davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1918-12-22


man, always striving to obtain a broader
outlook over the world of men and insti-
buttons.
Prides and Preferences.
Brieux's cosmopolitan mind was
source of much interest 10 me In Paris
Wherever We happened TO be, at a cafe,
AT his home or at the theatre-he was con-
tlnually asking questions about other ma
tons, their people, their ideas, their Gus
toms. His travels IN the East made him
only the more G,1rious. about the rest of
the world. This was before he came to
America. ~
1t was some time ipefOre we began dis
cusslng what 10 me was more interesting
than English and American institutions:
Brieux himself and his plays. He was, Of
course, proud Of his achievements, but not
altogether, l observed, because they were
social propaganda. Damaged Goods and
Maternity were of course sincere and pas
sionate pleas TO the feelings and common
sense of modern society, but noticed that
he was a little tenderer toward those plays
which are as great or greater as drama
than as propaganda: BlGnahcrte and The
Red RObe-and even some of the weaker
plays, as for instance, R6sultat dcs
Courses!
| have referred to tle touch of satire
in Brieuxs makeup. Ii comes from his
sense of humor. Now, Brieux, unlike his
fanatical disciplcs-especially numerous
in this eountry-docs not take himself al
together seriously. | don't mean that he
doesn't believe what he says; because he
does. i do mean that he can stand off
and look at himself as a reformer and
smile little indulgently. Fortunately he
did not carry his campaign against al
cohOlism TO his own table, for we often
dined with the best French vintages. That
is, he is not a fanatie He told me one
day just what he tried TO do. ! had asked
linn if he could briefly state the under
lying purpose of his work.
He Hates Power.
my purpose, or system" lie said, Soon
sists in waxing indignant ut every abuse
of power. All power, all authority make
ME angry, because in human hands they
invariably become instruments of
tyranny"
This idea is not primarily premise for
moral crusading; ii might well be a point
of departure for a dramatic artist who
never cared hang about the depopula-
tiOn of country or the degeneration of
race. / have suspected for some time that
brleux was first dramatist, but that his
view of far off Paris, taken from a pro-
vincial Paris, was an exaggerated one. The
wicked city was really not quite so wicked
as the young man imagined. But he
bravely took up cudgels in defence of the
The sun., 1918-12-22
The Q. E. D. in a Play.

The subject Of divorce, for example, is
the stage it is often set forth as a prob
lem--which it is But the problem will
be solved some day, and then what be-
comes of your play founded on the prob
lem7 In ninety nine eases out of hun
dred your problem dramatist cares more
for the problem than the play. This is
the chief trouble with Brieux's plays: he
is usually more concerned with righting
wrong than with constructing a good play.
/ once told him he was too much of
moralist to write a truly entertaining
play, and he laughingly replied that the
French habit of philosophizing had IN
doubtedly got the better of him. It was
on the same occasion that / asked him a
question ! was in the habit of asking
French dramatists: Why is it that nine
French plays out of ten are what are COM
monty known as "sex plays"f I told
him the answer given me by Francois de
Curel, namely that the dramatist must ap-
peal 10 all audiences, and the one thing
which every audience understands is love.
Brieux's answer was evasive. and he did
admit that his countrymen had overdOne
the sex play. He himself, he declared,
was trying TO get away from It. And by
way of proof he outlined the plot of his
latest play-which contained not one but
tuO triangles!
The sun., 1918-12-22
BY BARRETT II. CLARK.

no You remember the days when the
~ leagues and clubs, the newspapers
and magazines prated about the social
serious dra-ama? You surely have not for
gotten the time when We were all peace
loving civilians, some of us making our
livelihood by writing and talking about
Tendencies" and progress" As for the
squabblcs over Ibsen and Mrs. WdrreHS
Profession, well, they were before my
day, and belong TO the annals of history.
There are some encouraging signs, how
ever, that the drama of purpose has
had its day; the lecturers are now writing
free verse, or drilling; and the few critics
who remain are beginning TO realize that
after all play is play. 1t is not a SER
mon or a thesis or a disquisitlon on
morals. A good play is good show,
good story, and n framework for the pur-
pose of exposing a set of interesting
men and women. 1t doesn't much matter
into what particular form this show is
cast The show may contain what we used
20 call-and what ministers still call-a
"useful lesson; it nsay he a prenehment
on morals and manners, but only on con
dition that this is thrown in for extra
measure, and provided it IN no way inter
feres with the chief concern of the drama
fist: to tell an absorbing and moving
story through the agency OF interesting
people
The sun., 1918-12-22

