The fourth, and thus far,. last attempt to produce Bizé's master-Piece was prevented by Jap military forces. When Tokyo. was nothing but a mass of ruins, actors find actresses went to Osaka and decided to stage "Carmen" there. For a while, no owner would give them a" playhouse, but one enterprising man overcome the feelings of shareholders and everything was made ready to produce the opera, but, three days before it was to be produced, the commander of the garrison, through the police requested that the licence be revoked. His reason was that the staging of this opera by Japanese, in Japanese, for Japanese, would bring the Army into disrespect, would inspire. disobedience on the' part of the soldiers and lead them to neglect their duty, the reason obviously being found la the fact that, in the opera, Don 'Jose, the young brigadier in whose custody Carmen was placed, is vamped by the handsome gipsy' girl and assists her to escape from pri son, then deserting the service and becoming an outlaw.
Thus has "Carmen," on four se-atate occasions, proved to be a {tantalising musical gem to produce in Japan' by the Japanese, Another attempt is to be made some' time this winter, but many. slake their heads and whisper ominously of tragedy stalking this opera, while those not inclined to be superstitious maintain that the excuse given by the commander of the Osaka garrison stil holds good fand that, as things are at present the presentation of the play is} somewhat beyond the realm of pro-Dabilities.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.