The Alaska daily empire., 1915-02-18
I've Sides War Brides Question
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 The breed before you die policy Of the European belGgerants contin- ues Go provoke natural reactions The latest takes dramatic form it is 8 sone-act play ip the Century Aaso zine for February 5Ihe author Mar, ian Craig wontworth drives tho point home with slSill end simplicity that sueeests some Of the shorter plays ot ! Sudermaun.
 There are var brides and war brides Those. for instance, who have long been engaged. who love truly and whom affection impels to am immed- iato union before the lover leoyes for tho front Such is Hedwig She was from a factory town and has ideas that seem strange to tho peasant household to which her husband Franz led her and left her. And there is the war bride like Minna. hurried on ! by official encouragement to take any sort of g husband just 80 be Is sol' ! dier and about to go to war
 lt fails to Hedwig, the War bride whose marriage Is a consummalon and not a deseeraaon, to protest, out of tie unspeakable tragedy Of her own position, against the even greater trag' edy thnt official war marriages im- ply She fronts Hans Hoffman the ] lieutenant, who recognizes his duty to become a war husband, opposes fhIs. argument and saves her hesi,ating slsterin.law. Amelia, from his persuas- ions. She deaes the Important and olflcious Captain Hertz and braves the threats or punishment if she does not stop her unpatriotic propogondo. The men ypify the all.Ior.the.state view. She typifles reYolted woman. hood and the claims of Che individ' ual She says to Lieutenant Hoffman:
 ito breed 9 soldier for the Em.
 piro; to restock the lond (Fierce-
 ly). And for what? For food for
 the next generations cannon. Oh.
 it is an insult to our womanhood
 You violate all that makes mar
 riage sacred.
 "What wili happen to Ameia2
 Have you thought of that2 No
 warrant you haven't, We'll, look.
 A few kisses and sweet words,
 tho excitement of the ceremony the cheers of the crowd. some few
 days of living togotber-l won't
 call 1t marrlage what? Be-
 fore you know it, an order to so
 Go the front aMelia win be left
 Co wait for her child. No hus'
 band to wait with her to watch
 over her Think of her anxiety
 if she learns to love youi What
 kind Of a child will it be?
 From the way feel should
 think my child would be born
 mad. I'm that wild with worry
 ing. And then for Amelia to SO through the agony alone. No hus'
 band to help her through che ter
 rible hour. What solace can the
 State give then?'
 There Is almost Q personal note inl Hoffman's speech Were going to the front-the best of us-to be shot most lnleIy Don't you suppose we want to send some part Of ourselves Into the future. since we can't live ourselves. But there is nothing but official foresight in the utterance otl Captain Hortz
 "Our statesmen are wise They
 are thinking of the future state. The nation is fast being depopu-
 lated We must take precaution-
 ary measures. We must have men for the future. warn you that
 to do anything or say anything which disturbs the plan of the Elm
 pire for its weliare-o especially at time when our nationl aexisteace is in perIl-well 1t is treason.
 There will always be war"
 "Then one day we shall stop
 giving you men. Hedwig replies. Look 8, Mother. Four sons torn from her in one month and none
 of you ever asked her # she want
 ed var You keep us here help.
 less We don't won't dreadnaughts
 and armies lighting. we women.
 You tear our husbands. our sons
 from us You, never ask us to
 help you to find better way
 Who gives you the men? We women. We bear and rear
 and agouize We'll # we are fit
 for that. we are iit to have 8
 voice in the fate Of the men we
 bear.
 Hers is the voice of reyolted. arous-i 1 ed womnahood. But not the voice Of all women. by any means. The peas ant mother. filled with the awe of au-l thority and the thought that Hoffman Is Q good match willingly consents to the war marriage Amelia wayers. but finally rejects Hofiman In the strength and violence of her protest, Hedwig is almost alone. And this is truth, as well as art. All women do not think alike And no woman is Q complete spokesman for her sex
 It is good dramatic subject full of truth and suggestion If the essence ,f the drama is "a conflict wills "