New-York tribune., 1918-06-03
What Is a Good
German?
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
SIR: In the June number of "Everybody's
Magazine" there is an editorial which be-
gins; Perhaps the most hopeful sign that
we are settling down to the grim busi-
ness of fighting is the dsfavor with which
we are all coming to regard sickly sentiment
tallty about our enemy" The article is en-
titled High Time," and I wish this num-
Der of the magazine could literally be
everybodys. "No family should. be with
out it,"
Just as I was rejoicing, however, in the
truth of the above assertion | went to
see photo play entitled "The Unbeleyer,"
founded upon little book by Mary Ray
mond Shipman Andrews, called "The Three
Ihlngs.' The play was produced in East
Orange by the Community War Fund mem
bers for the benefit Of their work, and 1T
was certainly chosen in good faith, the
war scenes being admirable and the au-
thor of the book being we'll known and
sincerely patriotic writer. 1t is marred
however, by some of the worst bits or
sentimentality that have ever had forced
upon my unwilling notice; so marked, in
fact, that it has tho effect of propaganda,
and, fine as tho rest of it is, would like
to see the whole thing suppressed. There
is a hospital scene in which a wounded
American boy is lying between two Ger
mans, an officer and young private. The
brave sayings Of these Germans are printed
in German on the screen; and after the
appearance of vision of Christ the Amer
lean writes to his mother that he has
overcome these three thngs-unbelief,
class prejudice and race prejudice. The
words Grace pre- judice" are underscored in
the letter on the screen This occurs after
we have been shown party of German
officers pursuing some of their gentle pas
times in Belgium, among them shooting
old women and children in cold blood and
shamefully pursuing a young girl, who is
rescued by the hero. There is no exaggera-
tion about this part Of the performance.
I attack this picture on the score of false
sentiment, amounting to sedition from the
American point of view and nothing less
than immortality from ~she human point of
view. Is it "race prejudice' that steels
US against child murderers and bestial
brutcs? Is this a time to soften the fight
ing spirit in the American public, when the
great crisis of the conflict between good
and evil is at hand and men are on.
the firing line? There is no need of argu-
ment; the thing condemns itself. I con-
sidered that there were grave objections
to the book when 1t was published, in 1915,
for the same reasons. How much more to-
day, when the expression Grace prejudice"
has ceased to be mere absvrdity and be-
come dsloyalty
Denuded of these Objectionable features,
the play would be an instructive and in
spiring affair, but as it is it should not
be allowed to appear. The German words
on the screen give a distinct shock; the
episode of faithful old German gardener
is entirely superfuous, and the complete
effect is that of an earnest plea for the
good Germans" and for the forgiveness
of the bad ones. But if there is in truth an
objectionable sin, for which there is
forgiveness, "neither in this world nor in
the world to come," do not know who has
committed it if not the German high COM
mand. And all the rest of Germany has
condoned or applauded it. Suppose we
leave them to condone it and keep on fight
ing the evil thing, without tears and SYM
pathy The good Germans are those here,
and those only, who have unqualifedly con-
demned the crimes Of their countrymen.
MARION COUTHOUY SMITH,
of the Vigilantes.
East Orange, N. j., May 20, 1918.