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f Mrs. Edward R. Hewitt, the Brilliant President of the Drama Society, Explains How the New Organiza tion Aims to Keep the Theatres Filled by Intelligently Fitting Plays to the Audiences. T HE Dkama Society, recently formed by Mrs. Edward R. Hewitt, Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt, Mrs. Phi'lp Lydig, Mrs. August Belmont', Mrs. George C. Haven, Jr., and others, is a practical, organization, whose objeet is to support financially any play which It deems worthy of Its con sideration. The men and women who have formed this society believe that the great need In the American drama to-day Is organization of Intelligent play goers. Mrs. Edward Rlngwood Hewitt, president of the society, Is the wife of the youngest son of the late Mayor Abram S. Hewitt and grandson of Peter Cooper. Mrs. Hewitt explains the objects and alms of the new first aid to the drama. By Mrs. EDWARD R. HEWITT, (President of the Drama Society of New York) T HERE 1b a large public composed of the so-called man4n-the-street, and a large public composed of the apparently tired business man. But the theatre managers And that, with all their scores of theatres clamoring to attract the man-in-the-street, he has an in creasing tendency to stay there. If the business man Is really tired It Is very largely the common run of plays that has made him so. In point of fact, he Is more likely to be rubber-tired, and as he scorches away from Broadway you can’t see him for the dust. But there is another public, and a public equally large, that is eager to Tie given the kind of plays it wants—plays that appeal to common sense, and by stimulating the mind afford artistic entertainment, and they don’t get that kind of plays. There never was a country in the history of the world in which so many people were so well educated and so keenly interested in the intelligent enjoy ment of living. But under present conditions the theatre and this audience are not con nected. It is the object of the Drama Society to make this connection. We say to the mana ger: “You put on a play which we like and we will support you, not only morally, but financially.” The aims of our organization are ideal, and the expenses of its management are largely borne by public-spirited citizens— much the same group that financed the New Theatre. But Itk methods are intensely prac tical. If you will, you may say that its appeal is primarily selfish. W’e hope to better condi tions In the art of the Jrama, and to better theft! decisively; but oirr existence would be thoroughly justified, both from the point of view of those producing good plays and from that of those witnessing them, on the most utilitarian grounds. To the playgoing public we offer better facilities for witnessing good plays than have ever existed before; and to the playwright and manager producing good plays we guarantee a very considerable im mediate income at. the box office, and more than that, the best kind of advertising known to the theatre. The other organizations have recommend ed attendance at good plays, but have not been able to insure it, and so have often failed to exert a strong Influence for good when it was most needed. The idea of the A Satiric French Car toon Illustrating the Parisian Idea of the Kind of Plays America Likes— Drama Society Is that Its many members shall each subscribe in advance for two tickets to all of the plays bulletined—not more than ten each season—so that each pro duction shall be sure of receiving prompt fin ancial support and a very wide publicity. It is proposed, therefore, that the members of this society shall attend ten plays selected by our committee, each member taking one pair of tickets for each play, thus paying forty dollars each season. With one thousand members buy ing one pair of seats for each production se lected during the first month of the run of the selected play, the management Is assured of a certain return at once for his efforts to present a worthy play. This forty dollars is paid in to the society in advance, the tickets being paid for by the society. 4 < Thus there is no chance for the play to be ignored. The member has, of course, the choosing of which night he or she will attend the play, but it must be wilhin the first month. A play, generally speaking, etiher stands or falls d.uring its first month. Thus, the manager who produces a play of the kind the society Stands for receives, au tomatically, several thousand dollars at the box office—a sum which will cover the cost of a moderately expensive “production.” And this is only the beginning. The patronage of the society will mean the very best kind of advertising. Superlative adjectives and the wiles of the press agent have so- often been used in behalf of poor plays that they are no longer a help oven to good plays. The managers have cried "Wolf!” too often. The only really valuable advertising to-day is to have a play get “talked about.” Every person who has seen a produc tion speaks of it to at least a dozen friends— says, "Oh. do go see Such-and-Such,” or “Don’t waste your time and money seeing Such-and- Such.” This is the great real factor in theat rical success or failure. 'No amount of scream ing can overcome it. If the play pleases it will go on; If it doesn't, no amoupt of puffing can do anything blit enable it to limp a little longer before It sfnks into Its early grave. As a society we set no restricted standard. We' don’t say that we will support any one kind of play. All we ask is that we be men tally entertained. When we criticise the man ager for the class ot' plays produced, he can very well say, as he has many times this Win ter, .