davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-16

To the author OF this play, which
rumor said Goodwin had made over
these questions were put: Is 1t true
that Goodwin practically rewrote your
play and made himself as responsible
as yourself for its failure? Did you
find him q helpful collaboration or an
obstruetionist? AS actor, in your judg-
ment, was he a creator or mere
mimic?
These questions brought from the
playwright an account Of his work
with Goodwin that may very well
serve as the basis of a consideration of
the actors art.
AS the poor author Of the play in
question" said the playwright. Il may
announce a full Endorsement OF the
truth of the apothegm that Whom the
gods would destroy they first make
mad, for was delighted with the sub
stitution Of Goodwin for Barrymore. To
have a famous actor produce and per-
form in a play OF mine seemed too good
to be true. Barrymore by comparison
was unknown. Truly the actor who got
away with the moral shortcomings of
the hero needed the help Of youth,
which Goodwin hadn't; but I believed
he could assume youthfulness. l went
to the rehearsals with an uplifted
spirit.
Goodwin and his wife Maxine Elliott
were living in her house on West End
avenue and I went there to read him
the play. Right away I found that
much l had accepted as the real Good
win was not in the man. They had
told me that he was careless. unpains-
taking, as frivolous as some of the
parts he had appeared in and made
famous. These were but the lighter
faults of his character which dear
friends had mentioned. Other repre-
hensibilities, II he had them. ! did not
suppose would be revealed to me. They
never were. l may say in parentheses,
but neither were the ones list.
Goodwin listened with close atten-
ton. and what he said of the character
he was to assume and OF the people
and conditions among which this hero
was to move had not Only his I'M
divided attention but they called out
his experience and his powers OF
analysis of human motives, which were
more than considerable. In that first
reading he told me OF things in my
people which ! did not know existed.
This was natural: the piece was an
adaptation and the book author, not !,
had selected the characters, il he had
not created them. In addition a COL
laborator, Clyde Fitch. had as his part
OF the work thrown into the third act a
scene OF melodrama hardly consistent
with the rest OF the play. although
powerful and moving in itself. There
fore I was really only partially to
blame,
'In Goodwin / found a better COL
laborator than any had ever worked
with. His grasp of situation was COM
plete. his gift of dialogue was good and
he was as concerned about concealing
the mechanism OF a very mechanical
piece as a seasoned playwright would
have been. Chiefly I took away from
this first interview the impression of a
man who loved his profession and
spared no pains to get the best out of
il. Hard work seemed pleasant to
him. as work always does when it's
the kind one is born to do.
AT this time and ut othcr suusc-
auent dates OF working over the pieD @
Goodwin showed great consideration
for the author and he never asked to
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-16
-og of the Raider Moewe Furnishes Thrilling War Roma

orchestra consists OF two f,ddles ,,.
mandolins. sailors harp, a KEITH
drum, drum and cymbals.
(Then they look in at the warran,oa
GERS mess-all enjoyment, and ths,.
Is plenty OF champagne
December 25-Proceed with the wo,.
on tho Theodore. The trade wind n
rather unpleasantly strong and cor'
siderable sea. Air dry and heavy ~.
out of the mist a sailing vessel sna
denly appears.
She is a French ship. the Nan,o.
1900 tons; a pretty little ship, paIn,st
white like a yacht, and everything on
board very shipshape. sh.. {.
bound for London with $500 tons n,
saltpetre, a valuable cargo. In
addition to a crew Of twenty -four mon
we are delighted to find some fowls ana
two fat pigs. The crew on the whos
seemed of a good type. as alvav,
| found to be the case In sailing
ships.
After the new cock from the Mania,
had had a good scrap with our ola
Moewe rooster-they even went for ons
another through the wire-and DIR
four little pigs had fought the two new
big ones, things reverted to normal
The sailing vessel sank, bow first, with
a loud crash.
| December - and 2S-In order 10 ,es,
the newly installed wireless apparatus
the two ships proceed 100 miles apar,
and meet at A. NJ. The trial goes Of,
successfully. The neutrals are then
taken on the Moewe, and the Theodor.
Is manned with an entirely German
crew. Guns and a supply of provision,
and drinking water are also taken over
Lieut.. Commander Wolf is put in com.
mand, and he christens the new auxIl.
larry cruiser Geier. At O'Clock gun
trials are carried out. She looks in
nocent enough-the guns have been
we'll placed-but otherwise she is Jus,
collier. drink glass of champagne,
wish them all good luck and prosperity
and return to the Moewe.
(But he only expects the Geler to
capture small ships: she is too slow
for fast ones).
A rendezvous Is fixed for January 1
We part company and soon the Geler
disappears.
December 29-I head for the South
American route at full speed. Dust
end rain storms. Visibility worse than
ever.
December 30 and 31-(Schloden IA
suffering badly from rheumatism, from
which also some of the men suffer- Il
Is not exactly an enjoyable ending 10
this wonderful wear of mine hut hava
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-16
THE MOEWE


