The Washington times., 1916-01-25
BELASCO.
IT HE Greatest Nation" by Will
liam Elliott and Marian
Creighton, had its premiere

nT HE Greatest Nation" by Will
liam Elliott and Marian
Creighton, had its premiere
performance at the Belasco
Theater last night.
Few greater subjects than that of
the pathway to peace could be chosen
at the present time. From a dramatic
standpoint this production serves to
convince through its humanness OF
appeal rather than through its pal
pable possibilities as propaganda,
much of the credit going to william
Elliott In the leading role.
Four sets by Joseph Urban gave a
scenic background Of extreme APP
propriateness. His treatment Of the
primary colors as central themes upon
which to develop the minor details Of
complimentary color, is remarkably
effective.
A short prologue, which presents just
/ enough of the theme of the piece to set
the audience on the right scent, opens
the story at the time OF the death of
| Elaine, Queen of Thor, and mother OF
Alan, Crown Prince of Thor.
| With her last breath, she dedicated
her son, not to a life of war, but to
peace, and intrusts him to the care OF
two faithful scholars. Somewhere, she
| herself cannot account for II. the price
! less gift of the hatred for war waa
| given her, and she longs to have heI
little son become a man who loves
peace and prosperity.
In order that he may be trained in
q, practical way Of living, she leaves tC
him the little kingdom Of Donau, q
mere patch of country lying between
his fathers kingdom and that OF theiI
neighbor king, RadOw OF Adlon.
Act one takes place twenty years af'
xnyh hn nrl
OF Prince Alan have matured in
wonderful project, q canal which is Il
lrrigate all of his little kingdom anC
bring prosperity to his people.
The day for the loosing OF the watel
IN the locks. and the men of thre
kingdoms, who have worked side b!
side Tor several years, have learned
the meaning of the words work ant
democracy as taught them by their be
loved friend and prince, Alan.
The daughter of Radow, the Princes
Adris, in love with Alan. is visiting a
MS home, and planning for the celebra
tlon on the next day. when the com
mand comes for her to return home q
once.
Mystiied and worried. Alan tries e
get in communication with her father
put does not succeed. He Is soon in
formed, however. that his own fatheI
has declared war on Radow. and tina
his canal cannot be opened. IL Seems
that in irrigating the land OF his littl
kingdom he would necessarily give grea
aid to the kingdom OF Adlon. But be
, fore he can march at the head Of hi
people. King Thor is assassinated.
Adlon, anxious for an excuse 10 tr,
10 obtain seaport through the cor
try OF his neighbors. interprets the con
; struction of the canal wrongly, an,
plans to dynamite the locks But OF
the day that King Radow expects de
| struction, great armfuls OF red rose
are borne down the stream. the messRg
OF Alan to Adris. The King. however
t interprets the roses as a declaration o
war. and orders that his armies marc
against the armies of former prince
now King, Alan of Thor. whose poop
are wild with the outrage OF the assas
sination.
But the fighting does not materialize
The men refuse to march against on
another. Alan appears sparsely attend
ed in the home OF his enemy. and de
mands a settlement. not with millions o
people at war, but by either discusso
or personal combat of the parties mos
interested. An old idea, perhaps, bu
one which seems to have now an
wonderful significance today. A charm
ing love story runs throughout, wit
| Olive Wyndham in the role OF Princes
| Adris. She is as unaffected as Is III
: Elliott. Minor characters are we'll Dol
tTayed, F. +. YODER.