Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-10-09
CRESCENT HAS
NEW FEATURE
"FOr Better for Worse" to Be
Given at New Playhouse

The position of the man who stayed
at home during the war, because he
felt he would be of more use to his
county here han in the trenches. is
a problem which will within a short
time engross the nation. Cecil B.. De-
Mile, director of For Better, For
Worse" his latest special picture,
has foreseen what is to come, and
has, perhaps, precipftated the dis
cussion of the problem in his picture.
In discussing the theme of this pro-
duction, Mr.. DeMille said:
lone of the biggest problems of the
day, and n which must be solved in
the very near future, is the status
of the man who stayed at home dur
ing the war. The two million men
who sacrificed everything and en-
dured hell in the trenches, are now
returning. They will come back with
a truly national spirit, which per-
haps many of them did not have BE-
fore. They will come back to a real
ization of the importance of the in?
diytdual in national life, and we may
be sure that they are not going to
lose interest in the nation whose
freedom they nave secured.
ION the other hand. we have tbs
vast horde of men who stayed at
home during the war. Many who
stayed were too old to fight, to be
sure. But there is a great number of
those of military age, who were not
slackers, who were patriotic to the
final extreme, but who realized that
their duty lay at home.
Take the case of DR.. Meade in
For Better, Fol Worse He is anx-
ious to go to war, intensely patriotic,
and, furthermore, of a type that
wishes to be in the thick of things.
But he realizes that doctors are need
ed in America. He knows that if all
the doctors go to the trenches there
will be untold misery, disease and
death here at home, among the loved
ones of those who are giving every
thing for the protection of their fam
lilies. Anxious to give his utmost to
his country in it's time of need, he
sees clearly that his path of service
Is to stay at home, that his highest
duty is to continue in his profession.
He is a typical example. There were
many DR.. Meades in America.
THE heroism of such a character
is a difficult thing to realize. He
seems at first glance puny beside the
man who picks up a bayonet and
risks his life in frightful physical
struggle: Yet we must realize this
heroism, we must realize that if many
men had gone to the front, they would
duty, would actually have been him
dering, rather than helping their
country.
Besides the main problem discuss
ed in For Better, For Worse there
Is another important question discuss
ed. This is the problem which con-
Germs the soldier. The man who has
gone through battles and come out
SCARED both physically and spiritu-
ally, is going to have a hard time
adjusting himself to the duties of
peace. To come back to the worka-
day world after a year OF life in the
trenches, is going ito be almost i'm
possible to him. Yet he must realize
that just as the country needed him
in war. it now needs him in peace.
1t called him to fight and perhaps
die, and he answered gladly. Now it
calls him to fight and live, and he
must answer again. The soldier must
become a citizen again, he must
fight the battles of daily life with
the same patriotism, the same ar
dor. with which he fought the bat
ties for democracy"
For Better, For Worse is ia to
be not only a powerful drama in
theme n story, but also a produc-
ton of extreme artistic beauty.