“Why should I lose money keeping on a play of an artistic and literary value which the public won’t attend in large enough num bers to pay my expenses?” Well, why should hd? That Is what we pur pose to remedy. And Another French Cartoon Illustrating How They Think the Interior of an American Theatre Looks When “a Really Intelligent Play” Is Shown. W’e purpose to revive the lost art of theatre- going among those who have Tost It through Ihe catering of the average manager to the frivolity of the Broadway audiences. As the theatrical manager cannot be supposed to edu cate the’public at his own expense, our Drama Society will assume part of hts burden. We will ignore the “tired business man” and de velop our own public—the public that would be only too eager to attend the theatre could it be assured of entertainment. We will fit the theatre to the audience and the audience to the theatre. But—we also intend to educate the managers and producers! We will urge them to produce plays that have Ideas, plays that have a mes sage for the thinking public, although they may be plays whose production may appear Ill- advised to those who have to pay the expenses. As a society, we do not Intend at present to produce plays ourselves—that may come later. The play is the thing with us, and we care not who produces It. Surely, with a certain appre ciative audience assured, the present thickened atmosphere in the dramatic world should be cleared a bit and plays formerly smothered under adverse circumstances brought forth. One well-known manager has told us that he has had to refuse plays Innumerable that he liked and that he knew were artistic because he also knew that they would never “get across.’’ Such playsi said this manager, fall long, before the audience to which they might appeal has discovered them. It costs from five to eight thousand dollars weekly to run a theatre; is it any wonder, therefore, that hav ing failed with an Intellectual play the man agers turn gladly to plays that are "screaming successes,” "sensational thrillers,” "howling delights”? In the past there were managers who dared to keep on a production which was at first ap parently a failure, and because of this daring many ol’ our great plays have been saved to us. But the high cost of.living, the large increase In our daily expenses affect the theatre as well as all other business, and the average manager cannot stand the drain of a five or six weeks’ poor season. If a play does not prove a success almost at Once, It Is dropped. This 1s the day of sensational, of emphatic things 1n every walk of life. And nowhere else is this so apparent as In the world of drama. A play must be sensational, must make a terrific ap peal to some emotion immediately, else • "Thumbs down,” cries the manager. Because of this sen sationalism, because of the low- level of the usual play presented to the ..ublic we are told the Amerlct.u drama is in a very sad state, and we have no great dramatists. We do not believe this. We be lieve that all conditions are ripe for the devel opment. of a great and truly national American drama, and that the first step toward furthering its development is an organization by which Ihe good plays ran be brought at once to the attention of the large body of people who know , life widely and who have a keen and discrimi nating appreciation of art. How do we plan to do this, and do we think that we will be successful? We will be sue cessful because we have put our organization on a practical financial basis. We leave noth ing to luck. We have our financial scheme worked out, and, as It Is a case of pay In ad vance, we will always know whose we stand. To quote from our programme:' “We propose an organization of playgoers, and especially of those who care for dramatic art, on a basis that will secure to them the best seat.8 for the best productions only at the box office rates. There are two conditions. First, every member of the society must attend each year ten productions found worthy of the Intel ligent playgoer within the first month of Its run. The second condition is that our mem bership he limited.” Obviously, there is a limit beyond which the managers will not co operate with us in offering the generous terms of our programme. Our ideal Is to include all public-spirited playgoers; but our motto has to be “first come, first served.” Under the old conditions, when a play was a success the speculators and agents secured the seats on the forward part of the floor, and those who wished to pay box-office rates only could get nothing In front of the tenth row. Those of us who are instrumental in the found of this society do not like to contend for seats, Mrs. Edward R. Hewitt, President of the New York Branch of the Drama League. aud, frankly, we do not care to pay more than the regular tariJ for them. The people whom we have In mind the vast ready-made audience for the play of value while willing to support good drama are unwilling to take Inferior seats. Therefore this audience Is practically lost to the drama through the short-sightedness of the management. Our organization will overcome this to a certain extent, for the managers of the high-class theatres have assured us of having seats in the front of their houses. How shall we decide upon the plays which as a society we will stamp with otir approval, and, more than all, will urge all our friends to at tend? 