Georgia. 10000 tons--1,200 horses,
wheat. oil and other good things. . . 4.
In lowering the boats. the steam
ships crew. again distinguish them
selves; while they are lowering a fully
laden boat, the tackle breaks. and
forty men are precipitated into the
water.
(The Moewe picks up all but one
altogether takes a total of 142 on
board)
1t Is becoming congested over here.
. The steamship sinks very
slowly.
December lin the morning an
other steamship Is sighted, and We
stop her. She Is the Yarrowdale. An
other good haul. 100 motor cars and
5000 tons Of steel.
AS she has SUFFICIENT coal for four
weeks we decide to try and take
her home to Germany and put the
large company Of prisoners on board
Of her. We have some old hands who
have done this sort OF thing before.
Our war pilot, Badewitz, who last
year took the westburn, with ESQ
prisoners, to Santa Cruz and was in
termed there by the Spanish authori-
ties, had turned up again one fine
morning at my room at the Esplanade
Hotel, Berlin. He was wearing a blue
travelling suit, proudly displaying the
Iron Cross, first class. and looked as
we'll and fiourishing as II he had just
returned from a pleasure trip. &.
I cannot relate here at present how he
got into Germany from Santa Cruz.
(He applied to be taken on the
Moewe again. He is now told that
he must take the Yarrowdale and 400
prisoners. I'VE shall just have to
manage" he replies, and DONNA
Schlodien writes, above all. i have
great faith in Badewitzs luck and in
genuity.D
December 12-(steamship sighted
early in the morning, and they go
after herr "Soon lose sight Of the
Yarrowdale and of the steamship in
the heavy rain squalls, but in an hour
We overtake the steamship"
(They can't lower a boat-too rough.
They signal Follow u.s." and get a
reply Understood" They turn back
toward the Yarrowdale and can hardly
make progress against the weather.
They do not quite like leaving
the last prize-she is the st. Theo-
dore)
In spite OF the heavy sea a boat is
sent over at 2 p. NJ. taking Sub Lieut..
Kohler and four men as a guard. This
is really a marvellous performance on
the part Of the boat. The St. Theo-
dore has an especially welcome sur
g.
American coal. had not ventured to
hope for any coal here. Now my flu
ture is assured for long time ahead.
THE three steamships keep together.
Later the wind drops and they begin
| transshipment)
| Five boats are lowered and the pris-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-16

from homer flags have been put up,
and the entire crew are dressed in
festal white. am steaming before
the wind during the celebrations
throughout the night, so that all, even
those who have not quite got their
sea legs yet. may enjoy themselves as
much as possible. The executive off,
GER conducts divine service. At 6
o'clock the celebrations begin in the
officers mess, which is decorated with
a Christmas tree and fir branches.
The dinner is quite luxurious con-
sidering the circumstances--ox tongue
la Georgia and stewed fruit Drama
fist.
At o'clock we all go down to the
mems quarters, and l inspect the
presents and see how the men are
faring. An orchestra is performing,
conducted by n stoker in an elegant
brown frock coat and fiat stiff hat.
with large music portfolio under his
arm containing sixteen items. The
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-16
BY WILLIS STEEL.
T Is ghoulish act to drag from
theatrical producers dusty

