The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-14

most universal conspiracy ok the theatar N prove
him = vefitable worm ii intellect md aagacity.
n comparison with that wise little pInyinats *
the gods, woman
Long attendance upon tie theatar is certain,
sooner q later, - shake ones confidence d tue
whole breed Or Adam. Confronted month skter
month and year after year with irrsfntable proofs
Cf his own damning generic incapAcity, Offered
~ such profound and impreeuahle l6gicians -
G1ace George, Rachel Crothets, and d Bcofe cf
others who escape feeble memory, II II really
maftable that The average male critic IN able ~
summon TIE ccurage % observe himaoh n le
mirror. l
he Aforesaid Gtacs George, for akanpls, ~
neveFss % happy - when presented with The or-
portunity 3 wallow ii the 4ootlieht theory that
woman Ii cnsniscient md nan ii a. 40. Rachel
Crothess, tie playwright, has built ID Isrea enl
profitable list of customers 81 Alternating an
matte arguments that prove mans ccne1nital
sap-headedness with other arguments which pTOya
tie ordinary woman By I'll odds the aupsfiot "
the Wonaan who passes Up babies 70 purgue
career.
Unfortunately, however, these stage squahbles
that revolvs about TIE question az which Is tie
superior woman are greaklv outuunbered ~ tho
efforts aimed Is prove that man eonssnitalIy
weak minded and doomed, were y not tor the
incOmprehenGble pity,and fOrbsarancs of Woznaia.
who alone makes earth habitable for TIE trousertd
sex.
Without attempting to cOrnbat such evidence
and argument, II il impossible Tor even TIE merest
man Is down u sense AZ snearing satisfaction
when some smart-aieck like Shaw comes along
Is prOte that occasionaIIys st leask woman + not
the naughty and conatitutionally gunefior animal
the staes, st most times, would have us hslisye.
This feeling d primary ID al other feeling in
fbe lnascuIine mind when bending IN eye u
Shawss adaptdtiOn 81 translaticn % Jitta's
At0nenaent,. play presumably from the pen o.
another Continental dramatist but play which
becomes almost exclusively Shavian, Once Il has
passed tie first-act corner.
Ones almost immediate secondary reaction,
after witnessing this particular drama, y pro
found admiration for the manner il which Shaw
takes the old CrOthers trsde-gOods. gives &
good start Is the first corner and then beats
Rachel I'll hollow III subtiety 81 treatment + i
very reminiscent Of the fashion ia which joseph
& Conrad takes The DID desert island holnm u
ayictoryn and thus Voluntarily Handicapped, lays
dawn lesson III treatment that must greatly
shame the traders III such tripe, H they. ever
chance Is read it, which IS doubtful.
IT IS simply impossible To restrain sense oH
nasculine RIee the moment one perceives The
manner ii which shaw, IN the play 1t the GarEick
last week, diligently and labCrioualy builds up
and panders to the felninine superiority com
nlex. BY the time the end Of the second set II
reached the play il almost scandal from ene
viewpoint Of the male.
Ssh Shaw has not only showed up the husband cf
the story as 32d degree blockhead, butshe had
added insult to injury By revealing how his vie
not only has conducted an affair with smother
man. hut has pledged her word to force her hus-
band to accept the authorship of book written
by the other man. Nor is this Al. Having been
Identified by the husband IS marital infdel, she
smoothly dictates the terms on which she will
continue living with him. under threat to leave ms
house and cause scandal that will embaTrass
him socially and prcfessionally
Nv the time this point in the tale i reached, y
seems that shaw can invent no further ignominy
with which to further besmudge the honor, the
intelligence and the self-respect of the husband,
and having thus reached his limit in that direction,
shaw Instantly starts off on the other tack TO
nrove the husband the very opposite Of block
head: to prove him, in fact, decidedly smsWa
and penetrating cynic who had not been fooled 90
badly as he has fooled his wife.
Z For example, the husband points out that he.
alone and unaided, saw through and uncovered
the wifes departure from the marital code, where
"a she has been totally ignorant, up to- that very
moment, of divers and sundry escapades on
his mart. Proceeding step further, the ex-Worm
annals her by adding that the object Of bis
arnatory devoirs, on no less than eyVo occasions
has been her own dearest friend also married.
Almost in twinkling OF an eys, IDS husDaa -
emerges from the muck OF ms degrauaeOns q
stand forth as an affable but by no means empty
headed cync who reveals, in 9 variable lgntn,lng
stroke of dialogue, his own circumspecF put ols-
game: of having to confess his transgressions.
lest she remain forever n ignorance st them. IN,
Shaw concludes his case Tor the u @ q ps;-
; i demonstrated his wife's own ineptitude for
the game in hand, adds to it the crowning insult
Of suggesting that she leave or nelng heroine
nounces his utter refusal to accept the authorship
Of her lovers book, simply because it Z Ousssnd;
;cc - the narticular brand Of idiocy that hap
pens to be current in the universe ct that moment
hat rIAn Nna3n