The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-05
Iheaters
A SACRED
DUTY. SAYS GENERAL WOOD

Are American fathers and mothers
to be classed as murderers by ms
torians, who shall record the story
of the present national existence?
Major General Leonard Wood says
that unless we Americans are trained
for war and enter battle In defense
of our country with all of the knowl-
edge possible for us to have obtained,
someone will be guilty Of murder.
The general makes this statement
over his own signature in The Battle
Cry of Peace" the immense motion
picture presented the people of this
country by the -Nitagraph directors,
and that Is now being offered at the
Strand Theater twice each day. Tho
FitAgraph directors considered the
most artistic and the most proficient
of any in the business. have been as
sisted by many Of the more promi-
nent men OF the nation in their eff
! forts to tell people of this country
i-how very inadequate are our /defenses
and what an easy victim We neces-
isarily would be should powerful
and Jealous rival nation undertake
the conquest of the United States.
! 1T Is murder for you to send your
boys to war UMPIRE pared. unframed In
the art of conducting a modern war
when It Is possible to train them
declares the general on whom the
burden of defending America would
fall in the event OF struggle with
another power.
Neither General Wood nor any OF
the prominent men who have allowed
themselves to be quoted in The Bat
tie Cry of Peace" is DESTROYS of war.
We do not seek additional territory
II and we are quite willing to combat.
ttn a commercial way. any or the other
nations. But. with the close of the
ipresent European struggle, America
will be the riches: nation of the world.
| Other countries will be depleted save
possibly with the exception of power
+ full military esta Adjustments, and they
will he on the watch for chance 10
recuperate their shattered fortunes.
T Will they turn appraising and jeal-
Gus eyes to our shores? Should they
do SO, and should they make demans
upon us. how weak would be our re-
sistancet The United States. military
authorities tell us. would be overrun
land conquered, it's large cities n mass
of wreckage. its citizens killed and
imutilated. and its commerce a thing
'of the past months before We would
he in position to strike a blow in
defense.
That is the story the men. the most
IA pHi4hCht III hHNH iCS1SCLlNt lines Ot
lendeavor, tell us in The Battle Cry
Iof Peace" Their ideas of what would
have been picturized by the competent
IFitagraph directors, and We see the
attack on New York, the invasion OF
the city. and the destruction of many
iof the large and handsome buildings
/ We witness the murder of helpless
lcitlzens in the streets and those who
fan victims 10 the enemyguns, fired
into the city from unseen ships miles
tout at sea and far beyond the reach
of the Anticipated defensive guns OF
1.-THE American forts.
But ]. Stuart Blackton, who wrote
tho scenario Of the picture from the
material furnished him, has woven n
charming love-story into the scenes
lof despoilization and rapine as we'll
land this alone is well worth the see
ing. The story is pathetic, fascinat-
ing, dramatic. gripping. and it arouses
within US horror of the possibility
that neglect, in the way of national
defense. should ever make this ma
ton liable to such fate.
! In bringing this sensationally in
terestng motion picture to close
the directors have turned to the pres
tent military and naval establishments
of the United States. and many scenes
jof the regulars. the militia and the
blue Jackets are shown. In fact more
/ than $1,000 persons are included in
the cese that is headed by Charles
! Richman His work is characterized
7 by the New York Herald as superb:
and the picture itself. i'm the opinion
of the New York American, Is "The
greatest war-drama ever filmed" You
Will enjoy it, and will be instructed as
well as entertained.