The Washington times., 1928-02-04
lay Iamperers
POunced On
Diplomacy

So many columns Of inforrna-
klon have been printed about Sar-
deus Diplomacy. which Is to
have 4 jubilee anniversary presen.
tation with an all-star cast at the
National. beginning Monday; so
much has been said about the
distinguished artists who have
played it: so many lectures de-
livered on the subject Of the
MASTER craftsmanship bestowed
upon Ii that one. might wonder
why the play II hitherto SO little
known. Most OF those who know
Diplomacy have likely gained
their knowledge across the foot.
I lights Considering its inpor-
tance, comparatively few persons
have read the play. even IN the
theatrical profession You may
try In vain to purchase II at the
newest Or the oldest bookstore.
IN the New York Public Library
there Is only one copy, and thai is
quite buried with miscellany OF
plays bound In ii single volume.
Diplomacy" was written III che
days pf Lax copyright laws. Sdr-
dou himself withheld publication.
Yet, never was 8 play more yari.
0usly adapted. Sardou always
maintained that the garbled trans
lati0ns and the mutilated adapta
tions of his work in English
speaking countries did him gross
injustice. This can hardly be
Rainsaid considering the history
or diplomacy And. yet. through
all its transformations, il re-
manned Enthusiastically Sardou's
play.
On its presentation, under the
title 0f Dora, it drew such
large houses at the Vaudeville, in
Paris, that It attracted the atten-
ton Of Squire Bancroft, in. London.
Bancroft engaged two adapters to
accompany him to Paris, where
they carefully studied the play
Its action, its business, and its
effect on the French audiences
Returning to England, they jointly
evolved the play know there and
II the United States a. Diplo.
macy.
They recast the plot: cut It from
five acts to four; changed French
army officers. to English army Of
ficers; the Franco German mis-
understandings they transformed
into Anglo Russian differences; the
attempt of the German chancellery |
10 set EurOpe's foreign offices
mwarning with spies WIS tranHnnog-
piffed into the Eastern question:
the theft Of an official dispatch
was made to hinge on AngIo-Turk-
fish spheres Of interest Last OF all
the title was changed first to The
Afousetrapn then to Diplomacy
Crossing the Atlantic to the
United States the play was AZ
fected by further sea-changes. The
most curious version Is that men.
toned above as reposing in the
New York public library, published
IN Chicago in 1893. Again the /
donates" the plot makes much Of
gun-running and Cuban filibuster;
DE the army officers one becomes
an American Naval commander,
the other an attache Of the Ameri-
can embassy In Paris the p0littcaA i
nettIes turn In an armament race
among the great nations spies are
still active but the stolen dispatch
has evolved into blue-prints Of the
newest American battleshIp: and
lastly the character OF Lady Henry
Fairfax changes into b slangy
daughter of q Kansas City beef
trust nagEate married TO an
European princeling
The latest and-a greeabIy to crit
Ical opinion iii London the best Of
these versions Is that Of Sir Gerald
du Maurier, who used It in q
years run Of Diplomacy in Lon
don two seasons ago. And this is
the script, which by agreement
It'll Sir Gerald. Mr.. Tyler is en-
bioying for his all-star revival.