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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1918)
HIE SUNDAY OREGONIAX. PORTLAND, APRIL 21, 1918. ggff THIS unique distinction of being tha lb anly American woman in tha what allied army la held by Ser geant Ruth Farnam. Sergeant Farnam la an American woman In private lift known better a Mm. Charles H. Farnam. Her Ufa history reada Ilka romance from the pages of a dot I. Born In a sleepy Utile Lon g Island town she married while atlll In her teens and with her husband traveled 11 over I be world. She seemed to run Irto warfare wherever she went, for when aha reached South Africa the p.er war was Just under way and aba tared there to watch the drama. . The siege of Fekin was In progress when aha reached China, and aha ran T'abt lata the Russo-Japanese war. While la Japan tha Emperor Invited rer and her husband to lunch, nalng tha conventional Invitation of tha oriental conatriea which waa as fol lows: . The Emperor would bo delighted to bava aa hla guest at lunch Mr. TTiarlea IL Farnam and what goes with kim.- Jt waa sirs. Faraaaa who "went with kirn." - - Mrs. Farnam bad a beautiful home In England aa well aa one In America at.d lived a Ufa of ease and comfort with a retinue of servants Her every -wtah seemed to be fulfilled. She lived the life of thousands of wealthy peo- that and no more. derbla fa, 113. '. And when she. then widowed, went to Belgrade. Serbia, ia 11S at the ta vt tat lon of a friend. It waa to her just another pleasure trip. War waa going on with Turkey It la true, but having "reen on the ground In other wars this meant nothing to her. L Hera aba learned to admire tha Serbs. X.ika many of as she always had an I !e that they were rather a poor sort ayway. Ignorant, dirty, always f'.gbt- gng they were comparable with certain nopular Ideas of the Mexican. But aha waa Quito surprised to learn that here was a race of people wbo Uuwugb) see years" tb ralldom under Turkish rule bad kept their strain true a real democratic nation which lived on tha enitare and fought on the quart aa intrepid nation wklch waa fighting- for aa honorable place ia the sua TTtey tell a story of how tha Sultan ft Turkey aent a Jar of peas to the r-erbiaa King to stcatfy the size of the Turkish army. Ia answer the King of the Serbians sent a raa of paprika mall, bnt hot stuff. This signified the fcerbias army. . And when in 111 Bulgaria went to war with Serbia thev learned that this waa all too tree. Mrs. Farnam asain went to Belgrade and here for the first 'me she took a real a-tlve part in the war. Sha saw the tortured Serbian soldiers corn, bark to suffer and to die. teas saw what Bulgarian atrocity really sneant. Deearated by Ike Serbiaa Klaav For her service in this war she was decorated by tha Kins;. '. When la tha followuiar year Austria, ruds her attar-k. on poor, weakened. trod Serbia Rath Farnana kite where per duty lay. She saw that game little jiatlon burl the Austrian troopa back ever their own borders twice. Here was her opportunity to get bit It and do her bit. So she went to Serbia and reached tits Juat aa Itat, awful tyjhu epl denilo brake out. Without thought of danger to herself sha worked heroic ally through those terrible days.seein hundreds die all around her. many i her arms. Her work done there, she waa dec orated a second time and soon there after waa made a sergeant of the Firs Cavalry Regiment of the Royal Serbian army thus being the only America a-oman actually to be attached to th army as a soldier. Sha took part In the famoua battle of Brod. where she gave the signal to the artillery to commence firing. Th artillery fire was followed by a bayonet charge which resulted In victory lor the allied arms. In thla battle Seergeant Farnam oc eupled a place that ia unique In th whole war. It waa probably the only time that tha officers of one tide occu- pied a place between the opposing; front line trenches tha dread apace known aa No Man's Land. It happened that there waa a small hill on No Man'a Land about midway between tha opposing trenches. Here Sergeant Farnam went with tha com mandri In-chief of the Serbian trmrj division and the Colonel of her regi ment out over tha top thev went into No Man's Land and went up on tho top of this bill which they established as an obaervatioa poat for tha battle tha was coming. A boulder or two screened them from enemy snipera. but not from tho shells which wera constantly coming around them. Then when all preparations were made. Sergeant Farnam waa asked by the commander-in-chief to order th allied artillery to commence firing. It maa a special honor to her womanhood aa well aa to her services. Thla she did in tha name of the womanhood of America, and when the first shell hit and blew dosena of the enemy to pfecea she shouted: t ence ance: vengeance for the women and children!" The shells from both sides wera con stantly wbtzsbaajrina; and screaming over hes head now and tben one dropped too close for comfort during tho entire battle. For valor on tho field of battle she aa decorated a third