, the Trust, as soon

as it gained power, showed its claws beneath the velvet. It had millions

of dollars of the public coming its way, why should it care? Whenever a

critic ·opposed its methods or pointed out the interior, coarse and

degrading character of the Trust productions, he was barred from the

Trust's theaters, and local managers were instructed to demand his

discharge from his newspaper. In almost every case the demand was

complied with, papers being threatened with the loss of advertising. In all

the years since the Trust has hounded and black-listed critics why tell the

truth and have prevented their employment by newspapers.*

The rage of the day is not plays but playhouses. The theatrical

business entered upon •ts real estate phase with the coming of the Trust.

There is money in renting chairs at the rate of 1 to 3 dollars an hour. The

renting of chairs is a reality. The stage has become an illusion, s_ince it

came under the influence and control of a group of formerbootbiacks,

news-boys, ticket speculators, prize ring habitues, .and Bowery

characters.

The public does not see and does not know these gods before whom

they pour their millions yearly, nor does the public know .from what

source theatrical vileness comes. It is painful to listen to fledgling

philosophers discuss the "tendencies of the stage," or expiate. learnedly

on the "divine right of Art," to be as flippant and filthy as it pleases,

when all the time the "tendency" and "art" is determined by men whose

antecedents would make Art scream.

The Theatrical Trust does not exist in the form it did ten years ago;

it grew arrogant and bred secret enemies among its own people. A ne w

force arose, but it was also Jewish. Instead of one. the American people

now have a dual dictatorship of the stage.

It is perfectly natural that the complete Judaization of the theater

should result in its being transformed into the "show business, " a mere

matter of trade and barter. The producers are often not equipped

culturally for anything more than the baldest business. They can hire

what they want, mechanics, costumers, painters, writers, musi~ i ans. With