my own efforts. Despite that fact, I have managed to pursue the art of literature and since my childhood success, my maiden victory, as it were, I have written four novels, 'In Search of Arcady,' 'The Impossible Boy,' 'The Little Missioner,' and 'Adam's Garden,' which is just out. And I almost forgot, my scandalous 'Orthodoxy,' which is among two volumes of plays. Of course, I have not confined myself to writing these novels and plays but have had a number of short stories and articles published from time to time." "But you of spoke 'isms' outside of the field of literature ized that not only do we need preparedness to protect ourselves in case of an invasion by a foreign power, but such preparedness would be futile in maintaining a lasting peace, and it needs some such movement as the World Court, as advocated by the World's Court League, to bring about such a peace. It has got to be a Court on which the nations of the world will agree upon and the decrees of such a "THE CHRISTMAS TREES" which were always engaging your attention. What engrossing subject is commanding your energy and attention at the present time?" I asked. "There are two, just now," Mrs. Putnam replied. Peace and the legal protection of those who have been wrongfully sued at law and proved in nocent. "As regards the first, I was at one time chairman of the publicity department of the Woman's Peace Party. I have since resigned that position. Not because of any criticism that I felt for the organization," she hastened to add, "but because I became convinced of the need for preparedness for purposes of defense." It was then that Mrs. Putnam told me of her sympathy with the World Court Movement and the exact words of her statement are set down at the beginning of this Ramble. She real court must be respected and obeyed. Although, of course, Mrs. Putnam is only one in the many who advocate such a World Court, the endorsement of such a woman, whose forceful writings and virile pen can do much to further this great cause, should be hailed with enthusiasm and gratification, giving to those men who are devoting their time, and energy and money to the movement the satisfaction that they have another staunch supporter in their ranks. "As to the second item, that of legal protection for those who have been wrongfully sued at law and proved innocent, I have, during the past few months, made the appalling discovery that a perfectly innocent party may be unjustly accused, be put to the expense and inconvenience of defense before a court of law, and when proved innocent, have no redress. This is a very broad statement I know, and my investigations are leading to many ramifications of it. But the specific application in which I am interested, is in procuring some law which will pro tect authors, you see I am slightly prejudiced, in the very common and frequent cases of libel which are brought for purposes of publicity only, on the part of the plaintiff. The situation in numberless suits, is that the author, whose time is money and whose money is hard earned, has the expense of lawyer's fees, incidentals and the loss of precious time to face, even if he wins the suit and is awarded costs. Of course, this same thing often happens to business as well as to professional people and the material loss is as great to one as it is to the other, to say nothing of the distasteful publicity which it gives. There are always some, though one may be proved innocent, who will remember and hold it against the defendant.” There are, it is true, many wrongs which ought to be righted; many evils which ought to be averted; and many reforms which ought to be introduced. There are many people who are working at different problems. Mrs. Putnam being deep in the field of literature naturally has interested herself. in an injustice which often befalls authors. "But you have interested yourself in other fields from time to time, have you not?" I interposed. "Yes, many," she replied. "Dress reform has been one of my pet causes and I also favor suffrage for women. When there have been strikes I have been actively interested, always on the side of the strikers, for I am greatly interested in the working people. I have also lectured on social economics and religion." 1 I was almost overcome as Mrs. Putnam went on on relating the various causes which she had been working for. It hardly seemed credible that this unassuming, little woman, who does not look her age, should have done so many things,-done them so strenuously and well. That all this | usefulness and service had emanated from such a retiring personage goes to prove that appearances are often very deceiving and that much good is being done in the world without anyone knowing how it all came about. "Yes, I shall continue to work for my causes," Mrs. Putnam replied to my question. And I do not doubt that ere long we shall hear of this busy disciple of the needy being deep into some new problem of society. And this in addition to her work of writing. My, what a lot one can do when they really try. PHILIPPA. (Continued from page 156) Open Door pledge, so far as it is known, in the treaty. In the absence of such, Japanese statements become meaningless-for, as the Premier of Japan showed not so long ago, one thing is said and the opposite is more often than not done. A decade and a half have run by since the conclusion of the first alliance between the West and an Asiatic people. The effects from this treaty have loomed large across the page of Far Eastern history. Now this same aspiring Power in Asia has made a second treaty with another great nation of the European concert. We believe we shall see equally momentous results from this second agreement. We are living in a day when black is white. Yesterday's virtues are today's sins. The enemies of one war are the friends of the next. Can it not be that the first fruits are to be found in Asia of what is coming on Europe after the cessation of strife? Plays and Players WHISTLING THE LATEST METHOD OF TRAVELING. SO CARROL McCOMAS SAYS. SHE DID IT FROM LOS ANGELES TO SOUTH AFRICA AND BACK AGAIN. FRANK CRAVEN, ACTOR AND ERSTWHILE PLAYWRIGHT, FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO FINISH A PLAY IN ONE PLACE, BUT "SEVEN CHANCES" RAISES HIS HOPES C ARROLL MCCOMAS, who plays the leading feminine role in David Belasco's artistic production of Roi Cooper Megrue's farce comedy, "Seven Chances," which seems destined to become "another 'Boomerang,' at the George M. Cohan Theatre, first went on the stage as a whistler. If there ever was a tom-boy, she was one. As a little girl, Miss McComas just couldn't leave her whistle behind her, and many was the time that she was kept after school for bursting out in