New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-08
IF" Proves To Be a Cheap
and Linguistic Melo-
drama
BY HAYWOOD BROUN

Judged from an artistic standpoint,
"lf" is contemplate. As a plea for
preparedness il is ludicrous. The new
play, seen at the Fulton Theatre last
night, is a cheap lingo melodrams. II
may be pointed out that even nne plays
butter no battleships, and at least one
theatregoer would rather suffer bonn
bardment of bullets than face the
blank cartridges and still more empty
speeches of such play as H. We
don't like il.
"If" shows how the Pacific Coast
may be captured almost any morning
that the japanese buffers lay aside
their liyeries and put on their uni
forms, but it is hardly persuasive for
preparedness. as it also shows that
dozen or more bullets are needed TO
kill an American and that one Boy
Scout is as effective as a whole division
of the enemy.
The nature of such satire as the
play contains may be CLEANED from the
fact that the leader of the pacihst
forces is named Craven. II we were
to point out that this country has
never known so vigorous a fighter as
William Jennings Bryan we should
perhaps digress, but the case against
'If" is much stronger than one OF mere
unfairness. For all its sophistry ~
gets no place. Nothing so blatantly
theatrical has been seen here for years.
In fact, very little change would De
necessary to make 1t capltal pSi
lesque. The play is overlong, but TINS
NAV easily be remedied. for 1T can De
cut at any point without bleeding' ,,,
In addition to its other faults II
il in mighty poor taste. The Japanese
soldiers behave somewhat better tnaA
tha STAGE Germans who have been seen
ahout here lately. but the general OF
tho invading forces is allowed to mahe
= GOOD deal of rather unpleasant lD p,
N Young American girl. NaturaliS,
,bo,e il a scene where boy u leG ouO
w. a firing squad. He goes bravery 70
his death playing yankee poooie VI"
a harmonlca. -. oo,icaIIv all
ho Americans are killed while tryihg
~. .o,J wireless calls for help from Vhe
80 Of house, the stage darkehs' anu
norson indicated on the programme
e;mnIv as "a famous characte. 49,
American history" broods prleny
Tho carnage. The visitor iooheu ia
unIike Roger Williams, but TINS seei ',
a. inappropriate that we were AZ inS.
norsuaded to share the preValllhS 49,
mat he was none other than HoO'''
A. ar,, rate. the coming Of the sym,
bolist gave US our first suspicloh '"a.
g. n,ay was not on the up ana up; as
tho sIanpsters would have it,. In othei
n m.
words. il turned out to be an -.
Toxic was not commanding iii
after all. but only genera man u hor
work Little Bobby Wright Ihe ~
scout. was not really dead, nor hau sLe
amiable Mrs. Craven gone mau, DO 'T T,
bad indicated few minutes ear
seemed a pity that so mucn ''o'e"'
acting was in vain. do,Y
lust what the dream meant we uon
know. Il contained lot OF th.hss
which Freud has not mentioned, ou1
arc under the impression that 'he 1T,
a complex some place or other'
az not a little careful psycno-a
would bring TO light the iact ,na' p ua,
swami, the author, and HolorooK nilnn
and James Shesgreen, the pfouueeiS'
have a suppressed desire 10 coin Jiheo-
ism into dollars. can
George Probert, as the G.t;,o
eral and butler. had fe" enec'ITIe
moments. and Bert Lytell did wen;
Nothing else in the play could be ca,lea ,
acting. and Reggie Shefheid as oo'
scout was distinctly nuisance ...
Even though it were true that safety
from invasion lay only in the p pros ho
ton of .If" the price would stiii De
too high.
"Tbe Great Divide" which was re-
,,;yed last night at the Lyceum Iheatre'
III .o,.;oued in Fridays tribune.