AUTHORITIES The first part of this sketch, relating to the Battle of Manila, was taken from Admiral Fiske's autobiography, "From Midshipman to Rear-Admiral'; the latter part was published in the United States Naval Institute Proceedings, March, 1917. IGNACE JAN PADEREWSKI MUSICAL MASTERY BY JAMES FRANCIS COOKE XCEPTING only Frédéric Chopin no character EX in musical history has been so prominently identified with Poland as Ignace Jan Paderewski. Considered from a popular standpoint, Chopin never attained that wide celebrity which attaches to the great Polish virtuoso of the present day, whose fame has reached millions who may never hear him play, but are as familiar with his name as that of the greatest statesman of the day. Moreover, Paderewski is wholly of Polish origin while Chopin's attraction to France through ancestry and long residence need not be commented upon. Properly to appreciate the life and ideals of Paderewski it is desirable to refresh one's memory regarding the remarkable country of his birth, for while Paderewski has shown his wide cosmopolitan experience in his compositions he is nevertheless a most devoted patriot of his native land. Patriotism it is that binds American sympathies to Poland. The services of the Polish patriot Thaddeus Kosciuszko in our own Revolutionary War will never be forgotten in the new world. But even the zeal and skill of men like Kosciuszko were not able to save their country from the intrusion of the armies of more powerful countries. Polish history may be traced back to origins so remote as to be largely mythological. In the sixteenth century it was the most powerful country of eastern Europe. In this land of valiant knights and brilliant women, aristocracy flourished. The warring interests of these nobles resulted for a time in breaking the unity necessary for the preservation of military force and this contributed to the downfall of Poland. It is estimated that over fifteen million people still speak the Polish language; Polish literature dates from antique poems said to have been produced in the tenth century. Doubtless the Polish writers best known in countries beyond the borders of Poland are Mickiewicz, Slowacki, Krasinski and Henryk Sienkiewicz. Those who have read the masterpieces of the last named writer (Pan Michael and With Fire and Sword) may estimate the depth and power of Polish literary attainments. Polish music is strongly characteristic in its national tendencies. At first religious and then moulded after |