The Washington times., 1931-10-17
True To TYPE
A VOTE FOR MONEY
IN ITS STRUGGLE
WITH LOVE
-By GsHI.htERT SEH.DES-

LBy O9M MH1hG6HH01 SMIAABWnIS--'
l do not know whether l really like the American
business man or merely dislike the figure of the Amer
ican business man he appears in fiction. | know
that whenever read book play in which
wife, without thought in her head, protests because
her husband is interested in making money than
in making love- my first impulse is to say Good for
him. business man making money often is making
something else-bridges tin or shoe laces; and
it appears to reasonable that these products OF his
industry not only interesting to him. but possibly
of to the world than his attention to
his wife could possibly be- AS for the personal prob
lem these neglected wives crying to be neglected
with their constant wangs about love and with their
exceeding emptiness of mind It is notable that they
usually 90 off with lovers who with all the witty lines
of the dramatist, pretty thin fellows.
A New Type
Two plays on successive nights have used the bust
ness center; is Hungarian, one English,
and I should say at once that the second Lean mar
ves" absorbing play which manages not to make
automatic adding machine out of it's financler hero
complete fool out of his wife. 1t suggested to me
that between them England and America had created
new phenomenon in the nineteenth century-the man Of
business who differs fundamentally from the money
changer specuator and political hangeron of earlier
times
In the Hungarian play "A Church Mouse" you have
the old continental business not essentially inter-
ested in affairs although he preends to be- he in fact
business only means to crafty his interest IN
When he pulls off big merger he celebrates
by engaging light lady, ex-stenographer to make the
rounds of the night clubs with him. When the English
man pulls off a big merger (he plays identical
that pont) he is absorbed by it that he cancels his
appointment with his wife and to quick dinner
with his associates to make and to consoli-
date his winnings
BeIated News
Since do not have to review plays (and feel rather
sorry for those who do) get my fun out of thinking
about them and this outcopping of foreign interest in
American phenomenon the concentrated man of bust
D1ox,c knOIU Ior
years behind the times, especially thoughtful plays The
fnancers in these plays for instance, are men OF 1910
192O they not the defeated worried of 1881
They still think in terms of mergers, which Mr.. Ford
recently described the coming together of two
zatlons neither OF which is strong enough to stand n
you make money you have money But the man in Lean
Harvest, although he complains of WEAKNESS, of the
distracted life he lives with admirable frankness
that he gets fun out of making money it excites and
enertains him. And he turns viciousy his wife and
tells her that she has right to complain since she is
absorbed in money he is only the spending side.
lie Make-Money"
That is, to be sure an old idea which is new only in
drama. The whole complaint against America has been
that 'e makemome (as Frenchman called it in 183O)
has become an end in itself, l can't the crime
100 and 500 slaved to make hating
money, hoping by money to buy themselves out of their
low social standing; if they Jews they sometimes
wanted to be accepted by Christians sometimes wanted
to be able to defy the Christian mandate if they
commoners, they wanted to join the arstocracy They
made money by grubbng in filthy holes, because their
lives full of pretty small ambitions
The process of making money has gained in decency
since money has become virtue in itself (Ony gained;
long remains ahead before all the of becom-
ing rich will be decent The business in his highest
state of development has become something of artist
little of monomaniac and certainly something of
fool because, like most artists he overvaues his
work and often throws away his life worthless stuff
making money And thoroughv dsbeeve the sermons
on the joys of poverty.
Shaw's jeer
The Donnybrook yawp which over the air from
Bernard Shaw last week has done little to preserve the
reputation which Shaw bound to destroy. He
called he gloated; he managed to suggest that
Lenn beated follower of Bernard Shaw, and Shaw
the one man who had the right to at the whole
world would suggest to the guardians of his reputa
tion the Theater Guild in New York is of the
importantly that, since they cannot prevent Shaw from
talking, they turn his talk to purpose Every
time he announces radio broadcast they should bring
to light one of his earlier works-One of the good
AT the moment two are extremely appropriate: Heart
and" Maio