Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-20
AMONG THE BOOKS
The World War
in Three Plays
How Two Americans and an English
Poet Dramatize the Struggle.


Poet Dramatize the Struggle.
II seems next to impossible to write
an uninteresting play about war. The
world conflict in Europe has such a hold
on our minds even after eight months
OF dsedening carnage that the horrid
truth Of man killing man because a
Rhein, or a channel, or geographical
line divides them can't help being un-
bearahly alive with emotion.
war Brides" Century Company, New
York; testlhes 20 II this week at Kelth's
Across the Border" (Henry Holt, New
YorD made as sensational an appeal at
the Princess Theatre, New York. Even
when the far-from-robust verse of AL
fred Noyes and his half-baked philosophy
cloud the truth, as In "A Belgian Christ
mas Eve (Stokes, New York;, there Is
stu terrible bite in It,
OF the three short plays-sole product
OF the war thus far-Beulah Marie Dlx's
Across the Border" is by far the most
satisfying, Like the others, II is a tract;
but, unlike one. 1t Decent stultify
itself with a pulingy blind solution, and,
unlike the other, 1t is not reality sundered
by set speeches and fixed" facts. In
its first scene and its last II is n pic
ture, Just picture. A lieutenant. caught
In an old barn with half dozen men
tries TO make a break for succor, and
shots record his failure. The last scene
shows him dying amid the horrors OF a
field hospital, striving piteously and
Vainly, before death comes. to tell the
others of their beastly folly. Between
these scenes come two visions of his
delirium which make the change in him.
They show his reception across the
border, where he imagines himself dead
where he meets "the master of the house
Ert nf ha ag1a
revulsion from all that has given meaning
TO his life releases him from torment,
Across the Border untes n horrihc
realism and an intellectual plea, and Joins
20 them both fine elements of dignity and |
philosophy that bdng an almost perfect |
accomplishment of the playwright's OBJ |
Ject.
Marion Craig wentworth's war
Brides" would do as much IL IL were only
a little less artificial It is cast in the
older theatrical mold, where sons are
called to fight, news comes OF the death
of others, and daughters are pledged as
'war-brides'' all in the same half hour
when the curtain happens to be up. And
of course. in this theatreland, Miss Went
worth forgets what Miss Dix remem-
bered when she explained the English
idiom of her play: THE men speak Eng
lish because that Is the language in which
American plays are written, and they
speak colloquial English because TO
people. anywhere under the sun talk like
DOCKS Mrs. Wentworth, too interested
in her solution Of war to think of art.
forgets those lessons in pungent. thought
compelling reality which the Irish players
brought us. and plunges us into consis-
tent, well-thought speeches that no living
person ever accomplished, let alone peas
ants under nervous stress.
All OF which doesn't alter the excite
that n mr. 10 |
thrilling meaning of War Brides" It
is consciousness of power driving across
the terrible pain which has been women's
since war first took her sons. II she will
refuse to bear children. instead of rushing
to the altar when her country holds out
the iron wedding ring; If she will say: III
We breed the men for you, why don't
you let us say what Is to become of
them"-then, Mrs. Wentworth believes,
We shall have peace.
AS for the other war-play and its solution,
"a Belgian Christmas Eve" seems design
ed to show how much tomfool prejudice
and error even pacifcist Is capable OF.
Under the fire OF the 42-centimctres, AL
fred Noyes protestations of poetic amity |
OF patriotism the breeder Of war "Rala,"
which attacked war, Is now done over
as "A Belgium Christmas Eve" into a
picture OF Teuton-wrought horrors to be
amended Dy the coming or the British.
Gone--lf Alfred Noyes ever had it's the
Dalutary knowledge that the horror or
war lies in the fact that 1t corrupts both
sides to atrocity and leaves no one with
right or justice. Mr.. Noyes must wait
I'LL Englishmen are sweeping German viii
ages By that time he may be less
,ontent with the old notions of a warning
god and warning nation which ruled In
The divine Victorian age to which he
would recall England. By that time he
nay recognize that the end of this car
iage will not come till we laugh at such
as Mr.. Noyes':
Choose, England! For the eternal foe
Within thee, without, grew strong,
By many slper-subtle blow
Blurrtng the lines OF right and wrong .
In Art and Thought TIL nought seemed true ,