unfortunate, and made effective use of
the weapons at his disposal. In so doing,
however, he risked losing that balance Of
mind without which the dramatist loses
his most precious gifts: educational and
social system, legal abuses and the like,
made very good subjects for plays, but
before long Brieux began to forget about
plays. His subjects got the better of
him.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-23
IDENTIFICATION IN SIBERIA

From Russia and Japan" by X. K.
Kawaaami, in the American Review OF
Reviews for April, 1915
I'm view of the presence in Siberia OF
large number of German prisoners
q of war. this Disqualification becomes
all the more alarming. In such a com
plete collapse of Russia's military author
ity in Siberia, one can well imagine how
easy it is for these Germans to secure
freedom and engage themselves in the
work of promoting German influence in
the east. The recent report from Ir-
lSutsk that 1000 Germans there are drill
ing Russians is an ominous indication
of what they are capable of doing. Even
before the war. Germans were the DOM
inant factor in Siberia. The Russians,
slow and inefficient. We're no match for
them in trade and industry, In yladi-
vostok and Hardin, and in fact in most
cities in Siberia, trade was practically
in the hands Of Germans,
AS early as 1908 the British consul al
Vladivostok wrote of that port as fol-
lows: 1.-THE bulk Of the foreign popu,a-
ton here is German. Commercially
speaking, the town is practically a Ger
man one. Not only the wholesale, but
also the RETAIL business is in German
hands, and there is only one Russian
firm of real Importance" If, as the re-
srlt of the Reorganization of Russia,
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-23
SAVED by a HANDsHAKE

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
man who came from western town
some years ago and made good as mer-
chant in Philadelphia encountered one
day on Walnut street broker who had
known him in those early days of stress
and struggle ere he came to this city.
The now prospecting merchant had left
the west under a cloud. the name OF
which, In plain English. was Drink.
His former fellow toWnsman did not
easily recognize in the sleek and affabls
man of affairs the former 'er-do-wecl
and byword of the western community.
do you know, said the regenerate, in
burst Of confidence. / date the change
in my habits and in my life from the
moment when-though you knew my
neighbors were avoiding me-you walked
across Main street and shook hands with
me-"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-23
CLoTHEs-A VITAL THEME

Norma Talmadge, in Film Fun.
woman in the wrong clothes is as
disillusioning as sailed coffee or egg
nog without the nog. She may be a
comb ination of all the virtues, but if
her clothes lack the harmony of her
soul, first impressions will be damning.
And more so than all other women does
first Impressions. for on the stage, be
it boards or screen, the player is on
show, and whereas the leading woman
of Broadway production may change
her gowns during the season. her CO.
worker of the films is compelled to wear
the same old things to the end of the
reel. And the reel may reel along for
| a year or so. For that reason it is i'm
| pera tive that the frocks for a screen
production be selected far in advance
of the current styles. One is forced to
cultivate a sort Of sixth sense. When
| see a baby -frill around the edge of
a belt in May. I strongly suspect the
presence of a full grown tunic in De-
|
! ing less than barrel next year. A
woman must have the feel of artistic
gowning in her makeup before she can
correctly forecast and sense instinc-
lively not only combinations in accord =
| ance with good taste, but the trend OF
Dame Fashions vagarious fancies.
| Another thing that must be carefully
| considered by the film star in select
ing hats and gowns is color tints and
com binations. The average outsider
| knows nothing whatever of the sub
| tie distinctions to be obtained by GER
1 tain colors under the Photographic lens
the fact that red photographs abso-
lutely black, and pale blue poor white
while other colors change their identity
as confusingly. Costuming for the
| screen must be worked out in conjunc-
ton with the color schemes of the vari-
GUS interiors. and strong blacks and
whites, standings and gradations of tone
are planned for composition effects.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-23