theatrical producer dusty
= shelf manuscript rubber
stamp This play is dead" and it
would be no excuse that it was gone to
show why the play failed. The sim:
pie fact is reason enough for the
theatrical profession. Such a fact is
at once surrounded by them with a
solemn silence which BELTS the pres
ence Of death.
But IL examination should be made
to find out why certain actor failed
to make good in the play that might
excuse its temporary resurrection. The
failure here in mind is one with which
the recently deceased Nat Goodwin
had a good deal to do; he helped make
played the hero. The question
whether Goodwin was justly appraised
or not by his contemporaries may
have some light thrown on it by the
history OF his connection with this
dead one"
Offhand 1t would seem to prove that
his judgment as a producer was at
fault; but this statement, even IL con-
f1rmed by investigation, proves moth
ing, for 1t is a professional truism that
the Judgment OF plays by most actors
is worthless. That II showed also his art
insufficient TO save the play is moth
ing, for there the factor of the audi
enoe comes in. Actually the only safe
ha
nation OF this and other MSS. that
Goodwin as a manager accepted and
produced, having himself as principal.
is that he had waited so long in his
career before doing It that audiences
had grown up to comprehend that the
plays the thing"
A river OF crocodile tears have been
shed on the evanescent glory OF the
actor. OF most OF the great come
dams, however. there were legends ac-
companied by echoes which for con-
siderable period after death still kept
their memories green.
In the instance OF Goodwin there is
legend also, but rather a sordid
one. and so far there have been no
echoes.
1t is to ask il this discrimination is
fair and to couple the question with
corollaries that the disinterment OF the
MS. referred to has been done. How
easy il is to accept the commohplaces
that Goodwin was a great actor indifI
ferent to his art. that he threw himself
away on parts not worthy OF it and
that his careless treatment OF these did
bare justice to them and less than JUS
tlce to himself! The branding iron IL
hot needs but light hand.
Early in the theatrical season of
1905 Goodwin returned from London
to produce in New York as a partner
Of Charles Frohman a low comedy by
w. w. Jacobs, an amusing writer who
has remained more acceptable as an
author OF stories than as a play
wright. The characters in this Lon
don waterside comedy we're strange to
our playgoers, but no more so than
those in 1.-THE Better Ole" which has
so certainly caught on. But the Jacobs
comedy proved to be a one night affair,
and at the commencement of the sea-
son Goodwin found himself without a
medium and Frohman found himself
with star on his payroll for whom he
had no employment. The manager
turned over to the actor a script writ =
ten for Lionel Barrymore and sched-
! uled for production. with this young
actor in the lead. in the early part OF
1906.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-16
Play Producing Incident Throws New
Light on His Character

