New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-26


known god.
Fox our part. we do not beliey
deaths so blindly. Many, we think,
look beyond him.
William James. gazing at life
scornful but eloquent defence for wa
1T is sort of sacrament. Its p
10 the victor; and quite apart from
lutte good, We are told. for it is hums
horrors are cheap price TO pay for
posed. of world Of clerks and teach
consumers leagues and associated
and feminism unabashed. No scorn,
upon such a cattleyard Of a planet!"
In particular Miss Dix grants little
patriotism 70 her characters in "Mo-
loch." A strange thing patriotism. and
the question IS certainly open to debate
As 10 whether it is q vice or virtue.
AZ any rate, i is deep-rooted, but the
patriotism Of "Moloch" is mere flag
waving and fower-strewing No sde-
ouste picture is given of sny one really
in the grip OF what is unquestionably
the most potent vice or virtue in the
world to-day.
Katherine. the wife Of the play, is
placed above patriotism. She is cos
mopoltsn who can see the viewpoint
Of smother nation as well as that of
her Own.
Unfair and unfortunate, We think, is
the war vice which the author fastens
haro Rcrl Fro-, Tho 4rouphaa
he comes, marred by love of brandy.
Whatever are the faults of war, its
most bitter foe ought in all justice to
admit its service for prohibition.
Philip. the alien in the play, after he
has felt the grip OF war, cries out in
anguish that but for the beginning of
the hostilit.es he might have saved
scores OF lives through his medical re-
searches rather than kill his hundreds
With bombs But there are worse
things than cancers, and times when
the best surgeon for the world is the
man with the bayonet.
Dramatically "Moloch" is a decidedly
interesting but still more curious
product. Il has an air OF mingled per
sonali;y and impersonality. Its figures
are hardly the glowing distractions Of
~Eyeryman," nor yet the living figures
Of ordinary good drama. II is rather
as II the author Of the morality had
called his protagonist not Everyman
but John Smith.
To our mind the method Is unfortu-
nate, in spite Of all the skill the writer
has utilized in pursuing it. In the
trst place the family in "Moloch" lives
II No Mans Land. which makes it i'm
possible for II 10 be pictured with the
distinctive characteristics Of any ma
tonality. Then, too, since we know
nothing Of the cause of the war, we
can hardly feel sympathy for either
side.
At some other time. perhaps, an alb
straction about war might be effective
enough, but now that abstraction comes
In conflict with numberless concrete
Ideas and pictures OF real and great
war.
As far as episodes 60. the dramatic
power Of "Moioch" is great. Certainly
Inc moment when Edmund Breese pulls
back the curtain where the murdered
ofeer lies and cries (Which of you did
this thing?" has the supreme Jingle.
Then, too. the tragic irony Of the mar
til music in the last act bites. The
most grewsome scene of all between
holbrook Blinn and his wounded cap
tive left US quite cold Probably we
were not prepared 10 accept the de-
generation in character which had been
aseribed 10 Robert.
With all its high spots Of drama the
pay Is not essentially dramatic. II is
almost devoid Of movement. The big
incidents might come one, two, three,
Tour In order, or two, three, one, four.
lne sequence is not essential.
The biggest gap comes after the
smashing climax Of Act 2. When the
act on The firing line opens the audi
shee has nothing in particular TO an
ueipste. There is not an atom of sus-
pense.
smashing climax, by the way, is used
Aovsedly. The second act of "Moloch"
as destructive bit Of house wreck
'ng rs Broadway has ever seen. Some
years ago We had the pleasure OF
saehing Iris diSmantle a room, but
sne worked without aid, while "Moloch"
ives rs a dozen armed men in action:
Ire'ures, windows, chairs, tables and
~ 20 tumbling down under the assault
% the soldiers.
Inc man 70 whom the chandelier had
oeen iin'rusted on the first night took
mighty swing. and then he looked up
seo missed We would like 10 know
sna' happened 70 that chandelier. but
probably too much to hope that it
ss survived the attacks Of all the sue
"ecing evenings.
Aoloeh" deserves a place on Broad
y-not 90 much because IL is . plea
esslnst war, but much more because IL
lows that Il Is possible to write
F'y without happy ending.
Snaw' We think, gave the stage its
a,.eT soldier In his Swiss captain IN
arms and the Man" but one must go
surssaef 70 find the proper dramatic
s'aod Of handling war. Not Shaw,
MS rival. Shakespeare, best
Sogeo the great difficulty which con-
a~ 81 war playwrights. Every
wy knows that play must have a
's story. and the strain 10 fit love
a war together has cracked many a
AIamHflef H.