The New York herald., 1921-10-25

Richard Walton Tully was the enter
prisng manager who introduced at the
Comedy Theatre last night the timely
Importation from the English stage
1.-THE Right to Strike The four acts
tell an episode OF railroad strike in
small Lancashire valley. But the
conditions were typical OF every great
uprising Of labor--in measure OF that
which is now impending In this country.
So Mr.. Tuily presented Ernest Hutchin-
son and his drama to this country at
the psychological moment.
There is nothing about THE Right to
Strike" which provokes heroics. But
the audience was plainly interested in
spite of the more or less polemical
character of the incidents. The author
had selected the stage as the medium
through which to introduce his novel
theory OF retaliation. Yet he had kept
his framework so far as possible free
from his garniture of theatrical detail
for it's own sake. There could be no bet
ter indication Of the character of the
drama than the absence of all feminine
interest-save toward the end Of the
third act-from the predominating di-
visions of 1.-The Right to Strike"
Retaliation Against Strike.
The Lancashire town In which the ac-
tion passes lies at the head Of a valley
through which the little railroad brings
the necessities of life to its inhabitants.
When the employees Of the company
strike for more pay the young men of
the town--especially those who have just
returned from military duty in the war
try to defeat their ends by running
motors. One, young doctor. is killed.
The discussion between the heads Of the
railway and the strikers abetted by their
professional agitators continues without
result. tits then that the doctors decide
that no members of the families of the
strikers shall receive help from them
while the struggle continues. This act
OF retaliation is received with more or
less contempt by the strikers.
But the official medical societies ad-
wise the physicians that they are COM
PEELED by law to answer the call OF those
that need them. The strike ends by
compromise. Tho small community
makes the relations between the men
closer than 1t might have been were the
canvas of the picture larger.
Thus it happens that one of the strils-
Ing engineers was friend of the boy
killed when his motor dashed into the
wire across the road. OF course the
approaching birth OF his child makes the
services Of the physician indispensable
The father of the dead boy, led
by the intercession Of his widow.
consents TO visit the engineers wife.
But he cannot save her She needs the
skill of a specialist. Finally he. too.
consents, although the murdered man
was his most devoted friend. Thus the
doctrines OF religion are made eventually
to triumph over economics.
Simplicity OF the Play.
If this briee summary Of "rhe Right
to Strike" is prosaic 1t may be because
the author has not tried to make his
play anything else. There are no senti-
mental outbursts nor are there depar-
lures from the most literal language in
the discussion of economic questions as
well as In the more familiar passages
Maybe for this reason the play seemed
so often too impersonal to be as i'm
pressive as Ii should have been IN view
of it's other qualities. The discussions
of the second and third act remained
nothing more In spite Of their relation
to the scant dramatic action of the play.
Dramatically. indeed. the effective
minute came at the close of the third
act, wheI the engineer is called from
the conference to tho bedside of his
wife. who Is suffering. In vain he
appeals to the doctors who turn owav