The Talladega Home thinks it unfair
for the vigilantes of Birmingham to un-
load undesirable citizens on others towns.
Have no fear. Those gentry are followed
wherever they go by federal agents.
* = =
Quentin Roosevelt credits joke to his
father that has been going the rounds
Of the press for some years. Maybe
Quentin hasn't had much time to read
newspapers lately.
A poet addresses some lines to General
Carranza, patriotic president" Of hex
leo. There was a time when Villa claimed
to be 100 per cent patriotic
y j. 4
The Kaiser may have originally sprung
from the common people, but a wide gap
now separates him from the fatherland
shoemakers.
After a statesman has sat in the halls
of Congress for 20 or IS. years, in a ma
jority of cases he is incapable of show
ing any speed.
* y i
The Huns have discovered by this time
that American soldiers go to France to
fight, and not to make demonstration.
A recent raid on New York chop suey
palaces played havoc with the people who
usually get home about breakfast time.
* y g
Ludendorff and Hindenburg have been
pals for many years, but nobody has
ever called them the heavenly twins"
Il q y
It's going to be a trifle awkward to
board with a farmer this summer, and
not do any work about the place.
~ 4; y
AS long as the Hun is unbeaten, we re-
fuse to get excited over the domestic
complications of movie stars.
* y: y
The next time President Wilson goes
riding in a tank he will be careful
where he puts his hands
4. X 4.
Here Of late Emperor Charles probably
forces himself to think twice before
speaking.
- y -
The Ukraine can hardly feed it's own
people. Another German bubble pierced.
). I. !.
1t seems like sacrilege nowadays to
speak of the irish potato as spud.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-23

the Siberian railways are even temper
arily controlled by Germany. Vladiyo-
stok, that Russian Gibraltar of the far
east viii be converted into German mill
tary outpost. 1t would be easy for the
Germans to ship Submarine parts over
the Siberian line to Vladivostok waers
they would be put together and used to
the detriment of allied interests,
1t must be remembered that Vladivo-
stok is far more formidably fortified than
Port Arthur had ever been fortified in
the historic days of General Alexief.
Russian Island, lying atirwart the maiE
entrance to the harbor, is guarded with
the heaviest guns, and was, before the
war, garrisoned with whole division
Of troops. The Shkott and the Godolbin
peninsulas that embrace the harbor are
likewise impregnably protected. At the
outbreak of the war there were at least
&c forts mounting some $50 cannon OF
different callbre and manned with 5000
soldiers The military and naval ware
scale, extending for thousands of feet
along the naval basin ana capable of
storing supplies sufficient for a long
siege. Vladivostok, in short is one OF
the most strongly fortified ports in the
world. such port, if controlled by Ser
many, viii be like the mailed fist aimed
directly against the Japanese. For ia
pan is only 40 hours ride across the ia
nan
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-23
WHAT HAS HE NOT DONE?

tic appeals to Kaiser Franz Josef not
10 DAYS that followed he did not send
the hocus-poeus messages signed with
his name, in which the writer pretended
a Pecksniffian anxiety for peace and at
the same time found some way of block
ing everything that Sir Edward Grey
or Sazanoff proposed for the purpose OF
bringing it about. On the contrary, the
real Wilhelm was besieging the lords OF
Potsdam with urgent pleas to let him ac-
cept the proposals of Grey and Sazanon
alfd get the dispute arbitrated. He must
have been.
Indeed, we can go further back even
than this. We must assume that for 70
years Kaiser Wilhelm had not been plan
ming this blow at the peace of the world;
that he had not been building up his
army and creating his navy and taking
advantage of every incident, from Agadir
to Adrianople, to force the domination
of the world by Germany. He did not
approve, he disapproved, he must have
dfsapproved, the seizure of Bosnia and
Herzegovina in 1908, the stirring up Of
Bulgaria and Serbia against each other
in 1913 and all the other steps that led
inevitably down the road to this war He
did everything he could to prevent Them
1t must be so. And he failed. Now, with
a clear conscience, he can. ask posterity.
by way of the correspondent of the Lo-
kal Anzeiger, What have I not done
to preserve the world from these FOR
rors?" And there is one point on wncn
he need have no doubt-posterity will an
SMer him.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-23
4 =
Price Germany Pays
For Empty Victories
For e