have anything done to swell the part
he was to'play.
THAT answers one OF our questions.
Our work together served to make me
better acquainted with him than actor
and author commonly grow to be. He
told me Of his life and ambitions. He
had lost money and prestige recently,
but parting with his place on Shooters
Hill, near London had apparently dis
couraged him more than his non-suc-
cess in persuading audiences to accept
him in Shakespeare. Here are some of
the things he said to me:
Every actor in Amerca who be-
gins as I did has TO live down his
past. It is as a flow comedian" that
my countrymen insist on seeing me !:
they simply will not forget that | went
on to the stage through the door Of
burlesque.
when they finally accepted me as
Nathan Hale I thought had won
them over. Hale was the role of a
hero and it required art to make a
stage hero Of him, / mean IL the actor
trying it was man whom audiences
for two generations had been accus-
toned TO laugh with and at. Then I
dared to put on Shakespeare. I didn't
play Hamlet, but chose the roles nature
seemed to have given me reason TO
play. was Bottom, | was Shylock.
Did I have a chance in either? Not
a look-in. A veritable stranger would
have succeeded better. All the money
| spent on these two plays was lost
when the curtain went down
80 much for Goodwin's quote.
Now for the third question: Was
Goodwin more mimic than actor? I
suppose that any man with a right to
be on the stage must have some OF
the quality OF the mimic. II he isn't
holding up the mirror TO single
specimen of humanity then he has
selected physical and mental traits
| from several which he tries to blend
into a character. Goodwin did his
blending unconsciously, because he
was not merely mimic, but n born
actor. 1t was only when you asked
him why. he did a certain thing that
he would try TO trace a tone or action
TO its source and then he used his
mind. He could always trace them
but he seldom made the effort because
he knew instinctively that they were
true.
THE fact that, he did net embroider
character laborously is partly re.
sponsible for the Goodwin legend. The
people who long ago accepted the man
as the best actor on the American
stage-there were and are such people
also accepted the legend withou,
doubt He passed for an idler with a
Discrimination to work and one so vel
endowed by nature that he didn't have
TO work, Acting TO him was merely
part of life broken up by spells OF
| sport, gambling and drinking to ex.
cess, and by other spells of what We
may call philandering. His profession
was no more serious than his mar.
riages. He was the spoiled child OF
women and OF the stage. That is the
legend.
1T is absurd on the face. To pla,
! for forty years, creating innumerablt
! characters, to give the public his best
except in times Of desperate discour.
agemcnt. to fall and rise again always
! fresh always new-his last appearance
| in why Marry seemed a, lively a.L
! sponRncops as any part in his vas,
repertu!re-No work for this long tim,
and leave an estate valued at $4,000
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-16
Continued from First Page.

anchored automatic contact mines.
These mines were laid in waters that
are VIGOROUSLY hazardous and SUBJ
jected to strong currents and the IRE
uuent sweep of driving gales.
The task imposed upon US, as well
as the British, is to do our utmost to
sweep up this vast array of submarine
weapons, and to do 1t. despite the
hazards involved, with the least pos
sible delay. But no matter how rapid
ly this work may be prosecuted there
still remains the disquieting likeh-
hood of a considerable percentage OF
tkse mines breaking loose or being
carried, anchors and all, into areas
remote from their original positions.
One has only to look at any reliable
chart showing the paths and the direc-
tional movement Of the Gulf Stream
and the Labrador Current, not to men
ton the westward outpouring Of the
Mediterranean, to realize how mines
planted originally in the North Sea,
the Mediterranean and at other points
along the coasts of France, the
British Isles and Scandinavia may be
carried many hundreds Cd miles from
their deaISned ancberages.---
The worst of it is that the trailing
wire rope and attached sea growths
may be quite sufficient to steady the
weapons vertically a that their
decorating apparatus may be still
cooked" so to speak. Released to
this extent. the mines may wander
hither and thither.
II by chance these menacing
dereiiots are borne westward and
caught by the Labrador Current they
might all too easily be impelled to our
own shores and carried southwark to
points along the Atlantic seaboard all
the way from Cape Cod to Cape Hat
teras. Again mines driven from the
coast of France or out through the
Strait of Gibraltar might fall in with
currents that would bear them past
Madeira and the Canary Islands and
thence westward and over into the
West Indies and the Caribbean Sea.
The figures already published in the
cases of Holland and Denmark prove
,conclusively that a considerable per-
centage OF the mines planted by the
belliBerents broke away from their
,anchorages, and while thousands were
washed ashore who can tell how many
Others were set free by breaking
icables and left Undecided TO the urge
OF wind and tide?
In November 1917. Lord I.ytton.
ci'll Lord OF the Admiralty, Informed
Inc House OF Lords that in the three
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-16

years which ended with October of
that year 122 vessels had been lost
without trace. This was Great
Britain's sacrifice and did not include
the disappearance OF the craft Of other
powers. The normal average Of un-
accounted losses among British ship
ping in times Of peace did not exceed
fifteen vessels yearly. Plainly, the
difference was the toll exacted by the
submarine mine-in the main the drift
ing mine.
The British authorities, conformably
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-16
Sweeping the Seas of Deadly Mine

