New-York tribune., 1918-10-13

OF all artiStlC persons IN puUIc
life. a serious consideration and public
attention that they get nowhere else
unless it he in France. John Galsworthy
NAV fall from his high estate and run
into vein of rank sentimentality, but
at least there is we'll established bar
which will give him a hearing because
he is John Galsworthy. Here's Bennett
now, with new play close ON the heels
Of his new novel "Milestones," which
had the expert hand of Edward Knob
LAUGH to give it point, was diverting and
Illuminating THE Title" a comedy
that gives Bennett chance to take a
fling at the system of conferring titles,
apparently has come nowhere near the
successful mark set by "Milestones," if
this comment in THE Outlook" Non-
dom is to be trusted:
"Why does not Mr.. Bennett write first
rate play? One turns the pages of 'The Title
and wonders. 1t is not that he is not mas
:e- Of the technique. He almost brandishes
MS mastery. 1t is not that he cannot
create character: he has created a gallery
Ii is not that he ignores either in The
title But the whole comedy is per-
meated by subtle contempt, whether for
his public or for his medium it is hard to
say.
1T is of course a comedy of situation
more than of character Arthur Culver,
business man, Controller of Accounts, has
a daughter Hildegarde who manages in the
spare time left over from being a govern
ment typst to write slashng articles over
the signature of Sampson Straight. Samp-
son has just written an article on The
Degradation of Honours when the play
opens and Arthur Culver has just been
offered baronetcy which he does not in
tend to accept. SO far good. But the
curtain of the first act is the discovery by
his wife of the offer of the baronetcy be-
fore he has adequately prepared her mind
for his refusing it. And as she is quite
determined that he shall accept it there is
bound TO be trouble. For Mrs. Culver IS
the next Oldest figure to the shrew-wifc in
comedy, she is the managing wife, whom
every one loves to see on the stage but
loathes in real life. She first cajoles,
storms, and bullies her husband into
cepting the baronetcy, she then relinquishes
it because Johnnie, her schoolboy son,
threatens that if his father becomes 4
baronet he will go into the Flying Corps
instead of the Siege Artillery, as life with
the prospect of inheriting baronetcy has
ceased to charm him. Finally Culver is
obliged to accept because the government.
has offered the unoccupied baronetcy TO
Sampson Straight and there is in existence
q real Sampson Straight (belatedly pitch
forked into the play), who is fraudulent
company promoter and bigamst. Any
government that honored bigamists would
perish, and as the War Cabinet must not
perish Culver hastily snatchcs the drifting
title
"Thc best lines in the play fall to Arthur
Culver and arc topical. They refer to the
Ionours list and the conditions OF govern
ment in war time. The Honours list is in
deed extremely topical; probably number
of readers will be inserting names in pencil
in the margins of their copy, which may or
may not be the right names. The general
comments On politics are fresh. You are
so behind the times as to imagine that the
first duty of modern governments is to gov
ern. The first duty of a govern
ment IS to live This isn't the govern
ment that makes inquiries. It's the gov
ernment that gets things done And the
summary Of the London newspaper stua-
ton by Traato, the jeune premier, Il own
The Echo''-nhertcd it from my father
Ny uncles own all the rest Of the press
with a few trifling exceptions. is at least
novel on the stage.
"Mr Bennett is interested in Culver,
conversation. He is not Interested in his
mental processes; indeed he does not pro-
vide him with any. He is not the least IN
torested in Mrs. Culver; she is just stock
figure fIrbshed up, and, Ike other good
stock lines, perpetually servlceablc. He Is
Interested for little, about page each,
IN the brother and sister, Johnnie and Hill
degarde. Hildegardc might be called
'L'ingenue malgro ellie She quite fulfls
her CLAIM to be modern girl. She neither
Tbs nor taints nor is arch. She plays
straight. And when she is beaten in fair
'1ght by Johnnie she owns up and keeps her
'cmper. One can believe he writes we'll:
t-shc is iAgenuc. tina, that all she
knows about love Is from cooks. She ha
40 experience " i and is afraid Of
Johnnie for his ago is engaging and
licvabic But both have serious LAP
from character, Hildegardc when she lets
hcrself be mnnUuvrcd into The stale voltc~
;acc about lying, and Johnnie when he
audibly prefers the safer Siege to the Fly
'ng Corps. 1t would take an experienced
soldier to be bod enough 20 do that. AS
ior Tranto, the newspaper proprietor, Mr..
Bennett THINKS so little OF him and his
profession that he doubles his part with
that OF the jcunc premier and sends him
walking about with a dud bomb of love
making that rumblcs nnd snitS hnt never