ID ERLIN is told what "our
~ armies" are doing at the front
Every advance, no matter how slight,
is heralded in the newspapers. But
there is another side to the picture
and we may rest assured that it is
not exhibited to the war-weary peo-
pie Of the fatherland
A never ending stream Of wounded
soldiers flows from the battle front
into Belgium. The correspondent of
a Dutch newspaper, the TELEGRAPH, Of
Amsterdam, says the number of
wounded continues SO great that hos
pitfalls are crowded Monasteries, con-
vents, schools and even private
dwellings, have been requisitioned by
the German military authorities to
house those MANNED and broken men
who have been driven by their Off
GERS against the point-blang fire of
the French and British. Forty am
bulance trains are said to have en-
tered Brussels in one day, many of
them composed of cattle cars.
Sights of that kind will not whet
the appetites of the German people
for more war. 1t may be expediency
which prompts the German authori-
ties to care for their wounded men
in Belgium, rather than send them
back to Germany, but the possible
effect they would have on the Ger
man populace has doubtless been
taken into consideration. And for
what have these unfortunates en-
dured veritable hell, returning tc
die in hospitals or perhaps to &c
through life crippled and horribly dis
figured? For the glory of the jun
kers, for -Germanism and the
house of Hohenzollem, which rep
resents Prussia.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-23
LUXE M,LuKE SAYS

It doesn't take love long to grow cold
when husband fails to bring in enough
to keep the pot boiling.
When it comes to promoting peace,
the divorce court has The Hague backed
off the map.
No, Gladys. Even ia the doctor did
prescribe a light diet for the baby, YOU
shouldn't let the little darling chew
matches.
After you have gone over the jumps
for awhile you will learn that most things
and most men seem easy until you try
to do them
AS rule a married man isn't such a
bad fellow. Outside of what his wife
thinks of him he is probably all right.
When you are counting her. a dollar
looks like 80 cents. But after you marry
her, 80 cents looks like dollar,
II the shoe pinches man he gets a
Larger size. But if the shoe pinches a
woman, she buys il.
,, What doth it profit father to try to
be a good fellow? If he brings mother
nome a box of candy and gives the kids
dime each to go to the picture show
mother will say: "What do you want
to waste your money that way for, when
the children all need shoes?"
Women are not the only persons who
fall for bull You can flatter married
man by telling him he doesn't look it.
wouldn't it be terrible if you saw q
man shot as often as you see one whe
is half shot?
A pretended interest in the story o.
his life is the hest bait a girl can USE
when she wants to land a sucker.
You may not be able to pick winner
at a race track. But you have no troubl,
| in telling a loser when YOU see one.
i What has become of the old-fashionet
| girl whose skirts rustled when SHE
walked?
| to be thankful for is the fact that h,
wanst born an optimist
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-23

From the New York Times.
lUAIsER WILHELM is looking down
I'm upon the battlefield of Queant,
west of Cambrai. A war CORE
spondent of the Berlin Lokal Anzeiger
is near; alongside. perhaps. and notes
the pathetic scene:
His majesty's silence was broken only
once, when he remarked to an officer who
stood beside him: What have I not done
to preserve the world from these hor-
rors?''
The form OF the question implies that
his majesty has done everything, has left
nothing undone. This is an important
revelation. From it we are able to con-
struct 2 complete history of the Kaiser's
part in the beginning of the war. Since
he did everything that could be done to
prevent the war, he must have begun his
labors at Potsdam on July 5, 1914 when
the lords of Germany decided to launch
1T He positively forbade them to do so;
he must have. When they persisted, he OF
course, threatened to abdicate rather
than to sanction such horrors. They ST.
fenced mis- protests by binding him and
gagging him and imprisoning him in the
cellar, while they went ahead with their
plans.
1T was IS days later when the con-
spiracy pore fruit in the Austrian ultima
tum to Serbia. The Kaiser was said to
be cruising on the North sea in his Yacht
a that Il
revelation on the battlefield of Queant,
that he had a wireless apparatus ON his
yacht and was keeping it busy with fran
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-23
* 4 y
Law to Deal With
Female Alien Enemies