'The choice will be made by a committee of twelve members which will attend the first nights and reach Its decisions by a majority vote. We expect to have some disagreements, hut discussions oyer the plays will be wel comed and will undoubtedly help us In our future judgments. We havo made no rules as to the kind of plays wo will favor. We are not; bigoted, neither are we prejudiced. Our Interests are very catholic. The quality of the productions to he considered will be of the order ot the following “Fanny’s First Play," "The Yellow .racket,” "Within the Law,” “The New- Sin,” "The Perplexed Husband,” “Hlndle Wakes,” "The Poor Little Rich Girl’’ and others which were given this season. Many of these plays were failures. "Hlndle Wakes,” for Instance, one of the most. Interesting and provocative plays from the recent school of English drama, was withdrawn before the public realized that It. was a financial failure. And yet, through the Drama Society of Chi cago, this play, rejected In New York, Is play ing to crowded houses In the West! Every man thinks that he knows his own business best, and, as a rule, resents any crit icism of his methods. Dramatic managers are perhaps more frequently criticised than any other business men. For one thing, their errors of judgment are so obvious, there is never any disguising the failure! Looking on, we seem to see clearly where the manager sees bus darkly, and we seem to see just where we would do differently. For Instance. In the pro duction of a charmingly quaint aud unusual play two years ago, the manager, fearful of the effect of the delicate charm of tne play as writ ten, changed It so that the emphasis was given to the wrong character, thus hoping to win the Broadway crowd. As It was, he lost both of his audiences—the Intellectual and the Broad way. And the play was withdrawn. Take “The Yellow Jacket.” This play drew such poor houses at. the beginning that Its run was shortened. During the last two weeks, through the praises of those who had seen It and appreciated Its value, the house wan crowded, but It was too late to make up the losses and the play Is now on the road. A play of this nature will be widely advertised by our socl-ty and Its life would be saved undoubtedly. We know from what others have done that we will be able to help materially. “Peter Pan," Barrie's Inimitable play, wai a failure at the start—not even Miss Adams's popularity made It draw. The People’s Insti tute appreciated It aud paid into Its box office no less than eighteen thousand dollars during the first weekg of Its run, and with this help and the consequent advertising done by the playgoers the production gained time to find its special public. During the holidays last Winter It broke the record for receipts at the Empire Theatre while many of the new pro ductions were playing mostly to paper. But—to be a success, and to be the help to the managers that we want to be, the managers must give us the productions that we can enjoy. They must not expect us to approve the pro ductions that are badly constructed and badly portrayed. We place no limit on the kind ot drama so long as It is Interesting. We are being asked If we have placed a ban on the so-called problem play. We are being asked, also. If If we will encourage the produc tion of the problem plays that have hitherto been barred from the American stage. To both of these questions we say no. The problem play which we have had with us for the last fifteen years has dealt entirely with the sex problem. We are, rather, getting away from this problem, I think, and the problem play of the present treats of broader problems—so ciological problems, such problems as “Damaged Goods,” for Instance. The production of this play was supposed to be a sensatiou. It was written of, before Its presentation, as though It had to be apologized for or handled with gloves. In the gathering which witnessed Its first portrayal were many who patently had secured cards, believing that they were to be shocked, that they were to see a salacious play. These were disappointed, and before the end were patently bored. The ma jority of the audience, however, were keenly interested In the acts which dealt entirely with the medical side of the play. People who go to this play from morbid curiosity will be bored. Whatover one may think of the value of such plays, they lie outside the programme of the Drama Society, In that they are produced from motives primarily scientific and sociological, and are addressed to a very special public. Even those members of our society who earn most for such productions would not think of calling upon the society as a whole to attend. Our aim Is primarily artistic, which Is to say. Intelligently pleasure-loving. The Drama Society Is not an exclusive social organization. It Is composed of people who want to see the American drama placed on the level with Its art and literature. But while wa are seriously interested In this project we ara not solemnly interested by any means! We Intend to have a good time and to enjoy ourselves when we go to the theatre. We no longer want to feel at the close of a play that we have wasted three hours of our llveB. That Is why we’re doing all this. Dangers That Lie in Unclean Milk, and How to Avoid Them By GEORGE LLOYD MAGRUDER, A.M., M.D. Emeritus Professor of Materia Medica and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, D. C. (From “The Solution of the Milk Problem. - ’ G'op.vrlgbt, J913, Sv Lloyd Mogrudcr. A.M., M.D.! T HERE is to-day not a shade of doubt that Imp -1 re raw milk and cream are promi nent factors in keeping up the prevalence of tuberculosis, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, diphtheria, infantile disorders