Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-10-11
REsENTs DIVORCE LINE.
President Asks Zans~iIl to Alter New
Play.

Lacks made on American family life
by Israel Zangwill in his new play
lathe Melting Pot" now being pro
duced at the Columbia Theater. de-
lclares a Washington dispatch In the
. New York American. Pesiderf
I Roosevelt occupied a box at the pre-
mitr performance.
The President has asked MIR. Gang
! will that he eliminate some unusually
severe thrusts, or that they he modi'
fed so that they apply only to the
so-called 400"
In the play an English girl is being
harassed bv her stepmother to marry
a divorced man, and the paraphrase
occurs. The law givcth and the law
taketh away"
Slap at Americans.
The girl protests, and exciaims:
mot being a true-!orn American We
hold our trOth sacred
The Prcsid,n saw ne play Monday
nfeht and at these lines h" scowled
He entertained Mr.. ZanSwill at lun'
cheon WedR sday. and engaged in
frank criticism Of the satire.
He quoted Burke. saying: "You
the whole people
The President holds that the play
does net truly repre- sent the American
family life: that divorce is not the
rule: it is the exception to married
life in this country as in England or
in other Christian countries. He ad-
mit,ed that the prevalence of di-
yorce in socalled society had given
contrary impression 20 those who
could not be acquainted with the eX'
act conditions
He then made his request to M.
Zangwill that the objectionable thrust
be omitted from the production. IT
this could not be done he suggested
that the line be changed so as to run:
Not being member Of the 400 We
hold our .troth sacred
"Eathquaky," Says Zan5wiiI
The opinion we in England get OF
your marriage life" replied MIR. Fang
will to the Presidents criticism. lis
that it is very earthQuaky.' 1t does
not appear to be very stable. We see
so often reports CT your divorce and
then Of the divorce proceedings.
This is not customary in England-it
is most unusual. and is looked upon
with much disfavor.
Il have no desire to misrepresent
American life in my play" said Mr.,
ZangwilI. do not think have done
so. If b? this thrust can do moral
good, can arouse public sentimen!
against a great evil. l think that It
would be we'll for the line to stand.
or course. if public opinion is against
the line. l will take 1t out: but have
no such evidence except that con-
tanned in the Presidents criticism.
know the President is jealous of his
country's reputation. and his resent
ment Of an unfair slur or criticism
would be prompt. / am thinking OF
changing the line at his suggestion
Il do not wish to lie put in the po-
sition of repeating a private CONVEX
sation. The President honored me
with a long and interesting discussion.
most of which I do not feel at liber-
ty to repeat. But the criticism OF my
play on the grounds Of the objection
hold to be Of such general impor-
lance and public worth as to be re-
leased from the seal CT private COM
municatiOn. welcome the Presi-
dert's criticism and his suggestion.
just as I note with interest the pub
lies reception of the entire play. In.
Guiding the lines to which objection
has been made
Did the President suggest that the
reference to easv divorce be put in
such a way as to only apply to the
wealthy class
Yes. for the reason that the char
acter in the play speaking the lines
objected to belongs to the so-called
400 and the President thought this
should be made more clear"