MR. PAUL DUFAULT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2752, 22 April 1916, Page 12

MR. PAUL DUFAULT

'A. TALK OF MANY THINGS.

"Absolutely pro-Allies," was the emphatic answer of Mr. Paul Dufault, the distinguished Canadian tenor singer, who arrived from San Francisco yesterday, as to tho sentiment and opinion, of the Amelican people regarding the war. "Everywhere you go it is the same." said j)lr. "Of course in some of the Western cities you find a vqry strong pro-German sentiment, but tliese cities are German. From half to two-thirds of their population are German or of German extraction, and you can't- expect those people to sympathise with us. But taking the United Statos at large, the people are strongly pro-Allies." 'Ihere is no doubt about Mr. Dufault's own feelings. He is extremely proud of tho effort his own country, Canada-, is making to help> in the great cause, and of the gallant con. duct of the Canadian troops in France. "And," lie added, "you in Australia and New Zealand ought to bo proud of what your countries are doing, just as the British, people are proud of you." Mi\ Dufault went home to Canada after his last tour in Australasia, and he lias been appearing in concerts in Canada and the United States ,ever since. "Everything is in America," lio said. "This applies to amusements as well as to other business. Thousands of families have come over from the Continent to find refuge in America, mostly from France and Italy. Very few Germans or Austrians have come, and they would not be welcome if they did. There liae never been sucli a population in Now York city as there is All tlio hotels aro full, and you can't rent any sort of _a house anywhere. The whole city _is full. This, of course, adds to tho size of tho public for which the ontertainer has to provide, ar.d amusements go on with bigger crowds and more gaiety than ever. We have just had' the most successful opera season New York has ever known. But among the people who have come from Europe are a host of artists, operatic singers very many of them, who found their occupation gone in their own countries. A very_ large number of 1 them are stranded in New York.- Many of them can sing; only in their own language, and the New public will nol; stand for an artist who does not sing in English sometimes. These poor people are very unhappy indeed. Their property in Europe, if they liaye any. is gone or ruined, and they cannot get a footing in America." The singer spoke of his coming tour a iittle. He explained that on his previous visit ho felt himself rather hampered because ho had not with him as many songs as ho would have liked, having come here to assist Madam Nor'dica and not to give concerts all lii-s own! Now he lias come back with a new repertoire, which he is very anxious to present, along with some of the songs he has made famous here. "I have with me," he said, "hundreds of new son'"? never hoard here before, and to I must have gone through fully two thousand songs. I think your people will like them. I haven't much doubt about it, because I find that they like out hero pretty much what the peoplo liko in America, or in London. Musical taste, in my opinion, is tho same wherever you go, and it is just as high here as anywhere else. I am looking forward to a good t-oiir, because, as wo say in America, this tiuio I'vo got 'the stuff' to give the people. Last time I had not, and in consequenco I had to repeat a lot."