A meeting was held at the Mansion House on Saturday
last in furtherance of the appeal for £500,000 to found and endow a National Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. The principal resolution, which was supported by upwards of a hundred provincial Mayors, was moved by Mr. Birrell in an interest- ing speech. Ile maintained that the dramatic education of the people was not one of the things which should be left to the pure spirit of commercialism, and that we ought to strive to establish, endow, and maintain in a dignified, truly national, and becoming manner the national drama. Such a scheme would not interfere with the success of either provincial or London theatres. Miss Ellen Terry contended that a national theatre was a necessity. "Like Dreadnoughts,' a properly conducted theatre was necessary for the safety and welfare of the nation." Her further state- ment that no properly conducted theatre could exist without State aid is at once a. serious reflection on her calling and on th3 public. It would be a national misfortune if the movement on behalf of a national theatre were to be utilised as a itel ping-stone to panem et eireenses. Even as it is, a corre- spondent of the Times has written to advocate a free national theatre. For ourselves, we distrust administrative art. We admit, however, that a national theatre founded on voluntary subscriptions is a very different thing from a theatre subsidised out of the taxes and controlled by a Department of State.
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