Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
48
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
ROYALTIES ON NUMEROUS ENEMY OPERAS SEIZED HERE
Alien Property Custodian Seizes Incomes From Many Operettas, Including Broadway Hits, and
Will Put the Money Into Liberty Bonds—Record Royalties Also Taken Over
A. Mitchell Palmer, the Enemy Alien Property
Custodian, invaded the field of light and heavy
operas in New York the past week, not as an
impresario, composer, or advocate of "art for
art's sake," but as the collector of hundreds of
thousands of dollars' worth of royalties which
formally accrued to enemy holders of American
rig-hts to Broadway hits.
All the royalties thus collected will be in-
vested promptly in Liberty Bonds, for which
reason Uncle Sam's interest in the success of
the Viennese operetta "Pom Pom," or Richard
Strauss' "Salome," will be every bit as keen as
that of any producer.
Versatile as they have been in reconstructing
the management of most every type of German-
owned business up to the present time, Mr. Pal-
mer and the members of his staff had to con-
fess to the newspaper men that the manipu-
lation of a crop of operettas, operas, plays and
playlets, not to speak of talking machine rec-
ords, offered something entirely new to their
experience.
However, just as they have been compelled to
learn by experience how to continue the in-
come-producing powers of a German-owned
shoe factory, so they expect to learn by further
experience how to preserve the box office pres-
tige of "Little Boy Blue," "Miss Springtime"
and others, even after the enemy interest in
these successes ceases to exist.
Francis P. Garvan, Director of the Bureau of
Investigation, is now conducting an exhaustive
inquiry into the entire field of royalties, copy-
rights, patents, etc., as he is convinced that
much enemy property of this kind is still lying
about on Broadway, unreported to the Enemy
Alien Property Custodian's office. Without im-
pairing their box office values, Mr. Garvan will
quietly seek to transfer all enemy control of
American rights to musical and dramatic pro-
ductions to the Government, no matter what
they are.
On the list of enemy-owned operettas in which
Custodian Palmer seized the American rights
yesterday are "Her Soldier Boy," "Alone at
Last," "The Star Gazers," "Gypsy Love," "The
Dollar Princess," "Pom Pom," "The Gay Hus-
sars," "Sari," "Little Boy Blue," "The Choco-
late Soldier," "Miss Springtime" and "The Ri-
viera Girl." Among the plays in the list are
"Madam X" and "The Concert," and the grand
operas include "Salome," Wolf Ferrari's "The
Jewels of the Madonna," and "The Secret of
Suzanne."
In the matter of royalties on talking machine
The Fox Trot
Hit of 1918
"ROSE
ROOM"
Fox Trot and Song by Art Hickman
and Harry Williams (writer of "It's a
Long Way To Tipperary").
A wonderful melody and a beautiful
lyric. Order copies now through your
jobber or direct from us.
records the Alien Property Custodian's most
notable seizure was that of the records of Mme.
Emmy Destinn, the Metropolitan Opera prima
donna, among the records being "Wiegenlied,"
"The Wedding." "My Homeland," "Good
Night," "Pique Dame—Es dammert," "Pique
Dame—O viens non." "Trovatore—Miserere,"
"Mignon—Kennst du das Land," "Madama But-
1918
terfly—-Un bel de vedremo," "Aida—O patria
mia," "Tosca—Vissi d'Arte e d'Amore," "Tann-
li.iuser—Elizabeth's Gebet," "Magic Flute—Pa-
mina's Air," "Pique Dame—Es geht auf Mitter-
nacht," "Rusalke—Lieblicher Mond," "Trova-
tore—D'amor sull'ali rosec," "Ave Maria"," "Die
Bekehrte," "Quand je dors," "L'ultima Can-
zone," and "Guarany—Sento una forza indo-
mita."
Among the musical compositions on the list
are "Andante Religioso," "Berceuse," "Elegie,"
"fiidian Lament," Dvorak-Kreisler's "Studien"
and Mendelssohn's "Schuler Konzert, Op. 213."
