New-York tribune., 1917-12-25
Mars Pulls the Strings as a
Socialist in the Game Of
General Post"
General Post" a comedy by J. +.
Harold Terry, presented by Charles Dii-
lingham az the Gaioty Theatre.
CHARACTERS
!. Alexander Pierce

"The Admiral Crichton.' Some idea Of
the shock which this process has given
TO conservative British minds may be
gained by considering the Church Of
England maxim. Lord. keep us IN our
proper stations. and bless the squire
and his relations
The old English parlor game OF
general post was sometimes called
stagecoach Tho players had 10 change
places when stations were announced
and the trick was not TO be left the
spatless supernUmerary. AT the cry OF
General Post" everybody changed.
The application Of the game TO the play
is that the Kaiser shouted "GeneraI
Post!" az the beginning Of the war
The result was that peers were seen
in the ranks and tailOrs in command
Although the action Of the play
turns on the democratiZlng effects OF
the war. no sound Of guns or smoke OF
battle remotely approaches the quiet
English hamlet Of Sheffingham, where
the scene is laid in the morning room
&C SIR Denny Broughton's residence,
Grange Court. The story opens in 1911.
in the second act England has been at
war for three years, and in the third
the blessing Of peace has returned.
Thus the spectator witnesses all the
stages Of the upheaval
The changes that are brought about
are not all external. There have been
radical changes also in the minds and
hearts Of men. II would seem that
England could never relapse into the
same state Of Toryism that existed be-
fore the war. Yet. in spite OF these
appearances. the old Tory squire is
really as much Of a snob as ever when
he honors the former tailor, now
trigadier general and on the way 70
a baronetcy.
There is no war depression about
General POST no tragedy or pathos
as in "LElevation" or "Out There II
is the lighter side Of war time that IS
shown. The touch Of the play Is tnat
Of light. sustained comedy. The dla-
logue is particularly natural IhomaS
Wise achieves a notable portrait III
the fatuous. fuddy-duddy old squire
and the interest never flags while ne
is on the stage. The play is well CON
structed, also, especially the hISV aC''
in which the dramatist raises the m
terest progressively without once al
lowing the key TO slip IN ms hngeIs,
and until the last curtain laughter
WNlLCU
ousiy in the audience.
SIR Dennys Broughton, baronet, IS
conservative Of the old school, and ms
opinions are shared by his son acc
and wife. Lady Broughton. MS
daughter. Bette, however, Is an ad-
vanced woman. She has fallen IN love
With handsome young fellow VINO
hanpeus 10 be the local tailor, ana
when conscientious neighbor writes
70 LADY Broughton that Miss Betty
has been seen strolling down lane
in the evening on the tailor's arm q DO
nestic row is precipltated.
Rettv has too much spirit 20 humbly
accent the role of outcast, and stoutly
declares that Tailor Smith Is the frst
rer with a brain she has ever met.
cbo demands of her putting and IN.
dirrant father what he knows OF
Tiatscbe and Suderman. Nothing TO
rbcir credit" is the laboring reply
She assures her family that she does
not mean to be cowed by convention
and a long line Of ancestors.
Sir Dennys anticipates an unpleas-
ant interview with Smith. Propriety
demands frmness, but, on the other
hand the idea Of breaking with so
Good tailor is extremely irksome. lie
declares 10 his lady that there would
be far fewer christenings II people
only stopped to think OF all the trou-
BILE thai children bring. When the
tailor comes the baronets peeyishness
takes the form Of displeasure at the
silly nonsense of the Territorial Mill
tia. which the young man has entered
Sir Dennys knows very well that war
withS Germany is impossible. lie an
nounces al last that his daughter Is
going abroad. Smith thinks this Is
unnecessary. for Betty has proposed
TO him and he has refused her. but he
says only that he is going to leave
Sheffingham.
War brings a transformation. Lord
Brouchton has enlisted as private,
and for the good Of the service is set
ting an example. He has even frater-
nized with a stable man. II appears
now on his own assertion that he
alwavs approved Of the Territorials
and knew that var was inevitable. lie
displays great facility, IN fact. az pc
ing on the right side. irrespective OF
former opinions, the memory Of which
has faded from his mind. lie even
adulates Smith when the latter's pro-
motion to the rank of colonel IS an
nounced. -,
When the war is over Smith returns
as a general, who has won the. victoria
Cross. and is lioniZed by local society.
Betty's family are impatient at her
onnarent indifference 10 the suit OF the
d;etinquished man. Her brother, VINO
eerved as a subaltern in Smiths reg'-
r,ant tells her how the colonel, lying
u,onnded. murmured her name again
and again. Betty is moved, but when
ber lover comes she refuses HIM. her
ycason is that she was disappointed IN
: IN, when ne formerly rejected her. 1t
- not altogether convincing, but when
he butler misapprehends her instruc,,
tions that she is engaged" General
smith persuades her to let the error
mass current for truth. NJ
Olive Tell makes fascinating bett!'
attaining a judicious blend OF arlsto-
crstic hauteur and emancipated mi
tiatiye. and at the most eXacting OF the
1-arnsiic moments carried conviction
with a sure touch. Cynthia Brooke $
mart was far less snowy, but faultlessly
handled. Cecil Fletcher as Alec was
fullv equal 20 the demands Oh ms
rather subordinate role. As the hand
some Young tailor-general, with
peerage. looming up in his Immediate
fntrre. William Courtenay gave pleas
inc and effective performance. Gen
eral Post" has all the ingratiating IN
gradients OF success.
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