The Washington herald., 1916-04-16
Across the New York Footlights
By George Jean Nathan

Tor the Azores with her husbands old
college chum. IL dIssuaded from her pur-
pose by the news that her husband has
lost quarter Of . million dollars In
Wail Street and is on his way back 70
the fiat to weep on her shoulder: and (3)
IN which Trevor Hillary. the ciubman.
Tilted by proud hussy. turns for con-
ISOLATION to q Cinderella chambermaid and
eventually marries her and discovers that
In reality she is the long lost daughter
OF old J. p. Westherbottonn. the multi
millionaire OF the Boston Back Bay
region.
The novel intent OF such a producer as
this Williams must massage ones emo
lions asreeably. particularly in a day
when the majority of his producing coli
leagues of Broadway are catering with
their state wares to the tastes of such
persons as regard Eleanor H. Porter as
greater literary craftsman than Joseph
Conrad and as prefer the Swiss bell
ringers and the Hawaiian ukaiaiee struui-
mers to Psderewski and Mark Hambourg.
Yet the attitude of the fellow is not one
to puzzle. for Williams is man sound
ly educated. broadly travelled. deeply
versed In what is best in the drama
and the theater.
"Jsstice'' Itself.
But to the play itself. In Justice
are evidences of the masterfui strokes
which made its authors Strife one of
the best pieces OF dramatic writing OF
our day and generation. And in Justice
are. too. evidences of the dubieties and
diaporeses which made it's authors Flu
gitiye'' one of the most girlish. Yet de-
spite its monotonies and periodic drabness
OF fertility. the play Is q holding work. a
work done with vision and with COM
manding eye, work that surpasses in
almost its every phase and maneuvering,
of course. the homemade opera of mod
ern moment Broadway. OF the drama
land this viii suffice to recall to you its
conten0 William Archer. upon sitting in
audience, wrote: After having seen
James How hesitating whether to prose
cute Falder. and then deciding for the
worser part, which Of lus, in a similar
situation will not think twice or a third
time before telephoning police hesdquar-
ters? An ordinary, weak, vell-meanine
youth is passing by In a great. slow
grinding machine, which Is Justice,
when a chance gust of air switches his
coattail into the coewheels and he IL
slowly, remorselessly. dragged through
the mechanism 20 be shot forth a man.
gled mass, at the other end. No crank
or rod. or roller in the system is put
there with absolutely evil intent. A,
every turn somebody makes some inef.
fectuai effort to relax or mitigate the
crushing process; but the machine moves
on majesticaily. and no human power
can control II. But, fortunately, the
mechanism Of the law can be controlled
by the human Will, and Justice, mus,
Invariably strengthen the hands OF al
who seek to modify It In the direction OF
humanity and enlightenment. Galsworthy
Is studiously fair to all the cranks and
levers of the machine. From the Judge
downward they are fairly well meaning
not inhumsn, not unreasonably stupid
people. They are. In fact. Just you an6
me-just what you and / would be In
their places. And It Is this very fact
which makes us feel that It is not those
individuals. but you and I and ell OF