New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-27

/ The critic of "The London Times"
does not wax enthusiastic over
( Stephen Phillips's latest dramatic VEN
/ ture in blank verse and prose. The play
is entitled "Armageddon," and is, of
course, about the war, though the pro
logue and epiiogue are both Laid in
He'll The whole thing appears to be
phantasmagoria, with the apparent
view of showing that the Allies respect
women and the moral law, and that the
Germans are liars and Huns! Writes
the critic, who is presumably Mr..
| Walkley:
Various and typical aspects of the
war, presented on the Kaleidoscope or
haphazard plan, and expressed alter
nately in blank verse which never fails
in smoothness and in prose which sell
dom, if ever, attains distinction. There
is a prologue in He'll, with "decora-
ton" that seems to have been inspired
by Blake, and a debate of the fallen
angels, which is, of course, Miltonic in
origin if in nothing else. Satan (Mr.
Martin Harvey, a nearly nude figure
with black wings very deity managed,
goaded by his disconnected subjects
into exhibiting some form OF activity,
summons the shade of Attila, and
sends him forth to bring war and
rapine upon the planet Earth. Then a
view of Reims bombarded by the Ger
mans, with pictures of German bar
barity and "frightfulness prisoners
shot, women insulted, interceding
priests (Mr. Martin Harvey is the lead
ing abb6) Knocked at, and so forth.
German sentiments about worldpower
acclaimed over drafts of champagne
by the commander (Mr. Charles Glen
ney). An asphyxiating shell, which
causes instant but painless death, puts
an end to the Germans and to the
scene-an inevitable scene in any Eng
lish war play, true enough to fact, Of
course, but not any the more accept |
able to the aesthetic sense for being J
true. Contrasted scene: o peaceful I
English orchard, according to the play !
bill, but very theatrical orchard /
with apple trees like oaks and no evil
dence of pomocultural skill. II is,
however, the background of sincere
reprcssed grief of a
mother on learning of the death of her
soldier son, expressed with the unmis-
taxable feeling Of poet by the author
and nobly rendered by Miss Mary
Rorke. This short but poignant scene
is the best thing in the play.
With shake of the kaleidoscope you
return to prose, and remarkably prossic
prose, in which the director of the Ger
man Press Bureau dictates to his min
ions picturesque lies about the miser-
able state of England. By an unlucky
accident, however, a. single word of
truth has intruded among his lies, and
for this blunder he is dismissed by en-
emissary of the Kaiser. Mr. Phillips
irony IS of the easy and obvious order,
and the scene, though actually short,
seems too long.
Next scene: one of those anticipa-
tons Of victory also inevitable in every
war play. The Allies have entered
Cologne, and through their generals
(Mr. Edward Sass ard Mr.. Fisher
White France and Belgium argue with
the English commander (Mr. Martin
Harvey the case for revenge. The
Englishman is against until he is in
furiated by the news of the death OF
his son and mutilatiOn of the corpse,
but a vision Of Joan OF Arc miss de
Silva restores his better frame Of