UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOLUME XIV.
NUMBER 98
LITTLE THEATRE WINS BY INTIMATE APPEAL
Freedom From Gaudy Costumes and Scenery Centers Attention on Players
POPULARITY NATION WIDE
All-Star Casts Carry Needed Dramatic Impulse to Small Communities
The Portmanteau Theatre, the theatre that comes to you—the theatre of simplicity—the theatre with great possibilities for future good presented by Stuart Walker. On a regular day, under the personal direction of Stuart Walker, originator of the Portmanteau Theatre. Fraser Hall was crowded in the afternoon and only a few seats were vacant at night. Stuart Walker became emamy between the players and itself.
For it is the personality, simplicity of costumes, vivid imagination and directness of style, so appealing to the audience that is responsible for the success the Portmanqueau Theatre apparently is meeting everywhere.
That spirit of intimacy with the audience permeated the plays from the moment the chimes and gongs sounded behind the curtain and the "Persons Before the Play" gave a warning prologue that the audience should not go to sleep until the last beggar in the "God of the Mountains" been turned to stone and the citizens bowed in submission to them.
No gaudy settings or costumes have a part in the plays. Stuart Walker believes such settings divide the attention of the audience.
AUDIENCE PART OF PLAY
"An actor's art alone should be able to hold the attention of his hearers," said Mr. Walker. "Then you know just where you are all the time and the circumstances are always evident."
The acting, lighting effect, costuming and scenery were appealing in their simplicity and vividness. The players made the audience a part of the play. You were one of them. You could ask questions if you cared to The Portmanteau Theatre players answered them.
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
MIXER FOR TONIGHT
"The Portmanteau Theatre is bound to spread," said one of the actors last night after the performance. "It is the only way the small towns can have all-star casts brought to them. Larger companies carrying a vast amount of scenery cannot make these smaller towns. And the little theatre plan already has been started successfully in larger cities."
The men in the School of Education are making arrangements for a mix tonight from eight to nine-thirty o'clock, in Room 150, Fraser Hall. Arrangements of the committee include a short program, something to eat, and a general discussion of educational problems.
The object of the meeting is to develop a closer acquaintance among the men of the School of Education and to exchange ideas on educational problems. It is planned to make these meetings permanent if enough interest is manifested by the men in the School.
The committee in charge of the arrangements is composed of A. K Loomis, Freed Rodkey, H. C. Fisk, Lay, W. J, Warren, and A. E Elliott.
MANY ENGINEERS VISIT K. C. AUTOMOBILE SHOW
Approximately 300 students attended the auto show at Kansas City last week. At least 100 of them were from the School of Engineering. They attended the show to study the latest types of motors at Kansas City, and others went just for curiosity, and others to be able to tell their friends that they took in "the show." Many students will write reports on the latest types of motors, based on their observations; these papers will be read at meetings of the various society groups. Their warranty, giving those who were unable to attend an opportunity to profit by the experiences of those who did.
Prof. S. J. Hunter, state entomologist, was recently appointed city forester of Lawrence and under his direction every elm tree in the city has been properly wrapped with bands to do away with canker worms.
H. B. Hungerford, assistant professor in the entomology department, who has been working on his Ph. D. at Cornell University, has been called to his home in Nebraska on account of the death of his father.
The University of Illinois is said to have the largest university band in the United States. There are 200 in the band.
MAY BUY PICTURE OF
FORMER K. U. PROFESSOR
Plans are being made which, if completed, will make the University owner of a life-size oil portrait of Prof. S. W. Williston, at one time dean of the School of Medicine and now one of the foremost educators in the world. The artist, Charles G. Corwin, has sent the painting here for display and the purchase he is planned by old friends of Mr. Williston.
The portrait has been hung in Room 310, Administration Building. The matter of its purchase will be considered soon. If it is bought from Fraser Hall or the placed in Fraser Hall until the Administration Building is completed.
AGGIES MUST SIGN CONTRACT IN FUTURF
Jayhawker Mentor Will No Risk Having Athletic Dates Broken Next Year
Manager W. O. Hamilton will demand a written contract for the football game scheduled for next fall with the Aegis League. In view of the Manhattan bank broke verbal contract made in Manhattan, December 9, for an indoor track meet here February 19. Coach Hamilton hereafter will make only written contracts.
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, TUESDAY AFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 20, 1917.
"It will teach all the managers in the Missouri Valley conference to be more careful and probably demand written contracts in the future," said Manager Hamilton, this morning, "but it has been the custom of practically all of the schools in the conference to wait until the day of the wartime event to play the contract. K. U. had no written contract with Nebraska to play basketball last week but we played the game."
