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Show Germany Takes Exceptions to Cake-Walk. , And now Germany is taking violent exceptions to the American cake-walk. A Berlin daily goes so far as to declare that the cake-walk is all the United States has to offer Germany for the art collections Americans have, gathered there. Ilere is the criticism of this particular newspaper: "Last year there were exhibited at the South Kensington museum the art treasures which J. Picrpont Morgan Mor-gan bought of Manheim, the collector. There were thirteen cases filled with these niagnifu-ent pieces of silver, enamel and faience. At the same time one could see at the Guild Hall other works of art for Mr. Morgan's palace, while at Cherbourg and at Havre priceless pictures were being transported to America. And for these treasures what does America send lis? The cake-walk!'' This same paper gives a novel if somewhat ridiculous account of the origin of the cake-walk: "At a dinner given j by a wealthy planter a rich negro and his wife werp guests; The black pair were so inflated with pride of being there, and walked with such a studied air, that tbeyi attracted attention. When the couple had retired the host offered a prize of a cake to the man and woman who could give the best imitation of the black" couple's walk. Every one tried to-win the prize. That was the first cake-walk." The suggestion of a "black couple" at the dinner table of a Southern planter is what amuses Americans. And it must be admitted that the historical accuracy of the Berlin paper as to the origin of the cake-walk is about as reliable as its self-exposed ignorance of the Southern character in the United States. |