and other dis eases and impaired physical conditions. The continued high mortality of adults and infants from these preventable diseases can be reduced enormously by heeding the teachings of modern sanitarians. Thfs education must be com menced at the farm, and be continued to and include the consumer. There must be co operation by every one who handles milk to protect it from contamination. The public must pay for this care by a few cents extra per quart, and the farmer must give a better product for the increased price that he must receive. Dirty milk should not he bought at any price. During the last few months the subject of dangers from contaminated milk and the methods of prevention have attracted unusual attention from physicians and others interested In the conservation of the public health. It Is now generally conceded that clean, cold and properly pasteurized milk is one of the impor tant means, if not the mot important factor, in reducing disease and death. These condi tlons furnish safe milk for every one. It is the easy and safe solution of the milk problem. The time Is opportune for presenting in every day language the facts in regard to milk, that the dangers may be understood and the reme dial measures may be applied. This is de sirable because, even yet, notwithstanding the Indisputable evidence that hag been presented, there are many persons of intelligence who seem to ignore these dangers and still use and permit those under their charge to use poison ous miik. This is notable in a number of schools, hospitals, infant asylums, hotels and other eating places. To bacteriology the world Is Indebted for the positive knowledge of the causes of many_ dis eases. Bacteria grow with amazing rapidity in milk, since milk of all media furnishes the most favorable conditions required for their growth. Under favorable conditions these bacteria at tain maturity within an hour. In raw market milk, as many as one' billion and a quarter germs have been found In a single teaspoonful. (•eorge The sample was taken from the milk can in a wagon on a regular round in the summer. In a level tablespoon of ice cream over two bil Hon germs have been found. Imagine the pos slble result if many of these had been disease- producing bacteria! Now the important points in regard to the destruction of bacteria in milk are these: Be low fifty .degrees Faren- heit the growth of many bacteria is check ed,. but they survive even below the freezing point in some cases. Above fifty degrees Fahrenheit they begin to multiply with marked rapidity as the warmth Increases. When the temperature rises above 100 degrees, however, the various varieties begin to die. As the result of investigations by men of the highest authority the world over, it has been found that all disease-producing germs commonly present in milk are killed at a temperature of 140 degrees maintained for twenty minutes. This degree of heat and time of exposure do not in any way destroy either the chemical or nutritive properties of milk, nor do they alter the taste, nor do they destroy the cream line. There is no perceptible alter ation in the milk. Millions have been spent to purify water sup plies of cities. \yhy should not the same con- ’ cern be exercised in regard to a contaminated milk supply? The dangers are far greater. Tuberculosis is the one disease the germs of which enter milk almost exclusively from the cow. Upon rare occasions the germ enterB the milk from coughing, sneezing or carelessness of a milker affected with the disease. Tubercle bacilli are secreted In the milk when there is tuberculous disease of the udder. Frequently milk is found contaminated with tubercle germs for some time before the disease is detected in the cow from which the milk was obtained. The commonest source of contamination Is In the discharge from cows affected with the dis- quitted cove*. $AV» oust One Way of Making Milk Safe to Drink. Wash the Paper Covered Top in Hot Water. Pour the Milk Into a Pot and Keep It on the Stove Until the Thermometer Shows 140 Degree*. Put in a Box a Smaller Bov. Fill the Space Between the Sides and Bottom* Tightly with Sc.vtl-J*!. Put the Milk Pot, Covered, in the Smaller Box. Cover It with a Clean Quilted Cloth and Let It Remain 20 Minutes! ease. The discharge falls into the pail from the flanks, udder and tail of the cow at the time of milking. The bacilli do not multiply iu milk, but they do survive and do grow when subjected to favorable conditions. Neither the processes of making Ice cream nor butter destroy them. Cream Is found to have many more germs than milk, since the . , germs adhere to the fat globules and rise to Above the surface with them. The Department of I# a Agriculture found tubercle germs in the refuse jv from the separators in 33 per cent of the * /ro P creameries examined. This startling revelation of warns us that skimmed milk should not be used for man or beast In a raw state. Tubercle bacilli are frequently found In market milk, as the Bureau of Animal Industry has shown that from 5 to 25 per cent of dairy cows responded to the tuberculin test. The investigations made relative to the use of pasteurized milk from tuberculous cows and from cows actually affected with udder tubercu losis prove that it has no objectionable influ ence on the body and that it does not injure the health in any determinable way. The safety Secured by pasteurizing the milk is a very Important point from an economic standpoint. The milk of every one of these apparently healthy cows could be UHed with absolute safety ir. the rearing of children, and in the raising of