"The general plan is for the managers to make athletic dates at the meeting of the conference and then to send a written contract later. Often this contract is not made until the day of the meet because the manager does not have time to make it until them. The University of Oklahoma probably will be substituted for the Aggries on the outdoor track schedule."
WILL ORGANIZE BATTERY
Graduates of Any University Living in Kansas City Are Eligible
Graduates of the University of Kansas in conjunction with graduates of the University of Missouri now living in Kansas are utilizing a battery of mounted artillery.
There must be 126 men enlisted before the battery will be recognized by the war department. Graduates of any college or high school will be eligible. Because nearly all of the graduates of these universities interested in the movement have had military drill in college, they believe there will be no trouble in getting recognition from the war department.
The government will provide for their expenses in addition to furnishing thirty-two saddle horses and field equipment, representing a cost of $25. Every man is paid 25 per cent of the regular army pay in time of neace.
Maj. Milton W. Leach, of the Columbia University Battalion, is chairman of the committee in charge of the movement. The other members are: Thomas S. Ridge, jr., J. W. Longshore, Crosby Kemper, King J. Byers, C. W. Terry, J. W. Long, and C. F. Wasser.
INVITE FACULTY TO BE QUESTS AT "UNDER COVER"
The management of the Dramatic Club, in their preparation of plans for this year's production, "Under Cover," have arranged a new feature which may be accepted as a custom by future members. The play will be occupied by certain members of the faculty who will be guests of the club. The individuals to whom the complimentary box seats will be given have not been decided upon as yet, but it is said that the best booster will be chosen. It is a certain, however, that Chancellor and Mrs. Frank Strong will be among those present.
J. D. M. Crocket will deliver the second of a series of lectures this afternoon to the students in accounting on the subject, "Department Store Accounting." Next Tuesday he will talk on "Partnership Law and Accounting." Mr. Crochet is a certified accountant for Crocket, Crouchman & Co., having offices at Kansas City, St. Louis, and New York.
Eight members of the K. U. Club walked to Baldwin Sunday morning. It took them five hours to walk the route and they returned on the afternoon train.
WOULD UNITE FOR RED CROSS HOSPITAL BASE
Consolidation of Bell Memorial With St. Margaret's Under Consideration
NEEDED IN CASE OF WAR
Plan Discussed at Recent Meeting of K. U. Medic Faculty
Bell Memorial Hospital at Rosedeal and St. Margaret's hospital at Kansas City, Kansas, may be consolidated for the establishment of a Red Cross base hospital in case of war, if plans, being unofficially considered, develop.
Faculty
"Although no official action has been taken, the plan is plausible," said Dr. S. J. Crumbine, dean of the School of Medicine, this morning. "Most of the clinical work at Rosedale is done at St. Margaret's and a consolidation would mean merely a combination of the facilities already owned by the two hospitals. Very little extra expense would be entailed in the project. The plan has been suggested in case war is declared."
At the last meeting of the School of Medicine at Rosedale no action was taken on the proposed combination, according to Prof. A. B. Daina, of the department of chemistry, who attended a brief discussion of the project.
"In case the United States should be drawn into the European conflict," he said, "this section of the country would undoubtedly need a hospital which could be used as a training school and base for Red Cross work. The consolidation of the University hospital with St. Margaret's would be a very logical and practical move, as he noted in his essay. In my opinion, however, it would be quite an expense, as it would mean the addition of at least one hundred more beds at Rosedale. A special appropriation would be required."
Whether such action will be taken depends upon succeeding actions of the United States and the necessity of a rigorous school in this section of the country.
RESTS ON ACTION OF U. S.
It is thought the matter will come up for official discussion at the next meeting of the faculty, when Governor Roberts will meet of Administration will be consulted.
HALL OF FAME NOT FOR ENGLISH SPARROWS
The Truth Will Out—One Dies.
An English sparrow looked through the window at Dyche Museum yesterday and saw for the first time the birds' Hall of Fame. There they all were, in their glass cases, and his little bird heart throbbed as he looked first at one case and then at another. There were the ducks and the doves, the ravens and the wrens, the swallows and the swans, but where—and when—were the sparrows? He flew inside and went from one case to another but not a single English sparrow could be found.
Partly cloudy and probably unsettled tonight and Wednesday, warmen tonight and in southeast portion Wednesday, cooler west portion Wednesday.
Dean Blackman Speaks in K. C.
Dean F. W, Blackmar, of the Grad-
ate School, spoke at the Westminster
Fair on Thursday night at daynight on the subject, "Taxation."
