Evening star., 1930-03-30

JOURNEYS END" is really not
= play about the war. but a play
about human beings in a war setting.
1t is what the author, an insurance
assessor, observed and experienced as a
lieutenant.
It is not a tract against the war. al
though it drew to the Savoy Theater in
London. where it was first produced, a
swarm of clergymen and paciflsts. 1t
is not unlike the Unknown Warrior,
a great intellectual study of war men
tality.
Mr.. Sheriff confesses privately that
he believes wars are inevitable, and he
has no hesitancy in denouncing them
or of writing a play with a perfect
moral. But he has not done so, he
claims, in Journeys End" which he
calls a drama of love and fear.
Journeys End" is play. which
adequately stresses the truth that the
brave man is not the one who has no
fear, but the one who has conquered
fear
The name. Journeys End" suggests
the lines from Shakespeare's Journeys
End and Lovers Meeting" but that Is
the connotation intended. Journeys
End" is not play of sweethearts,
for there is not a woman In the cast.
It is altogether a play OF manhood In
the profoundest meaning of the term.
The hero, Capt Stanhope, Is one
of those officers who grow more terri
fed of the war the longer they remain
in it. AS his terror of war increases, so
does his terror of himself. He cannot
face reality all the time; he can only
master himself when the need arises.
So he takes to drink and drinks so hard
that he undermines his health and Is
being drawn inevitably to his ruin by
collapse for physical reason or collapse
for the egregious dismal moral one.
This is the fundamental idea of the
play.
The dramatic content is heightened
by the introduction of a young ofhcer,
Lieut.. Raleigh, into Stanhope's COM
pany, who has hero worshiped STAN
hope for years. and to whose sister
Stanhope was unfortunately engaged.
Stanhope had been foot ball champion
and leader at the. school at which
Raleigh attended. He is afraid Raleigh
will find him out, will see his terror and
| other words, will bring the inner con-
| flict Of fear to its ignominious finish.
| He is wrong; Raleigh sees an ofncer
| who is devoted to his men. who guides,
| inspires and cares for them, and is
himself inspired to play the hero he
| would like to be.
There is yet another lieutenant, Os-
borne, a middle-aged Schoolmaster In
civil life-a competent, kindly, wise,
tenant who is getting ready to funk
! it, and shirk away to the hospital, and
| Cockney mess sergeant with rich
vein of humor.
Out of this material an unique play
has been shaped. The first dramatic
climax is evolved from Stanhope's fear
of what Raleigh will write home about
him and the reading of his letter Of
| praise. The second is the sharp ard
| his "funking lieutenant" when he
threatens to shoot him If he deserts.
These two high points are simply to
keep the play moving to its conclusive
| ending.
The German attack is expected. Brit
! ish general headquarters must have in
! formation about the forces in the Ger
man trenches, so yards away. Old Os-
| borne and young Raleigh are picked for
daylight raid which they make with
company of volunteers. Osborne falls;
| so do some of his men. The inforna-
| ton is obtained. Raleigh, the idealistic
boy. cannot pass over Osbornes death
as Stanhope and the others do in q
champagne feast to celebrate his feat
He remains dolefclly in the trenches
while the others get drunk, and he
comes down at the last to upbraid Stan
hope for his heartlessness. This Is de-
! scribed as the best moment of the
| drama, for Stanhope reveals himself
| fully.
Not care? He was drinking because
he cared What did Raleigh know
about suffering? Gould he not see?'
Stanhope breaks down. 1t is the real
istic collapse of the devasted man. Then
the attack falls and Raleigh is killed.
! War lies in the wait just beyond
! the dugout where all the scenes are
/ laid: lies there swallowing one man
after another, almost as soon as the
play has made them known and lovablc
After Raleigh's death. Stanhope riscc
to meet his doom. He squares his