the class room with shrill blasts of some popular air, such as "Old Bill Bailey," "Smoky Mokes," or some other equally syncopated tune. Monday, she was obliged to return to the school for her books, and her teacher said: "I hear you've gone with the circus." For her debut at the Orpheum Thea It was at the tender age of 13-and to Miss McComas it certainly was not an unlucky number-that Carroll McComas went on the stage. Suddenly getting the idea into her head, between going home from school on Friday and returning on Monday, she went on the stage at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles and did a whistling act, which she made up herself. After the first matinee on tre in Los Angeles, Miss McComas whistled three numbers, one of which was the intermezzo from "Cavaleria." There were several song and dance specialties on the same program, and watching these acts from the wings, Miss McComas decided that she ought to introduce some dancing steps in her act, so she learned to dance to her own whistling. Miss McComas was the only "boy" in her family, so she was named after her father, Charles Carroll McComas, who was a prominent judge on the Pacific Coast. After getting over the stage of wanting to be a lawyer, which early manifested itself in Miss McComas, she always wanted to go on the stage. When she was five years old people called her "Judge Charlie." After going on the stage in Los An geles, as "Carroll the Whistler," which name Miss McComas took in order not to disgrace the family, she whistled her way East over the Orpheum circuit. Then, after trying musical comedy in "The Girl and the Bandit," Miss McComas took passage for Europe, and whistled herself all over the Continent, making distinct hits in London, Paris, Brussels and other European capitals. Not content with conquering Europe with her whistle, Carroll McComas then started for South Africa, where she started the Boers to whistling. Upon returning to the United States, Miss McComas went into stock in Richmond, Va., where she originated the role of Edna Earle in Willard Holcomb's dramatization of "St. Elmo." When handed her part, which was typewritten and thick, to study, Mr. Holcomb laughed and said: "Don't be afraid, little girl, there are other parts in the play." is no easy task-especially when the weather is inclement, and you get your feet wet jumping from the taxicab at the stage door, and doing this three or four times in a night." Carroll McComas sort of alternated playing musical comedy and drama. Then came her appearance in "The Marriage Market," "What Happened at 22," "The Salamanda," "Inside the FRANK CRAVEN Notwithstanding the length of the part Miss McComas was letter-perfect at the first rehearsal. Since that Summer, about seven years ago, Miss McComas has appeared under Charles Froham's management, during which time she understudied almost everyone in the Froham companies then appearing in New York, including Elsie Ferguson, Julia Sanderson, Valli Valli, and others. "This surely was the winter of my discontent," said Miss McComas. "For, to be racing around from theatre to understudy different stars and principals Lines," and now under David Belasco's management in "Seven Chances." So, after all, some good does come of whistling! F CRA RANK plays the leading male role in "Seven Chances," the bright, new comedy by Roi Cooper Megrue, while playing Jimmy Gilley in "Bought and Paid For," in Chicago, four years ago, started to write a play just for play. He wrote the first act over night, and the next morning re received a telegram from George W. Broadhurst to hurry to New York to sail for England to play the same part in the London production. So he tossed the manuscript of the first act of his play in a suit-case, and boarded a train for the East. Having to sail the next day, he began to think he never would write the play he had begun. But he found London to be the coldest place he had ever been in, and on one particularly chilly afternoon he sat down in his room and wrote the second act. When it was time for him to be at the New Theatre-Wyndham's-that evening he had finished writing act two. "I was the only American in the cast," said Mr. Craven, “and as I had nothing else better to do, I got busy on the play. If 'Bought and Paid For' had done better in London, I would have finished my play there, but I only got as far as the second floor, with no roof on my house. "I saw Mr. Brady in London before returning home, and he told me he wanted me for a piece with which to open The Playhouse in New York. He added that he wanted a play-something light. I told him about my piece, telling him that it was the lightest play ever written. "When I got back to New York I gave him the first and second acts of 'Too Many Cooks.' He read them and said he thought they were rather thin. I started to pick up my 'script, and he asked me what I was doing. "I'm taking my play away,' I said. 'You don't like it.' "He explained that he did not say that exactly, but that he thought it was rather light. He persuaded me to leave the two acts and to write a third act. When he saw it, he said it was the worst of all. This was a considerable damper, but I did not lose hope. "I never had any idea that 'Too Many Cooks' would be produced," smiled the actor-playwright. "If the play had a kind reception it was only because Winchell Smith and John Golden went down to Wilmington to see its premiere, and after encouraging me about it, returned to New York ahead of us and spread the report that it would 'go.' But I had no idea it would. I felt dead sure that it would be carted to the storehouse early the next morning after our New York opening." Now Mr. Craven says he will be able to settle down and write a number of plays, because from the way Mr. Belasco's "Seven Chances" has been received it looks as though this new comedy will run on and on at the Cohan Theatre like its Big Brother, "The Boomerang" at the Belasco Theatre. PIERROT THE PRODIGAL A BRILLIANT PANTOMIME AT THE BOOTH. THE FLAME A SUCCESSFUL MIXTURE OF MANY THINGS. THE NEW HIPPODROME PRODUCTION A GLITTERING TRIUMPH. PLEASE HELP EMILY A POINTLESS EPISODE. However, Pierrot, the Prodigal, at the Booth Theatre is well done. The plot is simple. Any playwright would be ashamed to incorporate it into a play without much elaboration, but in pantomime plots must of necessity be simple or else the action becomes so complicated and the actors so utterly unable to convey to their audience what really is about to take place that a dismal mixup results. Probably the thing which saves this pantomime at the Booth is the music. The composer has introduced the Wagnerian idea of motifs, although the pantomime is French, and to those of us |