Then he flew outside, his heart grew sad and he wondered why he should find in the Hall of Fame not one of his own tribe. Had all birds but the sparrow done deeds to make themselves remembered? Not another bird could be think of that was not there. He saw the jay, the thrush, the oriole, the robin—but he could go no farther. When he thought of the robin, bittern memories flipped across the screen, the agate, the Cock, an early member of the Robin family, had been brutally murdered, and how one of his own ancestors had boldly, even boastfully, confessed the crime. Those words, "I," said the sparrow, "with my bow and arrow," were bitter, remorseful words now, and when he thought of them he understood why the English sparrow had been left out. He had tried to hide it, but he knew that the sparrow was the Judas of birdhood. It was too much for him, and that is why those who passed the Museum yesterday evening saw him lying dead on the steps
The Weather
Doctor Blackmar opposed the inheritance tax on the ground that it means double taxation. He said that the income tax would more nearly place the burden of taxation where it belongs.
Y. W. C. A. CONFERENCE
AT HOLLISTER, MISSOURI
The conference of the Young Women's Christian Association which formerly met during August at Estes Park, Colo., will hereafter meet at Hollister, Mo., June 15 to 25. As Hollister is more centrally located, it is thought this will result in a larger attendance. Already seventy-five K. U. women have signified their desire to go.
Hollister is a popular summer resort in the heart of the Ozarks. The lakes and the White river, which are close to Hollister, furnish such recreations as canoeing and swimming, and the beautiful scenery in the mountains offers the chance for long, delightful tramps.
INCOME BILL COMES UP FOR VOTE FRIDAY
House Passes Manager Bill
House Passes Manager BI
Framed by Professors Dyk-
stra and Talbot
The House voted yesterday to postpone action on all bills by special order for this week until Friday morning. This action means the consideration of the Permanent Income bill must wait until measures backed by the members of the House have been considered. It will come up for final action with six other proposals to amend the constitution at that time.
The House passed the City Manager bill last week by a vote of 77 to 24. This bill provides for the election of city commissioners who are to serve as a board of directors. They are appointed by $185,000 of the cities of the first-class, $75 a year in second class and $50 a year in third-class cities.
This commission will appoint a city manager, who will be the executive head of the city government. The city commission will have general supervision, the right to hire and discharge a city manager at any time, and will be the legislative branch of the city government.
Another bill affecting the University passed the House last week but has not come up for consideration in the Senate. The bill provides for the abolishment of four administrative boards. In place of these boards a single board is provided which will serve without pay. This is a tax of $5,000 a year who will transact the business now done by the four boards.
Members and employees of the three boards are making a determined fight on the bill and will attempt to defeat it on the floor of the Senate.
PROSPECTS ARE BRIGHT
Seven "K" Men Will be on the Baseball Squad This Spring
Prospects for Valley championship, in baseball are extremely bright, according to Coach Leo McCarty who is starting baseball practice tomorrow in the gymnasium. Practice will be on McCook Field.
Coach McCarty has more "K" men back in school this year to begin spring practice than at any time since he has been coaching the Varsity squad. Seven "K" men are in school from here, the squirt, and Adrienne "K" man on the 134 squad, will be out to make the team this year.
The seven eligible "K" men from last year's squad are: Captain George Smee, star pitcher and outfielder, Halleck Craig and Constant Poirier, both on the pitching staff, Charley Chase, first base; Leon Gibbens, second base; and Ward Weltmer and Marvin Tylor outfield men. Besides the "K" men there are also several stars from last year's freshman squad and several other players who are expected to make positions on the team.
DEAN L. E. SAYRE PRESENTS
PLAN FOR SPICE REVISION
Every man, who is eligible for the Varsity squad, and who wants to try out for one of the battery positions should report at the Robinson gymnasium tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock.
Dean L. E. Sayre of the School of Pharmacy is attending a meeting of the Board of Health today at Topeka. He will present to the Standards Committee his proposed revision for standards of spices which has been worked out in the drug laboratory of the University.
A class in journalism has been added to the curriculum at the University of Vermont thirty-six students being assigned the course. Half of these are women.
The proposed revision will make such changes as are necessary to make spikes conform to the standards of the United States Pharmacopoeia.
GENERAL FREDERICK FUNSTON DIES OF HEART DISEASE FOLLOWING DINNER IN SAN ANTONIO
Was Chatting With Little Girl When Death Came Suddenly. Had Been In Personal Charge of Army on Mexican Border For Practically a Year
KNEW AND WAS WELL KNOWN BY STUDENTS AND
FACULTY; ALWAYS ON LOOKOUT FOR ADVENTURE
As Student Funston Shone Only In Studies He Liked. Showed Early Tendencies at Fearlessness and Love for Anything That Savored of Fight
Flags in every section of the United States are at half mast today for Major General Frederick Funston, commander of the southern department of the United States Army since February, 1915, and the troops on the Mexican border since March, 1916, who died of heart failure last night in the lobby of the St. Anthony Hotel at San Antonio, Texas, a few minutes after dinner. General Funston was one of the men whom Kansas and its University point out as especially bright lights in its list of famous men. General Funston was chatting with friends after an informal dinner party at the hotel, and was playing with a little girl in the party when he fell unconscious from his chair. He died almost instantly.
