The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-26
LITERARY LIGHTS
 AND SHADOWS
BY H. MAYS BALL.

l "The Melting Pot" by Israel Zangwill. l Crhe Macmillan Co)
 MT. Zangwills new play, "The Melting l Pot was presented for the first time l in this county one year ago In Wash l ington where it was indorsed by Presi- i dent Roosevelt and many men of promi- hence, since which time we have been reading all sorts of things for and against the play.
 Coincidently with the first performance in New York city of MT Zangwill' s play. during the week of September 9, the i Macmillan Co. published "The Melting Pot" in book form. Though written pri- marily for the stage, however the play evidently suffers little from being read instead of seen-that is, if like this scribe you care for much that MT. Zangwill sends forth
 The fundamental theme, the young He- brew conception of America Gods erucible In which the races and classes of mankind are being cleansed of preju- dice, hatred and folly and fused into one purified and noble family mighty pretty theme. eh-as a theme?) this vision set before the reader with all of Mr zangwl's fire and strength. one lwho has not seen the play) is more than willing to finger over longer than the needs of the theatre might permit. II is stated and no doubt with truth that no contemporary writer equals MT. Zang will in his understanding of the complex depths of his own people.
 In the play David Quixano." the young Hebrew-hero, gives forth the following regarding America:
 America is Gods crucible-the great melting pot-where all the races of Eu- rope are fusing and reforming. Here you stand good folk. think I. when I see them at Ellis Island; here you stand in your 50 groups. with your 50 languages and your histories and your 50 blood feuds and rivalries. But you won't be long like that. brothers. for these are the fires of God you have come to-these are the fires of God A fig for your feuds and ven dettas! Germans and F'renchman Irish men and Englishmen. Jews and Russians into the crucible with you all God is making the American!
 The plot of the story is that David Quixano, young Jewish musician, has experienced the full horror of Russa's first great massacre at Kishenef His father. mother and little sister are butch cred before his eyes. He is wounded, but escapes and makes his way to New York carrying with him the dreadful vision of slaughter which at intervals falls upon his tangled nerves with all the vividness of reality When the play begins David Is with his uncle and his grandmother In shabby apartment in the city of New York, The two men eke out poor liv- ing by playing the violin in cheap music halls and giving lessons. But David nnds time to compose a symphony in which all his adoration for America. all his hopes and pride in her are expressed with the customary power of genius. David meets Vera Revendal, settlement worker, who is also Russian but Gentile At the beginning of the first act Vera rather despises Jews; toward the end of the act she Is plainly in love with David. Vera persuades Quincy Davenport. a youhg millionaire to take David under ms protection and the conductor of Da- venport's private orchestra has just pro- nounced the uneompleted symphony a masterpiece when David turns upon the youthful and dssipated master of millions and practically throws him out of the house David and Vera declare their love for each other and We find them at the peeinnlhg or the third act waiting inn patent but happy for a salary large enough to marry upon Young Daven- port to even up matters with David and win Vera for himself sends to Kishenef Tor Vera's father, Baron Revendal who was the fnstigator of the Kishenef mas sacre, but whom the girl has not seen since she fled from Russia years ago
 
 periments in revolutionary propaganda. At the sight of Baron RevendaI. David is seized with his chronic hallucination of Kfshenef and he casts Vera from him But the baron goes back to Russia. In the last act David and Vera renew their troth upon the roof of the settlement house where Vera is employed and where David's American symphony has just been given with tremendous success before an audience of immigrants on the glorious Fourth of July-of course. There are some people who never miss, if they can prevent it. anything writ ten by MT. Zangwill. This reviewer Is one of those people book from Mir Zangwill, play or novel, Is a great lit- erary event. '"rhe Melting Pot" reveil- ing some of the Jewish noblest dreams and aspirations. written with the power that comes only from thorough compre- hension and love. is more than a de- light-or was to this reviewer
 "Pa Flickinger's Folks" by Bessie R.
 Hoover. Garper & Brothers)
 This is clever, bright up-to- -the-min- ute picture of the Flickingers Folks,