The Washington times., 1916-04-30
Birth OF Nation Arouses
audience to Real Enthusiasm
Griffith Film Produces Unusual
Effect on Washington's Gus
tomary Apathy.
BY FLORENCE Z. YoDER.

. Any one who has ever entertained tne
idea that Washinston audiences are
phiegmatic and undemonst,ntl,c ~iil d"
well to 70 to see thp birth OF a Ma
tom. at the National this week and IN
SANITY rid himself OF the Idea.
II ~ tras that tho average dramatic
performance in the Form OF a pay
rsrely arouses actual demonstrations
with the voice, but since some may re-
call instances whom cheers were rivon
at sorne production II will do we'll to
consider such for . niomvit.
when Maude Adams first appeared in
this city as Peter Pan In the play
OF that name, enthusiasm In the audi
ence reached height whirh may have
been cquaied since the, but which has
never beer exceiieu until this week.
The last ploa Of Pc.cr WHOM be
stretched forth his hands pnd asked,
prouxnt replies from tho nudlence.
which stood as one person while hats
and handkcrcniefs were waved In the
But the demonstrations attending the
OF n Nation" are nos to bo compared
with even that ma xtinun..
At certain points In the Griffith MIN
tho audience shouts, The people ap.
and otherwise. everiastingiy debar them
solves from being known the most
phlegmatic audiences on record.
Sympathies Aroused.
or course the fact that Washington
IL a southern city, must be taken into
consideration. The Aim has o distinct
appeal to anyone who has either ex-
perienced personally. or even known OF.
the tragedy Of the South following the
civil war.
But IL is utterly without feeling or
prejulice that the history Of the Came
ron and SLOVENIAN families 10 foliowed.
The tragedy which brings forth the
moments at which the piece reaches Jus
most dramatic heights. are Indicative
neither OF the success Of the North or
OF the South. but OF the personal tri-
umph q night St o ssct,onnl feeling which
makes the audience go Wild not any
unusual enthusiasm due 10. the fact
that this Is q Southern city. but nat
urai excitement occasioned 6y tha S2n-
struction Of the plot OF the MN itsen'
Tension Soon Felt.
At f,rst there is little more than the
ordinary handclapping az the MIN -
People settle themselves
In their chairs. and plan to
accept the history quietly. The Tor
tunes of n Northern and a Southern
family whom fate has brought together
supply the basis OF the plot.
As the story unfoids the d tenslon ,,t W.
Silver and sit moro rigidly 90 that the
tell taie tears which will sneak out OF
their ewes may not he seen by the per-
son sitting next Thorn. a..
Thesadnes ana sni,b beS Which win never
five again grips like iron hands.
The desperation of South con-
f-onte6 with problem win vince
they cannot cope without ilnanciai
ruin in any event. transiers is ganers ~
ton ago, perhaps handed down by
mothers and fathers. or remempereo
personally. helps to bring back the past
Unlike the Battle Cry OF Peace. THIS
fun doer not instantly produce storms
zeal: built on the firmer. grounds OF
aetual history and suffering.
Swings Into War Scenes.
But as the story swings into the war
scenes. az the terrible period OF. re-
constr dction ts brought nearer and
nearer. an uneasiness begins to mani
fest itself.
The whole audience gradually begins
to lose control. Northerner.' Southerner.
even the Indifferent. are hopelessly one
in their sympathy for the suffering
Cameron family-one of the hundreds
which was bruised and torn bv merely
being In the path Of destruction, clear
ed mt 10 great cost.
BY the time that the film reveals the
formation of the Ku Klux Khan, and
the major points of historical interest
are completed. a sobbing. breathless
audience sits with nerves drawn taut
tn watcl the outcome OF the fortunes
of the Cameron and Stoneman families.
It Is then that pandemonium breaks
loose.
Polite, conservative. phlegmatic WASH
ington playgoerA yell.
They have everlastingly lost their
It took THE Birth Of Nation" to do
It,