"Flighting Fred" Funston entered the University from Allen County, near Iola, where his parents had lived on a farm since Fred was 2 years old. He first enrolled in 1886 at the age of 21, but his attendance was only spasmologic for the next four years. The records of the registrar show that he attended the University in 1886-'87, '78-'88, and '89-'90, and that he was ranked as a sophomore in his last year.
His regular school work was broken into on two different occasions by trips of adventure, once to Death Valley, and later to Alaska. His life involved the love of adventure and his aggressive and even warlike temperament.
He was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity at the same time as William Allen White, and between these two a close friendship sprang
"FIGHTING FRED" FUNSTON
up that lasted through his life. His three years in the University gave him many lasting friendships and many experiences that were to prove valuable to him in later life. That the University men of today are much different than those of his day was shown in an article he wrote for the now defunct Kansas Magazine in 1909. General Funston wrote:
"We were a pretty plain lot, and the most of showed by gait and appearance the results of assiduously following the cultivator up and down the sweltering corn rows and wielding the pitchfork in haying time. Some few owned evening dress suits, but were them apologetically and unkindly told that they would off. The "Phi Gama," who came from Atchison and Topeka, were currently reported to sleep in pajamas, and to scorn the homely but comfortable "nighty," and so were looked up as being apart."
WAS A SCRAPPER
And to further prove the experience he had gained in the University might be of service to him in his chosen profession the following also is clipped from his reminiscences, which show that the student of former days was far more bellicose than the student of today:
"For years I served gratuitously as steward of the Phi Delta mess," General Funston wrote, "and kept the price of table board down to $2.50 per week, thereby acquiring a reputation as a financier that I have not been able to keep in later life. One of my fraternity brothers, F. H., had an incident where Oklahoma He had from time to time dropped deprecatory remarks regarding the lack of variety in the food served at our table, and kept up this form of amusement until one day just after dinner we strolled out into the street and without any preliminaries entered into a kicking and slugging match with our peers, and by residence with the faces of scandalized spectators. This encounter settled nothing; but after that anyone who felt moved to reflect on the quality of canned goods or coffee purchases for our mess, relieved himself of his feelings in the secrecy of his closest."
"We knew he never would be a student," said Dean Olin Templin this morning. Dean Templin was a professor in the University and a candidate for his master's degree when Funston was in school, and he knew him as a friend and as a student. "He always found things unusual, and whenever he heard a scuffling of feet he was in the middle of the crowd, to see what the fight was going to be about. He was never unruly, but he loved adventure. He was aggressive, persistent, and he had a good head that got stuck in his teeth. He was faculty. He was never afraid of anybody or anything, and 'impossible' was not in his vocabulary. That was the spirit that put him in his prominent position in the army. He was a leader of men here in the University, and his temperament when he was young showed he would always be a man with a brawny, never loving a big talker, and a man of firm convictions."
Funston's studies in the University were confined to the things he cared most about. He knew something about military tactics and fighting before he came to the University, but never did much about military matters in the slightest he followed with eagerness. He liked the tales of Caesar and his conquest of Gaul and history always had a fascination for him. Rhetoric, however, he refused to study, although he became an interesting writer and lecturer later in his career. He showed good work, but those of the majority of the prescribed courses showed how well he liked faculty supervision of studies.
HAD A DEFINITE AIM
"He was an erratic man in his school work," said Miss Carrie Watson, K. U. librarian, who knew him well, "but he seemed to have a definite aim in his life work which later brought him so high in official circles. He was a likable young man and made many friends in the student body and faculty in spite of his perpetual practical joking."
"Funston loved adventure even in his college days," said Professor W. C. Stevens, when asked about Funston's college life. "He was a student of history and was always up on military matter. When in school here, he was enthusiastic about the army and loved to be a pioneer in the pages of history. He once told me a little story which he thought a good joke on himself. When a boy on the farm, Funston and his brother were plowing. They had a dispute and it soon became a pitch battle with clods. Their horses roamed all over the field, dragging the plows. Funston's father was just returning from town with a friend and as he neared the house he would need to a vault. That he would soon show him the finest boys in the country." Then they came to the field and saw the horses running wild and the boys in a dirt battle."
After leaving the University young Funston tried his hand at a little of everything, including botanical trips to the Dakota Bad Lands, teaching school, editing a paper, for the Santa Fe, and trips of pure adventure. He learned greatness and his even warlike temperament predominated.
When the Cuban rebellion first broke out in the late '90s, Funston went to Cuba to take up the cause of
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