mRESIDENT WILSON'S sigma
Is ture to the bill extending pro-
visions of the espionage law to women
at last makes it possible to cope ade-
quately with the woman spy in
America. That woman can be even
more dangerous than man in this
kind of work was conceded long ago.
While our government dallied, alien
women were free to do much as they
pleased, and there can be little doubt
that. a great deal of information
about our war plans has been trans
mitted to Germany through female
agents, when our guileless congress
man did not talk so much that any
body with a pair of ears could find
out anything he wanted to know
merely by listening or reading the
newspaper accounts Of what was said
No distinction should be made in
dealing with alien enemies because
Of sex. IF a woman abuses the hos
pitality Of this country by playing
the spy and fomenting trouble she
deserves only such consideration as
a humane and enlightened govern
ment shows to other offenders whose
guilt is comparable to hers.
4 German woman is as safe in
America as she would be in Germany
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-23
y
Wasting of Food
Must Be Stopped

a LONG with the campaign for in
6A creased food production came
an active movement to prevent food
waste. The United States department
of agriculture and the food admins
tration made strong appeals to hotels,
restaurants and householders to ex-
ercise care in preventing waste.
Government authorities could order
meatless and wheatless days, but there
was no way of reaching wasteful peo-
pie except by moral suasion. Educa-
ton in domestic economy was the
means employed to accomplish the de-
sired end. Incessant agitation against
waste brought practical results. But
that was last year. Those who are in
a position to observe kitchen economy
say there has been letting down of
interest in the "no-waste" cause,
All the food that can be produced
is needed in the winning Of the war
and all the food waste, therefore,
makes this country's task that much
more difficult.
In the crisis which the allies face
it should not be necessary to call the
attention of patriotic Americans to
such an obvious need as food con-
servation in order for them to act
promptly and intellectually. A re-
quest should have the same force that
"a command is meant to have.
Wastefulness is distinctly an Ameri-
can failing. In the countries of the
old world waste is negligible guam
tity. The United States being land
Of plenty, frugality has been over
looked and the waste of food has been
little considered by majority of those
who provide food for patrons of
public eating places or for the homes
of the well-to-do.
Let's have a new campaign of edu-
cation with a view to reducing waste
to the vanishing point.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-23
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

By Mary Perry King, of the Vigilantes
stand ias'. our Ailiesl Hand in hand
A bleeding but exultant band
Each for his own beloved land,
And all for Liberty. we stand.
Majestic England, glorious Flance,
Belgium, who led the brave advance.
And all the knighthood of romance.
Have summoned our uncovered lance.
The veal and woe OF Home and Right
The threat of Darkness and. of Light
The need 10 hold the Truth with Might
These ara the watchwords Of the fight.
ifrom town and country, field and mart
We come with pride to bear our part
In evcry breast the bugles start
The fanfare OF. the high in heart.
To serve by land or sea or air.
With any weapons, any wear.
Take but our manhood strength, am
where
The fight is thickest-put US therel
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-23
Redu. Ranidlx Recovering

81 went out to, see Robert G. Redus
on Sunday afternoon" said B. F. Moore,
II was glad to find my friend on the
high road to recovery. He had not only
been sitting up, but had walked around
the room and is looking forward to go
ing home this week.
II found him keenly interested in the
war and was surprised to learn how we'll
he had kept up with il, in spite of his
serious condition. This but shows that
the war is the overpowering question of
the day.
n got letter from my son, who is in
France, and he wrote that while he had
been under fire, he felt like he was go
ing to come through all O. X. He was
loud in his praise of the army Y. M. c,
A., calling it the greatest organization
on earth"