time by the King and asked to go to America to tell Americans something of our game little ally, who has ao long held th gatea of tho Cast against tha hordes of the central powers. So now Sergeant Farnam this American woman of wealth and refine- ent one of tha few women soldiers In tba whole allied army, la lecturing hroughout the United States and tell ing her story with force and effect venesa. In fart. t has been said mora than once that few narrators of the war has approached tba natural elo quence and enthusiasm of this Amer ican woman thla soldier who faced danger on tbe front line of battle who did her bit on tha field of honor to protect tha womanhood of the world. I have aoc coma to America to talk about myself." sha says, "but to tell tha people what we have to meet In tba war. tha dangers, tho thrills, tho humor and the inspiration of it II to enlist tbe heart of humanity.' -SH to Talk Aseat Mrartt Thla cavalry officer of the Royal Serbian army baa written a book which real bi atory of tha war on the astern frost, it la railed A Nation t Bay." It la a vivid, thrilling book. written by aa actual participant In bat tle a rreat. big. whole-hearted atory of a game little ally. Serbia, at bay. Every Inch a Soldier. Fersoaally you would say that Ser geant Farnam look a "every Inch a sol dier." The cloth of her suit Is the cloth with much of a khakl color pro vided by the Serbian army. Her skirt la of, tha "divided variety eucalial Iq, roer.Qn : pA A Q - ' ' aw i.'? l-sfV"'..'' . f f .7-,CVyrdllriVV- k'r" 1 I . X-n-'ft.H' v 71?' v f-rr ? - - " ,. ' x - ; ... t . - . -iUV 5..y-:-a v&4 jf - r i 1 " 1 I I 1 ReiAarkable Career of Sergeant -Ruth Farnam, Heroine fi f Serbia's Desperate Stand Against Frightful Odds, Now Again in America 3,,S t:"V ; Sergeant Ruth Farnum in Her Uniform as a Sergeant of Cavalry in the Serbian Army. Sergeant Farnum With the Serbian Commander-in-Chief and Staff Officers in "No Man's Land" at the Battle of Brod. riding, yet falls quite in tha lines of aa ordinary akirt as sha walks or standa on tho platform. In conversation she adds to a thor oughly American sparkle a crisp mili tary manner that fits well with her in teresting; experiences and her hard- earned title. Her interest in the hu man side of the Serbian situation, in the human side of the entire war sit uation. Is characteristic of her. She didn't start out to be a soldier or to win decorations. It was humanity's call that drew her and it is human ity's call that still is rinsing in bar ears. When the history of this war is written the name of Sergeant Ruth Farnam. the first American woman sol dier. will. I am sure, find a worthy place. PERFORMERS SWEEP NEW YORK CONCERT AUDIENCES OFF FEET BY BRILLIANT WORK Conflnuet Frem First Fuse.) proached German music, even thougn sha baa been known as one of the most superb interpreters of this music on the concert stage today. There "were enouah people turned ray from tho Heifets concert at Car negle Hall Saturday afternoon to fill another concert halL and these may And comfort in the fact that the bril liant young Russian violinist will make ene more appearance, wnen ine pro ceeds will go for the benefit of the fam ilies of Jewish soldiers and sailors serving with the colors. He will give this concert April . at the Metropoli tan Onera-House. when tba scale of prices will be from St to 13. Helfera Technical Master. Helfeta again justified tha place he aa won by his supero technical mas tery and hla charm of Hrterpretatioa. It would be difficult to imagine playinc that ia smoother, mora nawiesa tech- ically, and hla tana la of tha rarest beauty. pectalry la tho smaller umbers and In tho encores ha aroused is audience to a pitch of feverish ex citement and withal his own repose was undisturbed. Thla season has been a memorable one in tho violin world. This instrument ma vied with tbe vote and has been ha greatest rival In the field. The stu dent of. musical sonOiUona ma aave, been able to indicate that violin play ing has been placed upon a higher level than ever before. Just as perfection of detail in the skill of Harold Bauer. Ossip Gabrilo witsch, Joseph Hofmann. Leopold Go- dowsky, Rudolp Cans and a few others who have dominated the army of plan ists have forced a hleher degree of perfection all the way down tha line, so tha violinists have been compelled to measure with Elman, Kddy Brown, Jascha Heifet. Jacques Tribaud. Zim ballst and others who All In as they never existed in numbers when Maud Powell. Ysaye, Krelsler and Elman held the field practically alone. These are the standards by which America builds and which make it more difficult every season for those wbo do not "measure up." Musical Situation Changing. Following tbe internment of Dr. Karl Muck, comes tha ncwa that the musical situation for next season will undergo some drastic changes and It ia aa open secret that Teutonic influences have been bar'l to combat in this field, where many have had their musical education built upon foundations which made the German political hold upon the impressionistic