New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-08
By Haywood Broun

Free will came up every year in the
late spring, along about the time the
tennis courts were ready and the Red
Sox met the first Western invasion.
We remember 1t vaguely and with
certain regret because Philosophy B
turned out SO much harder than we
had been told. by the man who took
the course the year before. Even now
words like "determinism," necessity
Fatality" and the like remind US of
the humming of bees, engaged in eat
ing up the Harvard elms, and of the
somewhat louder and more even voice
of the professor. He had a tempered
but passionate belief in the freedom
of the human will, but he was a just
man and presented both sides of the
controversy extensively. He began
with the case for determinism and did
not close that side until late in May.
Along about that time we took sick,
or, perhaps, it was then that Lake be-
gan his attempt to stampede the
American League race by using the
double squeeze and all sorts of daring
base running. We forget just what
happened, but we know that we never
heard any of the lectures in which
determinism was torn into shreds and
free will established as a triumphant
truth. And so we went out into the
world firmly convinced that "the tut
ure has no ambiguous possibilities
hidden in its womb; the part we call
the present is compatible with only
one totally"
After we got out we never thought
much about it. We have never used
belief in destiny as an umbrella
against reproaches. Unfortunately,
that won't work.
But free will is back again. Fate,
collaborating with Maurice Maeterlinck
and Claiming Pollock, has hit upon
it as the best subject to follow up the
war plays. 1t is inspiring to con-
slider the fact that the fall of man,
the flood, the discontinue of Pharaoh,
the death of Caesar and the birth of
Al Woods were all events which had
some bearing on the present produc
ton at the Republic Theatre "The
whole" you know, "is in each and
every part, and Yields it with the rest
into an absolute unity, an iron block
IN which there can be no equivocation
or shadow of turning" In other
words, If the Greeks had not won the
battle of Marathon "Roads of Destiny
would never have been written
AS dramatic theme free will be-
comes much more interesting than it
was back in classroom days, when it
had nothing to do with Florence Reed,
or roulette, or pistol shots or third
act seductions. And yet we cannot
find the philosophy of either Mr. Pol
lock or MIR. Maeterlinck very sound.
There are only two sides to the ques-
ton Of free will, and the one denies
the other. If this is a deterministic
mute act Of an individual is left to
chance. The destiny of which Mr..
Pollock writes Is lenient sort of pow
err which is perfectly content if it
can gain it's point by forcing an APP
Proclamation of its will. In Roads Of
Destiny" for instance, we see Just
what would happen to the hero at the
end Of either one of two roads. Such
speculation means nothing to be-
lever In determintsm. If there we're
ten million roads the hero of the play
could choose only one. 1t Is not
enough that Mr.. Pollock points out
that practically the same fate awaits
his hero at the end Of both roads, or,
indeed, If he chooses still a third
alternative and stays at home. If
there is such thing as destiny there
Is Just one destiny for every man and
no more, and that destiny is an exact
programme.
Although Mr.. Pollock's play does not
fit determinist philosophy, 1t IS also
at variance with belief in free will.
No person who believes in free will
can accept the validity Of prophecy,
for prophecy implies future which
already fixed, even before 1t has
oonie in contact with the will of man.