New-York tribune., 1918-02-17
CHRONICLE AND COMMENT OF THE STAGE
War Within Walls
Submarine on Park Stage Creates
More Confusion Among Gunners Than
A Stray U-Boat on Broad Atlantic
By Haywood Broun

Once l had the privilege Of watching
the gunncrs on passenger steamer
fire at a submarine, and this week
saw Il similar incident in the theatre,
although this time it was cruiser
which did the firing. The thing that
impressed me most was the poor acting
OF the gunners on the passenger
steamer. They didn't begin to drama
tie the incident as the men in the
theatre did. They were much calmer
and ever so much more deliberate. The
men out on the ocean went about it
observed the point where the shell hit
the water and then got little closer
the next time. They couldn't afford to
consider the spectacular possibilities
of the job. The men in the theatre
blazcd away at the pcriscope as if
their six-inch rifle were a machine gun.
They raised din enough to rattle the
house, and unqucstionably this was
much more effective than d truer
picture.
Much of the business of life is need
lcssly undramatic and none more SO
than war. 1t has become so syste-
matized that the literal reproduction
OF any phase of it is not effective.
Curiously enough, even the people who
know war we'll like to find it doctored
up for the theatre. Take "Sevcn Days
Leave for instance, the play to which
we refer, and you will find that it is
big hi. in London, where large pro-
portion Of the audiences is exceeding
ly sophisticated about war. No soldier
would go to see it if it were just like
the life which he had left. Indeed, no;
he and his companions go to war plays
to get away from the war.
Probably the Tommy from the
trenches has never seen a titled Eng
lishman serving as private in the
ranks, and so he is amused at the char
actcr of Lord Arthur Pendennis.
The man from the front is often en-
gagged in actions which do not turn
out favorably, and so he takes pleasure
in seeing a war play where every en-
counter is a victory. The soldier, with
rare exceptions, has not dramatized
himself. If he is an Englishman or an
American he has a tremendous horror
Of being caught in any sentimental
pose, but he is willing to feel the thrill
of conscious virtue and heroism indi-
rectly by listening to the stage soldier
declair.
The play at the Park Theatre is un-
questionably exciting in its big scene,
in which the submarine is sunk, but it
IS difficult to see just why some Of 1t
should be in such bad taste. In real
life no English officer would strut
about cxclaiming smugly every little
while 1--WE don't do" this or that. An
English officer is SO certain of the
things which mo chap should do" that
he never thinks Of talking about them.
In these days, when we need a better
understanding Of the Englishman, it is
pity that the stage does so much to
misrepresent him. It is not slight
thing. l was amazed to find that hun
dreds Of young American officers took
The Man from Home" seriously and
were surprised when they visited the
British army to find that the average
English officer was not exactly like the
villain Of Booth Harrington and Harry
Loon WILSON. But somc Of our officers
have not seen the English yet, and
many of them are still to be unde-
ceived!
Of course, in tho case Of "Seven
Days Leave" the blame does not lie
on this side Of the water. This is a
play about the English by an English
man. Moreover, there should be reel
procity. If the chief playwrights Of
America should get together and agree
TO do no moro stage Englishmen for q
year, then the English should likewise