Daily Arizona silver belt., 1907-06-14
Storage room phone 6ol.
PARIS THRILLED BY DRAMA
Submarine Play Is Ghastly Satire on
 Naval Disaster

A Paris cable says: A veritable up-to- date theatrical novelty has been pro. duced this week at the Grand Cuignol theater, that small playhouse where some good actors discover themselves and where more real spine ticklers are produced in month than the whole circuit of melodrama houses offer Tn season. The author has taken the re- cent submarine disaster for his spectae- ular element, and the perfunetory mock cry of official efferveseence as the ob-
 feet of his satire.
 | If is not a tank melodrama, however. It is better. It requires acting. Wheth-
 CT it is well to stage such play IS
 another question.
 The stage is set to disclose the inter for of a submarine boat at the surface,
 with two pOrtholes, through which the
 waves of moderate sea are seen. Thelr
 swish over the low deck is heard, pune tuated by the sharp pulsations of the
 engines.
 The. commander reads orders for
 plunge. The manhole hatch IS closed
 the swish of the waves lessens and ceases, and the only sound IS that oi . the engines beating.
 The illusion of submersion as thu
 water rises past the portholes at hrst
 the light gradually darkening until onl, s the cabins illumination is left, furn - ishes the necessary spectacular ele T ment. One young officer on board l , making his first plunge. The weird
 ness of the experience affects him. Il ' is dizzy, and his nerves fail. d The commander tells him to fortif g- himself the next time with drug an d confesses that he himself is under tn beneficient influence of opium. He put
 the novice in control, but being dissa e isfied he replaces him with an exper c. eneed seaman. He again assumes con 10 mand and orders more speed. Tf q. novice's head reels.
 The engine spurts and beats as fa A as the pulse of a dying man, the IT. slackens and stops. Orders to moul ie to the surface meet with no responi ,e from the machinery. The crew ente
 the cabin and the bulkheads are s cured. Anxiety yields to terror al 'i terror to desperation.
 There is no calmness of despair, ve resignation and no courage, only fer k. Irecriminations and maledictions. IT commander thinks these are excessiy
 He is sleepy.
 er "Oh it's all right for you who ha re- prepared yourself" walls the movie ut thus disclosing opium confidence to t ,;l. I crew
 The .sodden commander starts up t " companionway for the manhole, sec ed ing an easier and quicker death. m- hands seize and drag him down, eryil nm, ssNo you don't; you'll die like u' oo and mauling, yelling, and tearing ca other they die in the united grasp oi torment and ignominious death. ur- The second act represents a gr' hisd naval display in port The imnaeui' to secretary of the navy discourses to ,;, assembled navy men and mourners ur ~ the patriotism of the brave men W ust lost their lives in their country's s ist, vice, dying courageously in the dep he of the sea, their arms about each ot av. in one last expiring kiss of united .s. votion. A curtain call permits the s s"' s' retary to smile in benignant satisfact de- at his own duty well performed. hat Whether from the viewpoint of al
 militarism and of deeadency the aut ros wishes to depict the despicable baser
 of which men trapped can be capa 'ay- even while wearing with their unifc has the halo of military glory, or whet ory. with bitter sarcasm he aims to prick ant hollow sham of itinerary eulogy, may ,,.. as the spectator pleases. Certainly
 makes the auditors sit up and talk most It should be mentioned for fore lard readers that the French military aut talk ities have considerable problem ated hand in the extension of the habit opium indulgence at some of the g ''hy naval stations, particularly Tou hat which has even been characterized mur- the occidental saigon.