The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-10
From the Chicago Tribune.

T IoiI lit CHlcdSO lI1Duue
 THE breed before you die' policy of
 the European belligerents contin- A ues to provoke reactions The lat est takes dramatic form. It is one act play in the Century Magazine for February The author. Marion Craig Wentworth, drives the point home with skill and simplicity that suggest some of the shorter plays of Sudermann.
 There are war brides and war brides Those, for instance. who have long been engaged, who love truly and whom at- lection impels to an immediate union be- fore the lover leaves for the front Such is Hedwig. She came from factory town, and has ideas that seem strange to the peasant household to which her hus- band Franz, led her and left her. And there is the war bride, like Minna, hur- ried on by official encouragement to take any sort of husband, just so he is soldier about to go to war
 It falls to Hedwig, the war bride whose marriage is a consummation and not a dissertation, to protest, out of the unspeak able tragedy of her own position, against the even greater tragedy that official war marriages imply. She fronts Hans Hoff- man, the lieutenant, who recognizes his duty to become a war husband. opposes his argument, and saves her hesitating sister-in-law Amelia, From his persuas- ions She defies the important and off, ficious Captain Hertz and braves his threats of punishment if she does not stop her unpatriotic propaganda. The men typify the all-for-the-state view. She typifies revolted womanhood and the claims of the individual. She says to Lieutenant Hoffman
 to breed a soldier for the empire; to restock the land. (Fiercely) And for what? For food for the next generation s cannon Oh, 1t is an insult to our wom- anhood. You violate all that makes mar riage sacred.
 What will happen to Amelia? Have you thought of that? No; warrant you haven't. We'll, look. A few kisses and sweet words the excitement of the cere- mony, the cheers of the crowd, some days of living together-I won't call 1t mar. riage-then what? Before you l now it an order to march. Amelia left to wait 1 for her child. No husband to wait with her, to watch over her. Think of hei anxiety, if she learns to love you! What kind of child will it be? From the l way feel should think my child would be born mad, I'm that wild with worry. | ing. And then for Amelia to go through her through the terrible hour Wha' solace can the state give then9'
 There is almost a personal note in Hoff mans speech: we are going away-ths best of us-to be shot, most likely. Don you suppose we want to send some par of ourselves into the future, since w can't live ourseives?" But there is noth ing but official foresight in the utteranc' of Captain Hertz:
 "Our statesmen are wise. They art thinking of the future state. The ma tion Is fast being depopulated. We mus take precautionary measures we mus have men for the future. warn yo' that to do or say anything which ois turbs the plan of the empire for US owl welfare-especially at time when ou national existence Is in perii-weii' 1t treason. There "hi "'""'s war"
 ..Then one day we will stop giving yo] men," replies Hedwig. Look at mother Four sons torn from her in one month and none of you ever asked her if sh wanted war. You keep us here helpless We don't want dreadnaughts and armie epht,nr. we women. You tear our hus hands. our sons. from us You never as
 us to help you find better way
 Who gives you the men? We womer
 We bear and rear and agonize. Well, } we are fit for that. we are fit to hay a voice in the fate of the men we bear.
 Hers is the voice of revolted. arouse wcmanhood. But not the. voice of al women. by any means. The peasan |. mother, filled with the awe of authorit 7 and the thought that Hoffman is goo ma tch, willingly consents to the war .nnar
 riage Amelia wavers, but finally reject Hoffman. In the strength and violence ( | her protest Hedwig is almost alone. Ar
 this is truth. as well as art. All wome