New-York tribune., 1912-03-31
THE PLAYGOER
1.-THE Typhoon"-Its AsiatiCs and
Its Europeans-An Inter-
eSting Play.

ties of procedure in German criminal
court. It is kind of somebody to pre-
serve them from meditation over what
they would not understand. And II
proves (does ii not? that somewhere
there is a higher power which knows
what American audiences do not and
cannot understand. Usually we are tod
that nobody can foretel what the public
will like And very often II is proved
that some purveyor of plays has guessed
wrong. But it is refreshing to know
that there is a higher power determined
TO protect our understanding from inva
sion.
THE Typhoon" seems TO he successful
es well asinteresting. How much Of the
success is due to American curiosity re-
garding the yellow peril no one under
takes TO say. But whatever fortune the
piece may have in New York there Is
likelihood that its run would be great
on the Pacific Coast. out there, perhaps.
a discerning management might change
the scene Of action from Berlin to SaI
Francisco. or even to our national capt
tai. Meantime it is refreshing to know
that effete Manhattan has been credited
with capacity for comprehending the
adaptation as IT stands. SO much grace
is not always shown when plays of Con-
tinental origin come before the lights OF
Broadway. But even in this case there
is a comical concession TO the tender
and refined feelings for which New York
is noted. Illona Kerner is described on
the programme as "a young lady of Ber-
lin" Tra Hempel is described as 'her
girl friend" Possibly young ladies OF
Berlin" and their girl friends pass
their afternoons and evenings quite un-
attended In the apartments Of Asiatic,
and other. gentlemen. Probably they do
not. unless German manners have latelf
and greatly altered. Tokeramo explains
TO another JaTanese that IIlona is "a
European Geisha girl" Sensitive and
blushing New York can let it 20 At
that. Madame y. was a lady of Paris
There are other concessions To New
Yorks deicaCy of spirit. Is it because
Of them that the play remains interest
ing? At any rate, the play holds the
spectators, even if they are likely TO be
puzzled about some of the details. Did
the Berlin police permit the German
valet 10 leave the country at once? Was
Tokeramo not even a suspected person?
A dozen questions Of the knd, might he
asked. The adaptation lc8Tcs curiosity
unsatisled on these POINTS. But as
Illona is young lady" and T!ra only
"a girl" ard a friend YOU can accept
ali the rest. even Tokeramos mighty
love for the young lady" OF course
Illona had 10 he a "Iady"-Cn the pro-
framme-else how could America the
free and unsuspecting, credit a gentle
mans love for her, a love for which the
gentleman gave his life-aftcr taking her
own? The lady deserved what she got,
oC course. And the geuGeman-wou.
You must do your moraiz.rG from thr
japanese point Of view
II is the japanese view Of patriotism
and duty which makes The Typhoon"
interesting. Love is love, East or West,
hut reverence, duty, loyalty to race, peo-
pie, soyereign-these differ with longi-
tudc, as the world has now and then OBJ
~
deficient in reverence, IS concerned
rather more with assertions Of rights
than with problems Of duty. and daily.
and in large type, accuses its nciGhbors
and fellows Of corruption and crimes in
Vulnerable SCOTS at authority. and &C.
knOwledGes no sovereignty excepting the
one under its own hat. The American
Ind 80 l,l =
anese Of The TYphoou.' united ana
moved by an unques.ioning spirit Of
duty which demands and receives tho
utmost sacrifice The infusion of This
quite foreign spirit makes the novelty Of
the play. II is a novelty that entertaing
while il puzzles some Of the spectators
81 don't know what it's all about" SAID
q man in the row behind. but l guess
It's all right. Good show"
The honest citizen had been enter
tanned If not informed.
II is not of the least Importance that
we do not know the nature Of Toke-
ramos mission to Berlin 1t is enough
10 know that the mission was important
to Japan, and that the insstenre
throughout is upon Tokeramo's fidelity
10 HIS charge. Walker WhiteSide's TOke-
ramo is a thoroughly admirable bit o.
work And so is Florence Reeds Illona.
Every character in the piece is well donc.
The whole thinS convnces. II IS worth
while. And it is one more denial of the
venerable, and in some quarters stid
Venerated, declaration that our audi
ences care only for plays of American
lfe, and contemporary American life at
that. The play is dramatic enough to
stir even an audience that must have ac-
tion and mystery for its contentment Its
performance is filed out with a hundred
little touches which make place and peo~
lie seem real What any japanese say
on that point may be another matter
and no doubt instructive. But to us #
the western world these japanese Of the
Ilay confirm Impressions however pre-
els, or vague, Of the characteristics Of a
race which even now we regard more
with an amazed curiosity than with seri-
GUS desire 10 understand or approach.
They have japanese festival in the
rooms II Tokcramo in Berlin. one of
the young men tells a story which Illus
trates The japanese view of life and
death. and which is intended to prepare
the mind Of the American audience for
the subsequent killing of Illona by Toke-
ramo a japanese soldier in the late
war 50 loved his wife that his distress