ESTONIA—- The Land of Song

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 1, 1 July 1939, Page 26

ESTONIA—The Land of Song

The first Estonian star in Hollywood She has been presented as a with about 1,200,000 people, of whom is Mrs. Miliza Korjus, the nightingale "Viennese coloratura soprano" taken to the main body of 800,000 are in the Reof Nordic extraction with the world's Hollywood by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's public of Estonia on the Baltic seamost glorious voice. Notwithstanding agent from the Viennese opera, and shore, and the remaining 400,000 are the enormous development of singers was proclaimed as an Austrian singer spread over the world. It is a most in every nation we have never had from Vienna. And why should not picturesque and charming, but very the chance-to hear in the talkies so fine Vienna be glad to claim her, the singer Poo**, country. The people suffer from a-voice as that of Miliza Korjus, in the 'of songs ,of their famous Johann over-education, more than m any other colpraiwra songs and melodies of Strauss, the father of the greatest waltz country in the world. They are fond johann Strauss in "The Great Waltz." i melodies? Some considered her "to be of gaiety and love music, singing, and When--this greatest screen masterpiece of Polish origin, others said she is a every kind of sport. They are great was presented on North American Hungarian or Finnish. One is sure of singers and athletes. screens listeners were amaaed. Here "Nordic extraction." "Laul Kaib Ule Koige"—the -song are^two comments from American c^ SS PSka Korjus. who sings the part Sia%uf^ of.Carla.Donner, has a beautiful voice and know vSy little about!« Sf d ° fl ? k %TvTof th\tTfe unTe? and,is attractive in a-buxow fashion" the EstO nian nation, and its singing ] £^ ej££ SS tw S»t^L£ nf —^New-York World-Telegram.") ability. I have been personally ac- ! he Germ? n J °f e ? u ey kept ts eir n- a" -Another welcome featm* of 'The qSamted JtoMfltaKorjus and her Great>Waltz,' which^ill help to'make * aren ts. Her father was an officer in -g^LJX Se fiSfEstoSln SoS 1S the emergence of a the Estonian Army, and in private life | he^j^^tSfSlttf atunnmg; newcomer, Miliza Korjus, was an eminent musician. Her home is FeStlVT* Aot £L SLm 525 o^?*nS : ofNordiC r extraction, blends stm in Tallinn, the capital city of %gjg£ nSnal dresses perfectly in the Vienna scene, and Estonia, where all her folk reside, and It *S SS ffiS hdd St yeS to ythoße rich singing voice gives the where she began her career as a singer, song fes^va 1 held jear Strauss music a delightful abandon. lauinn, tnere was tne largest cnorus —-("New York Herald-Tribuhe.") She was later engaged by the Berlin in the world," 20,000 singers and A halo was created around the head Opera, and from Berlin she passed to musicians singing and playing toof the beautiful newcomer to stardom, Vienna from where she was taken two gether. Bisd^the, questions arise: Wh«re did she years ago to Hollywood to become the And now the Estonians are proud come from? "What was her origin, and first Estonian cinema star. . to pay court to their great and beauti-

to'what nationality does she belong?

Estonia is a small European nation

MUSIC CROSSES THE FRONTIER

Guess what Italy gives to Yugo- from one town to the other. With a slavia, for nothing, writes R. H. Mark- few steps—and * a passport that must ham from Sushak, Yugoslavia, to the be stamped three times. For there are "Christian Science Monitor." bars and^ high wire fences, and solMusic. Not grand opera, nor a won- diers at each end of the bridge., derful symphony—that would be too If you go from this Yugoslav Sushak

much. But merry-go-round music. It is too much, too, for a little goes a long way. % Yet, if you're in Sushak, you can't escape it, even though the merry-go-round Is in Fiume. And that shows how close Yugoslav Sushak is to Italian Fiume. For decades, indeed, they were one. They were simply two halves of a single port which belonged to Hungary and served "a State of 22,000,000 inhabitants. This was their door to the outside world, and the only place where they could park their fleet. But ethnologically it wasn't Hungarian at all. It was largely Croatian and somewhat Italian. It was near the border where- the of Slavs and of Latins meet. When Austria-Hungary i collapsed both Italians and Slavs claimed it, but the Italians seized it. FinaUy, the dispute was settled by giving Italy the greater part and letting Yugoslavia take the rest. A very short bridge joins the two

to the beautiful and important Yugoslav city of Ljubljana by the shortest railroad route, the journey takes only three hours, but you must, travel through Italy. If you go by the shortest Yugoslav route, ten hours" are required. More than a half-dozen former Austro-Hungarian icities are in a similar plight.

ful singing star, Miliza Korjus.—J.J.L. sections and with a few steps you go

But tnere is ltas strain in this "split" city than one might expect. During most of the time since tlfe World War, the Yugoslav and Italian States have been hostile towards one another, but the inhabitans of Fiume and Sushak 'have been friendly. Many persons on one side have relatives on the other. Many persons on one side work on the other. A large number have regular passes. If you watched the morning traffic you'd think most of the Sushakites had business in Fiume, and most of the Fiumeans had business in Sushak.

Both cities are largely bi-lingual a^d either currency can be used in both places—for small purchases. Here, as

along almost all European borders, the people on both sides are much alike.

But these two cities, that used to be one, are coming to be different, for Fiume is a splendid old harbour, gone to sleep; Sushak is a rather primitive, new harbour, growing up. Fiume is a superfluous Italian port, off-ail. main trade routes; Sushak is a vital portal through which much of Yugoslavia's produce passes on its way to world markets. x

Much of Sushak is new and it is still riding along on a building boom. Whole new sections have been erected. Paved avenues have been- constructed. New public buildings occupy commanding places over the sea. Ships steam into the harbour. Automobiles race back and forth as bobbins, along the zigzag road leading down the mountainside to the sea. This piece of a city is becoming a whole one. It has the characteristic air of a young, ambitious State.

It is symbolical of Yugoslavia. Across the bridge is the great, aggressive Italian Empire. Immediately north is Slovenia, the. most advanced part of Yugoslavia. Not far above the harbour is a large German settlement, and a few scores of miles further north, the mighty German Reich. The city itself is wholly Croatian, not really Yugoslav, in no respect Serbian.

In the finest square of Sushak is a new statue of the late Serbian King, Alexander, represented as a pilot steering his Yugoslav ship of state into the future. Yet, this very city was a centre of the revolutionists whose organisation brought about King Alexander's assassination.

How near this is to storm centres, and yet how far away storms seem! Just across the street are Italian soldiers. German is spoken in every shop. Hungarians covet their old port. A pipe line from Rumanian oil wells, it is said, will have a terminus here. Serbs control the great gendarme station on the hill. Croatians openly hurl imprecations at-the Serbs and long for separation. One might imagine a cyclone gathering. But nothing seems further away. How little these people really care for empires. Italians^bathe in the sea and sit in cafes. Germans hurry happily along in new automobiles, Croatians put up new buildings, the merry-go-round booms, flowers bloom, trees spread their shade, blue waves ripple over the strand, ancient churches bestow their stately benediction, and when the departing sun makes way for the soft cool evening, no place in all the.world seems more tranquil. Latins, Teutons, Slavs, and Hungarians all seem very good and very friendly. May Sushak never have occasion to- think otherwise. ' * . ,