WAR INDUSTRIES BOARD SETS WAR STANDARD FOR MUSIC
After Conference With Music Printers Issues Regulations for Maximum Size of Sheet Music as
Well as Maximum Weight for Music Print Papers—No Hardship for Publishers
A committee of the representative music
printers of the United States were invited to
Washington on Friday of last week at the re-
quest of Mr. Dorinelly.'of the'Pulp and Paper Di-
vision of the War Industries Board, for the pur-
pose of giving the board data and information
in regard to the music printing industry so that
recommendations could be made for the saving
of 25 per cent, in tonnage in paper. Among
those who attended the conference were William
Teller, of Robert Teller Sons & Dorner, New
York; William Zabel, of Zabel Bros., Philadel-
phia; J. B. Hauswirth, of the Oliver Ditson Co.,
Boston, Mass.; and C. Zimmerman, of the Zim-
merman Music Co., Cincinnati, O.
It was recommended and agreed to in the
conference that 9% by 12J4 inches should be
the standard size for title pages of new publi-
cations, and that all new music plates should
be made on that basis. The maximum weight
for paper stock for the standard size should
not exceed 25 by 38 by 85 pounds or 25 by 38
by 90 pounds, where coated stock is used. The
weight of stock for music books should not
exceed 25 by 38 by 70 pounds. All the sizes
and weights given are maximum and the indi-
vidual publisher may use smaller sizes or
weights when desired.
This will not apply to the slow-selling re-
prints, as such numbers may be produced in the
old size. When, however, such numbers in-
crease their sale, it is incumbent upon the
printer to notify the publisher to decrease the
size of the title pages and plates to conform
with the new standard. The recommendations
are made in an effort to make the saving with-
out any undue hardship to the publishers.
As a matter of fact, the sizes recommended
are the same that were agreed to for standard
publications at the June meetings of the Music
Publishers' Association of the United States,
and the National Association of Sheet Music
Dealers. Many of the larger houses have al-
ready adopted the standard size suggested, and
most of the new numbers are now being pro-
duced in that size.
NEW NUMBER GOING BIG
LATEST GEO. M. COHAN SUCCESS
"On the Level, You're a Little Devil" One of
the Hits of Winter Garden Show
George M. Cohan's latest war song, "When
You Come Back," is gaining strength every day,
and is being featured by a number of promi-
nent vaudeville artists, including McKay's
Scotch Review. The number is published by
Witmark & Sons.
One of the best numbers in the new Winter
Garden "Passing Show of 1918" is the Water-
son, Berlin & Snyder song "On the Level, You're
a Little Devil" (But I'll Soon Make an Angel
of You). The number is by Joe Young and
Jean Schwartz, and is without doubt one of
the most melodious songs that team has turned
out in the line of comedy numbers.
IMPORTANT BREHM BROS. CHANGES
Brehm Bros., of Erie, Pa., have dissolved by
mutual consent, Frank T. Brehm retiring from
the firm. The local business will hereafter be
conducted by Mrs. Ollie and Wm. C. Brehm.
Frank T. Brehm has purchased all the plates
and publishing rights of the Brehm Bros, pub-
lications, also the mail order business of this
firm, and has moved to 1605 South Main street,
Los Angeles, Cal., where this business will here-
after be conducted as the Brehm Music Co.
Thomas Hearon has leased the second floor
of 148 West Forty-fifth street as a music pub-
lishing office.
GREAT NATIONAL MARCH SONG
ROUSING LYRIC. WONDERFUL SWING
7 cents
&EFRAJ
0U Glory Goes Marching
NEW WATERSON NUMBER
Waterson, Berlin & Snyder have just pub-
lished a new song entitled "How Do You Do,
Mr. MeAdoo." Willie Weston, Herman Ruby
and Mike Bernard are the authors.
Pace & Handy, originators of the "BLUES,"
specialists in rags and Southern ballads, offer
SAN FRANCISCO
"The Song the Sunny Southland Sings"
"A Good M a n T t k d to find"
"Beale Street Blues"
Pabliihert of "Li'l Liza Jane."
"Mummy
Mine," "While the Incente It Burning"
PACE & HANDY MUSIC CO., Inc.
Shermanjfliay & Go.
AUGUST 24,
SEND FOR CATALOG
1547 Broadway (Gaiety Theatre Bldg.), NEW YORK
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Chicago
McKinley Music Co.
New York