The Washington times., 1916-01-29
By FLORENCE E. YoDER.

HD UT - really. doesn't that
seem the only sensible
- way, to let the kings, and
the ministers. and other
people in power who are to be most
benefited by the change. do the
fighting. the actual warfare. for
what they want?"
The young man who asked this
question didn't look a bit like a
playwright, much less like a leading
man. Yet he with Marion Creighton,
wrote THE Greatest Nation" play
which though a romantic drama
manages to present the perfectly
plausible theory that kings. and not
the settlement Of national probleIns.
provided a settlement cannot be
reached through less rigorous meas
ures. The anxious look on his
face seemed quite out of place. and
had 1t not been for a certain sin
cerity and earnestnoss of manner
one would have Immediately con-
signed him to the pink tea brigade.
For those who have not seen the
new play. The Greatest Nation" at
the Belasco this week, a detailed de-
scripIon OF the author-leading man,
William Elliott. is almost unneces-
sary because at first glance he seems
merely replica of any modishly
dressed, clean shaven, polite young
man, with black hair worn pompa-
dour. In other words, he conforms
to the popular idea of how a young
man should look.
But at second glance. and third,
and fourth. and so on his more
than ordinarily high forehead be-
comes evident, the light in his eyes
deepens and flashes, and his simple
and direct way of speaking impresses
far more than all Of the growing
pomposity In the world.
Wanted To Talk of His Play.
II wish you would talk about the
play" he began a. soon as we were
seated. Ny whole heart and soul
are wrapped up In that just now to
the exclusion Of everything else
He. settled himself and listened
eagerly to a few remarks. with the
identical manner OF a fond mother
hearing about her Offspring.
''Oh. yes." he admitted unhesitat-
inSly, Il believe in what 1 have
written, absolutely.
Doesn't 1T seem simple and
sensible. that idea of having the
kings do the Sighting? Why on
earth should hundreds ard thous-
ands Of people be forced to give
up their lives for Somath!ng about
which they know little and care
less? Not for one moncnt wov!d
hn In ~.
history Of the world fiy OF one an
Others throats ii they were not
made to do so.
THE thousand and one Ihirgs which
have made people understand on9
another and know one another
tation facilities. all international
innovations, have sown the seeds OF
peoples OF the world.
when 1t comes to a question os
change In policy it is not neces-
up arms and thrust the change down
the throat OF some other nation with
the point OF a bayonet. Whenever
1t has been up to the peoples Of
nations to make decisions among
themselves. they have come to an
agreement through compromise, ~
through competition which involves
only the parties vitally interested.
They. and not thousands OF others,
are forced to pay the penalty and 90
the fighting;
Why War Is Made.
'Bnt ny some queer mlsunder-
standing it has become the custom
for governments, and the heads of
governments. to take national pred
Judices personally. to consider war
as the only means of settling diff
cuities and to use otner human
beings as the mediums for the eN-
preston of their will. The result
is war-War from which any one Of
the individuals engaged would per-
haps escape IL 1t were possible TO
do SO in honor.
Whenever q ruler is so narrow
minded as to be unable to see and
accord benefit to his peoples, II 1t
happens to threaten to undermine and
endanger his personal standing
just then is he no longer fit to he
a ruler. The abstract general good
for which he is supposed to stand.
is no longer the first issue, and in
the narrow issue OF personal well