LONDON A HARD WORLD.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18242, 28 November 1924, Page 11

LONDON A HARD WORLD.

STRUGGLES OF COLONIALS. The nrol>lom of tlio Australian artist who wishes to continue his work in. London is becoming; a very serious ono (says the Sydney "Sun's" special representative in London). Every half-baked actor, singer, and musician in Australia, liaving achieved some small measure. of success iu getting the second load, or playing and singing at St. James's Hall imagines that they are now rendy to descend on the world's Metropolis and shako paeans of tumultuous pnuso from tho lips of,a.gaping-.Englisli populace. Unfortunately, London .lias, not ®j>me up to scratch for many of them. Thoy have found it difficult, end, in most cases impossible, to dig; in here. Lou-, don is crowded out with lier own at - -, fists, good, had and indifferent, and it is, only reasonable to expect that ;b|i© should give preference to Englishmen.

Money—and Influence. The mistake which ..most Australians make is in thinking that because they s;ro Australia.ns, England is waiting open-armed for them lor the ex pros, purpose of setting them immediately in the top branches of the tree or success. They do nob realise that, their struggles in Australia will simply ho doubled in England. Often they arrive here with little money and no influence, and expect ' to find a wellpaid job immediately. And money a.nd influence. —nJas thatit should be so!—are very necessary assets. Talent, unfortunate as it may seem, is a secondary consider otioii. After the money has been spent suid the influence used to the utmost, then talent may step in «nd hold down tho jobs which these two necessities hate obtained for the artist. But a man ■who comes without these two .things to back him is bein£ very courageous. More, ho is being indiscreet. Enthusiasm is a great thing, but it needs some very effective' background to make it go all the way.

Tho Happy Exceptions. I am ■ speaking,■ of course, of the large number of Australian ailists hero who have not been ablo, either through lack of means or nocoesary influence or weakened enthusiasm, to.good. On the other hand, there sye many who are now steadilv climbing to the top of the tree in all sorts of professions. Some of these have just caught the tide of fiuccess at the full and are making great names for themselves in London. It is of . those less fortunate tnat I would fipeak. I think 'that the trouble with most of them is that they have come away from Australia too soon, before they were well enough known even in their own country. Of course, it may be argued that an Australian reputation' counts very little in England. That iiwy be and probably is so, hut at any rate it gives a certain poise and assurance u* the artist; ho ha& surmounted difficulties in Australia, and knows Imjttor how to meet the struggle for artistic existence in England. • I should adriso any voung artist who thinks of coming to "London to think well Ijeforo he sots out; to be sure that lie can get 110 further in His art if ho stays in Australia; to learn all tho young country has to teach him before ho-tries to conquer the old; to .liave rnonev in his pocket and thick skin >:-<-er his sensibilities.

Over Zealous Friends. I was talking io Madame Lilv Payug—better known 'in Australia a.<; •iiy H.affendeivSmith —tho other, day, nd she told me that' tlva. number of '.TiitroJians who had not been :d>lo to make good in London was appalling. "Of course," sho said, '''everybody who can sing up a scale imagines That they are going to bo a second Melba- or another Caruso. Their friends tell them' that their : rendering of 'Meli-

burden-oil others. .The action of the airmen is controlled by .every consideration of humanity;• no action is taken without due warning, and every effort is mado to spare the"innocent. Tha air weapon .is far more discriminating than a. shell fired from a range of 6000 yards. You cannot tire a shell with the same certainty of avoiding injury to innocent people aa 'you can drop a bomb in the clear atmosphere of Iraq, on a definite spot already indicated to pilot. Actually it is not the casualties from bombing, but the poten £ and possibilities of the air P which inspire the p3ople - , , wonder and that they condude n pr3Ctj ,'n Jdeed- " all-seeing eyo o Sao. its effect, ou6 isr weapon which itive espedi- ? or6 Chkh would .rriye weeks late, ''nd'l am cpnvfnced that it-has saved many combatants. and non- ; combatants. >

s:mdo in the "Wood' and 'Lo. Here.tha Gentle Lark,'.or 'Rocked iu tho Cradltf of the De?\>,' is superb, and boltCrtiug} Dathftically in the discretion of- Uses# friends they put a stra.fi round a «ui*~ caso and' set out with high hope in their hearts and. very often, tilth w* music in their voices.'' Too many mediocre singers come over hero from Australia. London possesses <)uito enough mediocrity ;11 ready : there is no room for i»ay caoreAustralians are proue to study too short a. time. Some of them «"hr» h*vo como to me. for lessons should still singing scales in a- eonserratoriTiHi. Thev leave the south too soon befortf . they have got the glory ot the sua into their voices. England is full of girls with lovely voices, aud Australians will have to attain to a greater degree of excel* lenco before thev can compete vafh j them. Of course, lam not .thinking of eucU people, as Florence Austral, Rosa. Alba, Leah Myers. ..Jean Drosc* mond, or our own incomparable Mclba, when I say this. These singeta fcava made good through their cxquisUa vocal power, and -need no plaudits from me. But Ido tbinlt that every promiscuous singer who tan tura OS "Slave Song"' or "The Wittn ef Minnetonka" in suburban drawingrooms ehould be prevented from fe®« ting out for England with the ide» that she has been assigned by bigk Heaven a place in the musical foresj of England. :

Dragdn of Loneliness. The great question 'which th» Acs» tralian has to faee in Londoa is "that of where to live and how to orewMM tho dragon of loneliness which imiit all newepme'rs to a country. To obviate' these two difficulties % Dominions Artists' Club is being foras* ed" here. - The aim of the clcb.is to benefit Australians. of all profeaai®as who have come' to carry on their work here.- Thoy \iill be met at boat or train, and advised where to stay, and. introduced to people who will be liialy, to he of use to them. There will b® club rooms where they can sne«fc ©th?r artists of their own country. Eatertainments will be arranged, and tfc.ey will be given opportunities for jaakwg their work known. The subscription is a .very small one, and.the comnsiitea will always .be very glad to help anycolonial in any way they can. But the "artist would be wise to thisk well before he leaves the safe wares of the south for the cold indiffcreata of the north.