Bishop & Gag

You've dealt a lovely maid

A blow that is injurious.

A dirty trick was played

And France is simply furious!

--Of Thee I Sing.

Not France, but sententious Protestant Episcopal Bishop William Thomas Manning of New York was furious last week. He had been to see one of the most amusing two acts of musical insanity current on Broadway, Of Thee I Sing. An early scene in the play represented the campaign headquarters of Mr. Wintergreen, candidate for the U. S. Presidency. When he jilted the winner of a beauty contest, who turned out to be "the illegitimate daughter of an illegitimate son of an illegitimate nephew of Napoleon," the bishop's pulse remained about normal. Then the French Ambassador, represented as a fidgety little dolt, approached President Wintergreen (William Gaxton).

"You will pardon this intrusion, monsieur," said he, "but I have another note from my country."

"That's all right," replied President Wintergreen. "We've got a lot of notes from your country and some of them were due ten years ago."

Whether the discreet little Bishop thereupon suppressed a loud and indignant squawk is not a matter of record. But last week the incident supplied him with a lively topic for a speech before-the France-America Society. La Belle France, mother of La Fayette and De Grasse and more recently a noble Ally had, in his opinion, been grossly outraged.

On the bishop's resolution the France-America Society sent a letter to producer Sam H. Harris requesting that the offending gag be deleted from the show at once. The Society, in full possession of the international facts, pointed out that "the Government of France met its obligations to the United States in accordance with the refunding agreement of April 29, 1926, and the only payments past due are those covered by the year's moratorium which the president of the United States himself suggested last June, without consulting France."

Producer Harris, who has a sense of humor as well as a sense of publicity, turned the letter over to the newspapers. Librettist Kaufman handsomely offered to delete the scene if the Bishop would write a substitute equally funny. Consul General Count Charles de Fontnouvelle, interviewed, remembered having seen Of Thee I Sing.

"I remember the part about France made the audience very happy," he said. "And who did you say complained about it?"

"Bishop Manning," a reporter answered.

"Oh."

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