The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-08-22

ENEMIES''
German American Play
Has Patriotic Message
For the Foreign Born
Characters In the play.

Our American part in the war was
approached from novel point of view
yesterday afternoon and last night at
the Grand Opera house-novel and
quite profoundly interesting. Our
preoccupation with the plotting OF the
enemy within our gates has been so
insistent that we have forgotten the
millions of Americans of German birth
who are no less loyal than we others
are. This 'forgetfulness was brought
home to us in Friendly Enemies"
comedy in three acts, by Samuel Ship
man and Aaron Hoffman and given at
the local playhouse for two perform
ances.
Audiences that had braved the mid
summer heat sat sweltering. but spell.
bound, and gave the play, which has
scored success In Chicago and New
York City, reception indicating en-
dorsement of the metropolitan verdict.
In Friendly Enemies" Harry l.
Mason appears as a pro-German and
Sam Moore as his lifelong comrade
who has seen the light. The earlier
scenes overflow with the comedy OF
their pickering and wrangling about
the war, but beneath the thrust and
parry and repartee there was always
an underlying purpose.
OF course there is thread of love
in the piece, the son of Karl Pfeifer
being in love with the daughter OF
Henry Block. The son enlists, fact
of which his father is ignorant, al
though the girl, his mother and his
future father-in-law know and approve
The denouement comes when he ar
rives home in his uniform and an
10 IL,
the next day. When the news is brok-
en- to his father there results a scene
that is melodramatic but genuine.
June Block and young Pfeifer are
married; the latter sails for lover
there" while his father remains at
home and grieves, secure in the be-
lief that a check he gave a German
agent to end the war and alleviate suf-
fering will accomplish the purpose for
which it was given.
The bridal party returns minus the
husband and son, and the German
agent calls UP with good news" which
is to the effect that the ship on which
the boy has been sailing has been
sunk. The change in the views OF
Karl Pfeifer is rapid but conclusive
and he joins the ranks of those who
seek to exterminate or check the
power of Germany. OF course in the
last act the soldier-son-husband re-
turns, as is inevitable, but it is just as
well that he does. There's little use In
causing solemnity and adding to the
wretched feeling of these times.
Although the plot of Friendly En-
emies' may seem trifle meIodra-
matte and drawn with an eye to popu-
larity rather than to realism, yet that
is not the case. The characters in
the play are sketched with knowI-
edge of human nature that is not fire.
quently noticed either on the stage or
i'll contemporary literature. The play
is sincere and the psychological
changes in the views of Karl Pfeifer
seem convincing. 1t is clever and hui
man and the success that it won in
Keokuk was distinct and deserved. 1t
could hardly be called propaganda ex.
cept by an acrobatic feat of the mag.
nation; yet there was a message, and
a very clear and urgent one, too, In
the lines so capably prepared by the
authors. 1t is cleverly patriotic, in
that it's patriotism is neither obvious
nor obtrusive, and for that reason it
went down in the heart 1t has gen.
uine humor and pattos.
The success Of the play depended
to very large part on the acting of
both Mr. Mason and Mr. Moore. Mr..
Mason never allowed his art to over
run legitimate bounds. In the end Of
both scenes of the second act his act
ing was so restrained and so excel
lent that there were perceptible sniff
files throughout the audience.
Mr. Moore supplied comic touches
necessary to Offset the more dramatic
moments in his impersonation. and al
though his methods were to some ex-
tent a blend of burlesque and slap
stick, yet he made of Henry Block
very lovable chap whose layalty was
admirable.