Ban Placed on National Airs at Ravinia

The "war" began on Friday, when the Chicago Symphony orchestra struck up the martial strains of Tschaikowsky's "1812" at Ravinia Park. As the musicians swept through the famious piece of the Russian master, which describes the retreat of Napoleon from Moscow, the blood of Henriel Bartelli began to boil.
Bartelli is the only Frenchman in the orchestra. When the piece was ended he mopped his brow and his eyes flashed. Each staccato note had been a bullet. He was deeply wounded. He glared at the Russian musicians as they enthusiastically commented on the glorious significance of the march

Belgian Grits His Teeth
Johanns Schreuers, the lone Belgian in the orchestra, gritted his teeth as the musicians next swept through "Die Wacht Am Rhein," Several Germans Snapped the strings on their violins while playing "La Marseillaise."
Arguments arose as soon as the concert was ended. IT is too much for a Frenchman to be asked to play "Die Wacht am Rhein." Parbleu! Donner und Blitzen! Is it not just as great an insult for a German to play the Marseillaise? And Tschaikowsky? Bah! Why should a loyal subject of the czar be asked to forget his native land so far as to immortalize the names of Wagner and Berlios? Sacre nom de petite cochon! We are with the Russians in the present war, but why should they gloat over the defeat of our great Napoleon?
And so the air was blue with "mon dieus," "Gott in Himmels" and Russian unspellable expletives. Quarrels arose between gutteral Germans, blatant Belgians, roaring Russians and fluent French. Internal strife, fanned by patriotic fervor, threatened to disrupt the organization.

Hold Peace Conference
A peace conference was held Sunday. About 75 per cent of the musicians are Germans and 10 percent are Austrians. The remainder are French, Belgians and Russians. The Germans and Austrians were represented by Alfred Quensel, Bruno Steindel and Hans Stoeber. Bartelli spoke for his country and Schreuers for Belgium. Julius Foreman, Alexander Zukowsky and Harry Weisbach, the concert meister, upheld the Russians.
And so it has been decided no more patriotic airs of Russia, Germany, Austria, Belgium or France will be included in the orchestra's program for the balance of the season, that is, as long as the war lasts. And Henrici Bartelli is happy, and the Germans are placid.