calves and hogs, aud for all household purposes after being brought to and Pure Milk Under the Microscope. Be low, a Drop of Impure Milk. The Particles in the Upper Picture Are Clean Fat Globuules; in the Lower, Disease Germs. held at the proper heat for the destruction of the tubercle germ. No complicated apparatus is necessary to accomplish this much-desired result. What a boon to mankind If this fact would be accepted and applied! The farmer, In time, would thus secure a healthy herd and healthy hogs. His resources would be promptly augmented. There would be lesB destruction of live stock and condemnation of food products derived from this source. Reliable evidence has shown that moro than 25 per cent of all cases of tuberculosis In chil dren under sixteen years of age are of bovine origin, and 12% per cent of fatal cases of tuber culosis among children under five years of age arc duo to bovine tubercule bacilli. These facts have so impressed the authorities of France that it has been recommended, with a view (o saving the infants of France from tuberculosis, that all milk be heated to 170 degrees Fahren heit. Repeated outbreaks of virulent, sore throat, accompanied with high mortality, have been traced to the presence in milk of a strep tococcus. This streptococcus may get Into the inilk from a human source or from the presence of streptococci in diseased udders. The occur rence of over 600 cases of sore throat In Stockholm in the year 1908 was traced to a streptococcus abscess In the udder of a cow iti a herd that furnished milk to those who be came infected. The characteristics of the two streptococci were Identical. Such outbreaks have since occurred in Chicago, Boston and Baltimore, and uniformly the cauHe has been I raced to a streptococcus. But it has been found that the disease does not stop at the throat. Serious diseases of 1 other parts of the body, as the heart, the brain > and the joints have been traced as resulting from the throat infection. Obviously these epidemics of septic sore throat furnish a most powerful argument lor the pasteurization of the entire milk supply. Germs of typhoid fever grow with amazing rapidity ip milk, and soon Increase the danger arising from this infection. A few germs will quickly multiply to such an extent that the whole supply with which it comes in contact will be contaminated. Mohler and Washburn found that the typhoid bacillus survived twenty-one days In milk kept sweet and 151 days in butter kept in cold storage. This draws attention to the fact that the variety of germs in rpilk is more to be considered than the actual numbers. Typhoid fever germs enter milk entirely from sources outside the cow. The cow’s flank and udder may become contaminated from the cow having waded in streams polluted with the dis charges from fever patients. Then the washing with cold water of the utensils usod in the handling of milk Is a prolific source of the germs. The fact that typhoid fever is emi nently a rural disease, occurring, two and a half Hines more frequently in the country than In tlio city, and the known contamination of the water supplied by farms point to the necessity of exercising great care to avoid these sources \ of danger. The milkers and handlers of milk also infect the fluid. These men frequently have the dis ease for days before being compelled to taka to bed. Now typhoid fever Is a disease that is spread especially by germ or bacillus carriers. Five years ago over fifty cases of typhoid In Washington, D. C„ were traced to the supply; ol milk from a single farm. There is no specific germ that causes mal nutrition and the gastro-intestinal troubles of infants. It Is the general o ervation that tha presence of streptococci and colon bacilli In milk iloes augment these disorders. Excessive numbers In milk of any germ, even those at times considered harmless, has been found also to be productive of these troubles. The pres ence of colon bacilli is the source of great dan ger to children. To secure the best results milk of each cow must be cooled immediately after milking In In a house separated from the cow barn and well protected from files by screens. This cool ing must be accomplished by pouring milk over colls through which running water passes, Iced if necessary. The placing of large shipping cans of milk in receptacles of water 1b unsatis factory, from the slowness of the process of cooling and the prevention of the ready escape of contaminating odors. The present method of placing milk outside the doors and windows of houses hours before occupants are awake is another serious men ace. It Is well worth trying to revolutionize the methods and time of delivering milk. If It could be delivered soon after Its arrival at the distributor's dspot the consumer would secure iiiuc! fresher milk, *. times milk of the same day. If the lessons taught by these observation!! be heeded a great step will be made toward the control ot man; preventable diseases and an Immediate diminution In deaths from tubercu losis, typhoid fever, diphtheria and other milk- born diseases will be secured. The slaughter of infants will also be arrested. Let it bo remembered that contaminated milk is many times more dangerous than con taminated water, because disease germs which would arve In water rapuny multiply in milk. Dollars spent by the hundred for prevention • 11 save mini, needed lor those afflicted with disease, to say nothing of the ('-•m of suffering and pangs of grief that will be avoided. Mothers, arise, and demand with one voice that your physicians and lawmakers secure SAFE MILK TO SAVE YOUR BABIES.