New-York tribune., 1909-11-18
THE DRAMA
John Ga1saporffy's Strife" at
The Nee Theatre.

CtI ktN cIaal * it >tAAD an AAiAtAAAaAlALeta p p
play by an Englis' author. The scene ~
''strifc" has been shifted from the United
Kingdom 20 the state Of Ohio. II the play
has gsiaed snything by the change the gain
is small az 10 he :rnperceptinle. The
main question is. no doubt. Has the play
lost anything Mr.. Galsworthy. whose oWh
hand directed the fight from Britain 20 the
MiSdie West, woulc answer. ~So." else Tie
charge would not have been nude. BGt
Why - through the motions without l.D-
cucing some result commensurate NTH ice
expenditure or energy Strife" has been
called one of the most powerful of modern
Ilsys. But that was exagEurated praise.
IL is enough o. ssy thar q WAS a Sood piav
IN its English dress Nhy. then. pat an
American icoel on n. and a mask uhica
Goes not conceal idcnti.yP Audiences al
The New Theatre 90 not need 20 ho cocdlai
IN this way. They are intelligent enoagh
% understand an EnEHsh 1lay b. tae nsaSi-
nal and as the relations between capital
and is5or are similar uu roth sides af the
ocean a. v-Es unnecessary a. persuade the
author that he should explain himself 10
New York - using American instead ~
Efirsh seoeraphv and exchanging pounos
into dollars But. deep sud dark the
reason must h. the change has been made.
and somebody. one dsres saA Is pi i.ase,l az
having carried his point
John Gslswcrthy's strife won tremen-
douS praise when il was produced IN Lon
don last year Ever since then q strong
desire to see il has been felt by those
American plavgoers who know thar there
are thestres snd drsmatists a thousand
leagues and more 70 the east ~ New York
and that dramatic art is neither an inven-
ton noI discovery OF certain hustlers ~
after its London run. n has been welcomed
On the provinces Within = fortnight il
has won grest praise i'm Manchester and
Glasgow one ~ the Manchester critics
hy the way. declared q few DAYS since that
'fn rrsEic power. I'm insight and philosophy
sud in style the play is one of the mas
terpieCes ~ our time N really iustihes no
such rhapsody. And he added this about
simon isarness here IS = character which
Is beautiful piece OF observation %
nrf rate English national type n r. quite
enen 10 any Gothamife critic 20 ask II Nj
1aIENorthy in choosing Ohio for his scene
hes shown IN Simon Harness a beautiful
piece ~ observation or frst rate Ameri-
can national tyPe" The answer NAV ne
subject 10 dispute. Ike most things on this
Nhirliug earth. but to one spectator ~
least this character. indeed Bearly all the
Characters IN the play. are 80 British that
they might have come over in one IL last
weeks liners
STRIFE is tie story ~ the traditional re-
lat!ons between labor and capital There
has been q four months strike II the en-
fioyes ~ the Ohio River Tinpiate Mills
The action ~ the drama covers The final
siS hours n The strike john Anthony. The
president u the mill company. is resolved
to yield nothing 20 the strikers The lat
tel, by The way. are not supUurted by the
un.on. David Roberts. the leader Of the
striking employees is a fanatical person
Win g class grievance as vel as a private
one. and DE is equally resolved that the
struggle shall proceed. These two men are
tle principal figures Of the drama Eaoh
is class incsrnato To the feeling of class
each adds tho pride the vanity the obsti-
Dacy of certain sort II leadership. win,
in their cases. - in 50 many others means
The obsrinacy Of hslf-knowlodge. Each L.
tetermined that his own opinions shall uro-
Nair heosuse they are his oRn opinions Il
--u Dspitai." Anthony seems 10 say in all
h.s -lsontlg and actions; Il am Labor
Roberts seems 10 assert ln every nesotia-
f.aH aue decision. Ia each instance another
reading f "L'Etat. c'ost moi.r Anthony
l.1su.n Roberts is convinced tnat lis own
cause IS the fundamental support of the
.harct - progress. The contentious are
familiar. They are encountered every dsy
tr Tho iudcsfrrai world. IN most phases of
lie ir which some men work FOR wealth
and more for livelihood Roberts's dircc-
fars and Stockholders lose great sums
fr their presidents Obstinacy IN the fight
Let Mr. Galswortby neglected 20 change
IIs quarter of a million sterling into
their equivalent In dollar- 4 quarter of
million dollars loss by four months strike
- thousands q men would De- less alarm
HE fo a great and prosperous corporation
than tire author seems 10 think. But be-
s ses ~ course. the workmen lose their
wages. thyir families suffer and even
~iar,s allied industries arc disorganized
and a popul alton b. filed with hatred be-
cause fUp obstinate men VIII nor come O.
forms. A compromise agreed upon by
wiser men, before the action of the play
begins. is rejected by the capitalist leader
and The strike leader alike. only 10 be sc-
ccpted al The end by tae men. vino have
turned down their aEitat0r. and by the
UompaUv's directors. "a no have 0utvoted
tAo.r president The latter. the founder of
Tire company. las ruIcd lt fot more than
farty years. and has beaten Us mon I'm
frIr labor wars Iic would rather die than
EFs ir Roberts. thc strike leader h. as
pEhcadod a. Anthony. AID thinks any
crmpromI-c g. disglaee. Iiis wife dies of
starvation. bur little De- cares about dsing
wives ana hungry children. His hot brain
ls -f. ou victory.
A. 60 a.suorfhy does not side with either
contestant lie permits capital IN th7
per-ou - John Anthony. ana organized
q. bar. ODD ale person ~ David Roberts, t0
reI rhcir own stories present their own
-.css. And the families. Associates. d.
pcudcnts 81 each sids show their own re-
.crion Jo aud their Interpretation of these
cruises thelr own blindness and visions.
taeir own llberality and greed. their own
tolerance and injustice. loyalty. trcachery.
ucauness and kindness. In tie play. as
b. life. neither side has monopoly ~ ans
~ these qualities And 80 the play is not
aidactic, let rs characters cxpound as they
may what b. borne hcffIo 10 The Observer
b = Aiyld realization or the useless suffc.-
irE and terrific waste resulting from these
aouaicts beIEoen capitsl and labor. of the
hife"us mizundeTstaucings mat arise. an
the ..elief that al this extravaganza or
cnt rEg. this eflbiffernIenf Of existence TINS
Urrf Iu- 0f -eIf-i1fsr,st can be avoided if
ifs .esd ~ fls pains ~ strife mon viii
hr adsr u1derstsndius 81 ITO and ~ tl'ir