young- people stronger than these students realised. For this reason those who have spent too many, years in the music&VlUe ot Germany, whether Americans. French, Russians or Knclish. were fed by the same poison and many have placed themselves in what has now become i dangerous position. No "camouflage' patriotism will be tolerated. i In two weeks tho 1917-1S season of grand opera at the Metropolitan will elose and again one feels compelled to compliment the direction for having been able to place such a successful season on record after the sudden elim tnatlon of so many important and at' tractive works. Hardships of every sort have beset the pursuance of this patriotic duty from the obligatory re lease of a number of the German artists to the necessity of having a long: list of Americans thrown out of their roles. However it may be regarded, un usual interest was manifested in every move made by Director Gattl-Casazza, who found refuge in a number of old Italian operas well worthy the revivals for tho artists wbo wera able to pro sent them at their best. Sneceaa Fully Assured. . Who, having a Barrientos In tha ros ter, need have feared to bring: forward "The Barber of Seville," "Puritani." "Rigoletto," particularly when there was a Do Iuca to support the coiora ture roles? And who could have doubt ed the tremendous success that was en joyed by. lime, Alauonauer aa fides, particularly when a new role such as John of Leyden could be provided for Caruso? Mme. Barrientos in- voice coupled with the delights of Rosina Galli in pantomime or the dance as sured a success for the."Coq d'or," but not until after the lovely Rimsky Korsakoff music- had 'been heard did the certainty of its success become so apparent. With lovely Mme. Hempel it was easy to reckon with a revival of "La Fille du Regiment" and many there were who felt that it was high time for Caruso to study tho part of Avito In Hontemez si's "Love of Three Kings," particular ly when such a lovely Flora as Claudia Muzio proved to be available. Caruso was throughout in a studying mood this season, or ha conformed with the necessity which confronted the Metro politan direction to bring all forces to bear upon the season, and he found one of his loveliest and most ingratiating impersonations as the artist-lover in Mascagnt's dainty and picturesque "Lodoletta. Triumphs Made Feasible. One cannot pass by even in this hasty review, which has no claim of being complete, without reverting again to . the teagern'ess with which Catti-Casazza has lent his kindliness and interest toward the American both as interpreter and composer. He has made possible such successes as those of May Peterson, who was heard aa Miqaeia and as Mimi. and Mabel Garrison, who is fast taking her place among the foremost colorature artists and American singers who are destined for "the top." Of the Cadman opera it may bo said that the oftener it la heard tho more one is impressed with the lost opportunities in the book. Also tho more keenly one realises what So phie Braalau's skill from every side baa meant to this work. She brought to it a remarkable personality, a beau tiful voice and a keen understanding of characterization. It is really an understanding." or -ia it something deeper and, more valuable to an artist,, a psychology which, responding to her subconsciousness, carries her unwit tingly through an impersonation with historic accuracy? The case of Sophie Braslau on the Metropolitan stage is one of the most interesting, and at the close of this season it is obvious that her work on that great stage has harldly begun. Two inches in the height of a tenor may interfere for life with his career, but there is no one who can deny tho charm of a Carmen, a Mignon or, in deed, a Delilah, who may be a few inches shorter in stature than Mariska Aldrich, the Junoesque beauty of a few seasons ago. Sophie Braslau is able to leave the opera-house for a two-hour recital in Carnegie Hall and to turn away people from tha latter place, re- -turning to the Metropolitan to sing with superb mastery, as she did twice within 1 days the verdi "Requiem," and there are not many of any nation ality to be measured beside her. To Properly Treat Obstinate Wrinkles Particularly where wrinkles are long and deep, the massage devotee is apt to rub too hard and too frequently. This loosens the skin, cairses muscles to sag. aggravates the wrinkled condition Just the opposite . result from that sought. Better than massage, or anything else, for the moat obstinate wrinkles as well as the finest lines. Is a remark able formula which you may readily avail yourself of, as you will have no difficulty procuring the constituents from your druggist. It is this: One ounce powdered saxotite, dissoivea in one-half pint witch hazel. Bathe face, neck and hands in this. Tbe effect is really marvelous, not only as to wrin kles, but also in cases of barry cheeks and chin. The application ia coolin and soothing, tending to relieve fatigue. Roth the witch hazel and the eaxollte are, of course, entirely harmless to tho. skin. Adv. . ,