Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-25

men, There'll be rough work to-
night" The author of the play, Eu-
gene Walter. is said to be rewriting
it This is one of the most hopeful
statements that can be made con-
corning it: although there should be
certain point in play production
where il can be considered as an alb
solutely finished product. without liza
biIity to change which may render it
in absolute opposition to the theories
Of moral responsibility which it as
sumes to champion. A. muddy mael-
strom of the coarsest language does
not prevent many glittering flashes
of pungent philosophy as the course
of the narrative swirls among the
rocks of audacity on which many
better play has gone to wreckage. In
spite of the love story and the de-
bate between a representative of phil
anthropic capital and one of dlScon-
tented idleness, the two characters
which at the present moment must
be most prominent in thought are
two soldiers, one a hopeless. fanatical
anarchist. whose uses his intellectual
ability to disorganiZe industry, and
the other. heavy handed, foul
mouthed member of the mob. Both
are described in the dialogue as typ
ical of thousands of soldiers who.
while in France. became mentally pol
luted with the infiammatory ideas
grouped as "bolshevism." Holbrook
Biinn is mentioned on the program as
being presented by Selwyn & Co. in
conspicuous figure. in responsibility
for any tendencies 1t may possess in
the direction of thoughtful influence.
Mr.. Walter. in the past. has frankly
absolved himself from any assump-
tion of responsibility for delicacy in
dih1dence in the manner of its pres
entation.
The last time previous to this that
Mr.. Blinn was conspicuous in the at
tention of Washington audiences was
on the occasion of his appearance
in the role of a recruiting officer in
the big patriotic spectacle. Getting
Together" Mr.. Blinn and Blanche
Bates were undeniably important in
fiuences in promoting enlistment. The
representation was a splendid thing.
thrilling with patriotic sentiment and
idealizing beyond anything that ora
tory or print could accomplish the
mission on which clean. hopeful and
determined youth was being sent-a
mission which contemplated first OF
all things the protection of the coun-
try they love and the institutions
which they trusted in a faith as
sublime as that upon which religion
itself must rest. 1t was great moral
lesson. boldly asserting a power which
an instructor. Mr.. Blinn returns to
us and takes up study. not of the
enlisting man, but the man who has
been through the moil and terror and
IL ready to stretch forward stronger
arm guided by a more resolute brain
In, nf RECONSIDERATION which
lies before the American people.
The two men held up in Mr.. B1inn's
production as representative of what
the war returns US from France are
sorry specimens. One. is a fanatical
megalomaniac. absurd in his rhetorical
ostentations and pitiful in his final
lack Of fortitude. He Is decentiy re-
stored to civilian clothes, and his
procedures do not convey the sugges-
tion of disrespect for the soldiers uni
form. The other soldier is portrayed
a. q shameless BLACKBOARD. repulsive
inifeature as in mind. He Is paraded
not only in the uniform that a nation
regards with reverence. but decorated
with medals which credited him with
the highest attachments to which
bravery and clean. quick thinking
conveyed in dialogue. that this is
what comes back to US in thousands:
after the lavish endowments shoWered
on organizations whose high and un-
disputed purpose was to preserve our
soldier boys clean In health and NOR
ais Is not to be tolerated. The war
play is practically interdicted. The
hero worship which rises intuit1vely
in the mind when the American SOL
der is seen or mentioned nnds no re
Spouse from across the footlights. He
has been exploited only as a mild
comedian. with no big heroic role to
depict him az the really great inquire
in history that he is. In the play
"Poor Little Sheep he Is ouroeheo
with an odium. with cruelty, which IS
6astardly If deliberate. and which
= ikadvertence could not excuse.
Mr.. Blinn IL an attractive figure on
the stage, He contents the magma
tim as typical of square-jawed'
straight Americanism. He re-
serves to himself the one clear-headed
role among the male characters. but
he exemplifies no devotion to high
pr3uciple, his only motive being That
Of personal happiness and security.
y II on Mr.. Blinn that the play de-
HxAds for it's claim to wholesome in
dneuce, and with a very little modi-
nation 1t could be made product
calculated to arouse the widest ex-
hanration through an audience OF
Eoaring reds. should 1t be decided to
take the wares to such market.
The program ought to announce on
(Which this Indictment Of the Amer
lf1u soldier Ia based. George Particle.
NO writes about the war from
Closeup observation, has this to say
sfSSation among Unied States troops:
-@As for any danger bolshevik and
Snartacan propaganda might hold for
ot5r troops. 1t Is held to be non-exist-
ent The boches publish certain news
pxuers. whose sole purpose ID the
Denomination of news calculated to
SIR up trouble among the enemies
of-Germany. To an American of ordf-
nary intelligence. the stun contained
d these newspapers appears a.Ipsa s.. gro 70,
wouid be apparent to a child"
according to Mr.. Particle. any in
Sffuction and molding of opinions
worked the other way around. Quot
the May "a issue of the Saturday
xs sagerness of the boches to
lsarn about America is almost pa
tAstic. In the billets. where there is
no one to prevent the doughboys from
talking with them. they will sit by
the flre and listen for hours to the
soldiers telling of the glories and joys
of that land of prosperity and hope
and ideals. And take it from me. the
picture loses nothing in the word
painting, either. The boches just sit
in wondering silence. sometimes
giancing at one another half doubt
fully. yet with a wistful credulity.
And the contrast of their own plight
strikes them, and they sigh"
It was a little .grotesque to see the
Salvation Army girls taking up their
collection: money freely bestowed in
g. e.