to their obligation to mariners at
large. have been engaged for some
while now in clearing away certain
Of their mine fields. Because of the
risks involved 1t has become the prac-
tice to destroy these weapons by sink
ing them by gunfire after they have
been brought to the surface by the
sweepers. British fishermen are loud
in their complaints against this pro-
cedure and rightly so. First, the
mines so disposed OF are merely car
ried to the bottom. II not exploded by
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-16

but in three hours everything Is on
board, the boats are hoisted in, and the
steamer. which rejoices in the name
of Dramatist, is at the bottom OF the
ocean. e. Her crew consists Of
fifty-f1ve Indians, who again come in
most OPPORTUNITY for me, to help in
shifting the coal from the hold into
the bunkers. a long hot job.
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-08-15
BRIEF CHRONICLES
BYLAND And SEA
Ticks and Flashes Which Bull
Ietin in Condensed Style the
News of the World.
TIMELY HISTORY PARAGRAPHS
Events at Washington Which Loom
Large as Crucial Happenings.
Industrial Activities at
Home and Abroad.
PEACE BULLETINS

Rumanian troops lave occupied
Budapest, capital of Hungary, despite
representations made by the ltallan
representative, having advanced from
the River Thesis on Sunday. The Ru-
manians promised that order IN Buoa-
pest would not be disturbed.
The President believes every week
that has passed has added to the
strength in the Senate of those who
favor ratification, without amend
ment or reservation.
President Tschaikovsky of the North
Russian provisional government is In
London to urge Great Britain to adopt
a definite policy toward his govern
ment. He says the allies doubtful
stand is affecting the morale OF the
army and retardlng recruiting.
President Wilson's demand that
Premier Clemenceau keep peace data
secret from the French Chamber has
made a distinct impression in Paris,
and the newspapers are asking what
has become of "open covenants"
Negotia tions are understood to be
already under way With Democratic
senators to induce the administration
to accept a reservation program, and
from the attitude Of President Wilson
In his White House conference some
Republicans believe he will accede to
the proposal.
Regarding Shantung, 1t became
known that in the very near future a
declaration throwing light on Japan's
intentions is definitely counted on. 1t
may come from Tokyo, but failing
that, from the White House.
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-08-15
RADICALS INCITING
NEGRO TO VIOLENCE
Publications Being Circulated in
New York Urging Blacks to
Join the |. w. w.

New York.-The federal government
has evidence that radical elements IN
this country are taking advantage OF
discomfort among certain parts OF the.
negro Dopulation to intensity ill feeling
between the races. Within the last
three days federal agents have report
ed that the l. W. w. is circularizing the
negro section of Philadelphia and this
city, the circulars being worded in vio-
lent language, sometimes illustrated
with cartoons of the most vicious con-
ception. In every instance the circular
urges the negro to join the l. w. w.
and in some instances to ally himself
with other bodies Of bolShevist SYM
pathies.
Virtually every l. w. w. and Left
Wing Socialist paper published in this
country is now taking part in the pro-
paganda. Some of the papers are edit
ed by negro agitators, who openly ad-
wise the negroes to arm and to defend
their rights, as one paper put it, with
fire, shot and she'll"
Dr. Robert L. McElroy, educational
director of the National Security
League, made public parts of report
submitted by Dr. L. 3. Moore, the dean
of Howard University in Washington,
who has been investigating the negro
situation, particularly in the south.
"Restlessness among the laboring
classes is found generally throughout
the South" says one report. "A well
trained teached in one of our larger
schools in the South told me the color
ed people We're being Organized Ivy rcp-
resentatives Of the l. w. w. The dis
gruntled attitude of the returning sol
dier is potential factor in the South
in making for uneasiness and large
measure of discomfort
Recently 1 heard from colored
man Of national reputation that there
were efforts on foot to have the color
ed people leave the South quietly, but
in a constant stream, for other sections
Of the country"
One of the most important negro
publications which is published in this
city in it's current issue comes out for
the l. w. w. 1t advises all negroes to
ioin because "the l. w. w. draws no
race, color, sex or creed line" adding
that with the l. ~ w. already num-
bering 100000, to augment it with
100000 or 100000 negroes would
make it fairly rival the American Fed
Grafton of Labor"