To the Editor of the "Mobrh-Cwma Dany News"
Sm,—Anent the Aksakov musical controversy, which seems to be but another of the many you delight in encouraging and fostering in your paper—such controversies greatly assist in increasing circulation—they satisfy to some extent the ego in many of your readers, and Mr. Aksakov would do well simply to ignore this correspondence as well as the review in your paper which was responsible for it, for the following reasons; First, a musical critic, to be authoritative in what he writes, ought, himself, to be equally, if not better, capable of creating musical work than the composer he is criticizing, Second, he should already have produced music of an equal or a better standard of excellence without the mistakes, redundances, etc, ad nauseam he charges another composer with.
Third, the number of mature, proficient musical composers in Shanghai can be counted on the fingers of one hand and none of them possess the initials used by "N.C.D.N." reviewers, Fourth, although it is a good old Shanghai custom to preserve a sort of anonymity by the use of initials, the best interests of all could be better served if all music critics reveal their identity. And, since they have not in this case,-and in recent cases, ignore them, The music critic of the allegedly "biggest newspaper in the world" the "Chicago Tribune," was an ex-sports writer, had no musical education except what he picked up avocatively, used to lecture with a gramophone at the Chicago Musical College on musical history about which he knew invariably less than his post-graduate students. He used his name. That's why nobody was impressed with what he said. It was Edward Moore.
So Aksakov, take heart. You are at least trying. And, remember, if you follow the progression of I, V. I. you have plagiarized.
Henry Francis PARKS.
Shanghai, Oct, 29.
***It is hoped that by printing his letter the ego of Mr. Henry Francis Parks will also be satisfied.—En.
White plays and mates in two moves.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.