Evening star., 1925-09-08
sHUBERT BELAsCo-ystin Waters

Augustus Thomas has picked Ameri-
cas- most controversial. subject for his
new comedy. "Stin Waters" which
opened last night at the Shu
bert Belasco Theater. To those who
do not believe in prohibition the
Thomas play will be a kind of literary
oasis. To those who believe that the
chance of the human race lies in en-
forcement of the dry laws it will be
anathema. To those who believe in
prohibition-for others-and who vote
Tor II, but do not practice 1t, the play
may bring qualms of conscience, If
they have such thing about them.
Mr.. Thomas has dropped this alco-
holic bomb on the National Capital.
In the mind of the straightlaced pro
hibitionist doubtless 1t will prove a
'dudd," shameful thing that should
be driven from the stage. But what
of the hosts of men and women who
still have their gin and cocktails, their
high balls and toddies? For them the
play will stand after all on its ability
to entertain, to interest and to thrill.
It's author has been called the dean of
American playwrights. Certainly he
has written many successful plays. In
Still Waters" however Mr.. Thomas
essays the role of preacher-perhapS
we should say propagandist. The play
Is meant to teach a lesson, obviously,
and the lesson is too obvious. Sue
cessful lessons from the stage are
more subtle.
1t is difficult to discuss even. stage
prohibition without entering into the
merits or demerits of prohibition. But
Mr.. Thomas in his play seeks to es-
tabliSh that all prohibitioniSts and re-
formers are hypocrites or bigots, or
worse. Every character in the play
who stands on the side of prohibition
turns out to be a crook or a hypocrite,
while the ''antis" are ''all good fell
lows" Even Canon Kewback, the
clergyman who enters the realm of
politics for the sake of reform, is shown
to be a plotter ready to encourage
crime in order to win under the old
doctrine that the end justif1es the
means. So anxious is he to point
moral to adorn a tale, Mr.. Thomas has
piled argument on argument against
prohibition until the ramifications Of
the play become a trifie tedious and
difficult to follow. If the play is to
succeed as an interesting comedy that
holds the interest, the machinery must
be more simply geared. There are
too many wheels within wheels.
The playwright has come to Wash
tngton, the seat of the National Gov
ernment, for his scene and local
color-to the very Capitol Building
ALSCi1B WI u DOOllCSSCI 10 PiyAiI6
blithesome trade in the Office of and
with a Senator of the United States as
the purchasing end. And Mr.. Thomas
plays the Senator himself, a return to
the stage by the playwright after 25
years. He plays the part with judg
ment and nice sense OF values.
A Senator is no rara avis in Wash
ington. 1t is well understood that
some of them drink aplenty and vote
dry. But the Senator hero of the new
play-Senator Clayborn-has seen the
error of his ways. lie proposes to
vote as he drinks hereafter, and that
brings down upon his head the walls
Of wrath. The plot Is somewhat COM
plicated by the villainy of another Sen
ator and member of the House who
seek to kill off Senator Clayborn by
the dry" vote, because they are rail-
road owners and oppose the ST. Law
renee Canal project favored by Sen.
ator Clayborn. This bit Of villainy,
which is finally exposed, really has
nothing whatever to do with the ques-
ton Of prohibition in this country. 1t
Is dragged in in order to make It DOS
sible for Senator Clayborn to win his
fight for renomina ton.
Mr.. Thomas has included in his COM
edy, in addition to the bootlegger and
the politicians, naval attache of the
British embassy, who flies a seapIane
and is in love with the Senator's
daughter; a clever woman who knows
her way about the Capitol and COM