Evening public ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, April 13, 1915, Night Extra, Page 8, Image 8

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ttMLtC LEDGER C6J1PAN Y
CTnva It. k cuims, Pimidsxt.
Charlei It l.iullnnton.Vlee-PreMnt i John C. Martin,
Fretry nii-1 Trniifen rhllln a Collins, John H.
WIIIIArn". Ulrn-tnra
EDtTOlttAL tlOAtjlDt
Cibub It K CcBtHCHhlrmiin.
Pi IL JyiUtET .... fareuttve EJItor
JOHN C. MAPTIN'. ... . .General tlualnoa Manager
Published dally at Fintto LtMEB Ilulldlnff,
Independence Squire, Philadelphia,
LttuER CrstiiALu i . . . .Broad and chestnut street
Atuvhne Citx. rma-tnloa Ilulldlntr
Nt roat 170-A, Metropolitan Tower
Citfc-ioo. . ..i, . 817 Homo lnnurarce tlulldlnjt
LoK-fcON 8 Waterloo t'lace, Tall Mall, S. V.
.. NEWS UUIIKAUBs
WiimtsaTOH Hdheab Trio I'ojf nullum
Nsw Yonis ncRBjiD.. The Tfmn llull'llni:
Hint.! IIciiau wi Prle-lrlchstraxa
xmpox UuitKAl) 2 Pall Mull na?t. S W,
Pims JJMEAU.. ,,.... . 32 lluo Louis lo Grand
suD3cnirrioN terms
fir carrier. Ditt.T 0tT, ulr cents. tv mall, postpaid
eutalda of Pihltailelpliln. ept hero tnrelnn potnce
la required, LMIt.T Oxt.Y, one month. tncnty.flve rental
Dailt Onlt, one enr three ilollara All mall aub
acrlptlona payable In inlvonc.
BELL, 8000 WALNIT Kt.YSTOiSE, MAIN 3000
DP" Addnss oil rommmilrufioiM to Evening
Ledger, Independence flquare, rtiUailctyUta.
KXTEDED ITTnirilltADCLPlIII for TOrrtCE iS aCCONO"
CtABB MAIL MITtrS.
FIHLADELPIIIA, TtlhSDAV. Al'ltll. 1.1, 1913,
Death is the first irio wrote that all men arc
equal.
Christianity lias Not llrokcn Down
WHETHER the prayers ot the I'opo bring
penco or not, Cardinal Gibbons Is con
vinced that tho cause ot Christianity will bo
advanced Tathcr than retarded by tho war.
Tho Cardinal is evidently not one of thoso
men of llttlo faith who seo in the war tho
breaking down of Christianity. Whatever
elso It may be. it l.i not that. There have
been wars before and Christianity has sur
vived them, and there havo been wars that
have been followed by Treat revivals of re
ligious fervor. The Cardinal, as he told an
Evknino Ledger representative, linds that
"already a fresh, strong Impetus to religious
practices the world over has been given by
this war."
Of course he hopes that tho Influence of
tho United States, the only great political
Power not involved In the war, and tho in
fluence of tho Roman Catholic Church, which
Is potent In many European 'countries, may
bo used In hastening peace. This is a hope
In which oven the belligerents can Join, for
they must be longing for peace with a groat
longing Just now. Hut it is not likely that
either the Pope or the Cardlnnl hopes for a
patched-up peaco merely for the sake of
peace. They both know that peaco can not
bo made until some of tho issues which
brought about tho war are settled In such a
way that the disputes will not break out
again before the Ink on the treaties is dry.
Industrial Accelerators for the Pacific Coast
THE opening up of part of Alaska by
railroad is of great importanco to tho
Pacific coast. Secretary Lane has already
approved tho route for the Government line
from Seward, at tho head of Resurrection
Bay, to Fairbanks, on tho Tanana River, a
distance of 471 miles. About 70 miles of tho
road Is already In existence as tho Alaska
Northern line. This privately owned prop
erty Is to be taken over and developed. Tho
now road with its branches will tap tho
Katanuska and the Ncnnna coal fields and
make It possible to get tho "black diamonds"
to tide water. It Is announced that the first
work to be done will bo the building of a
wharf and the deepening of tho channel at
Ship Creek, on Cook's Inlet, to enable ships
to lijnd supplies and to carry back coal when
the mines havo been opened.
It Is not probable that much coal can be
got out before next year, so tho .Pacific coast
States cannot expect Immedlato relief. Sec
retary Lane announces thnt the Matanuska
coal Is acceptable to the navy, and If the navy
can use it, It can be used In Industrial plants
as -well. In a year or two, therefore, tho
price of coal for manufacturing plants' ought
to (all on the Pacific coast. A largo coaling
station for tho navy is likely to bo estab
lished In Alaska to supplement the station In
the Sandwich Islands. Tho route from San
Francisco to Japan by way of Seward Is
much shorter than by tho way of Honolulu,
and the Alaskan coal merchants ought to do
a thriving trade with merchant ships, as well
as with -warships, which will take tho
shorter route if they can get cheap coal that
way.
Cheap coal will put the Pacific coast on
the manufacturing map,
A Martyr's Crown Is Not for Him
THE Moderators' Council of tho New
York Presbytery Is wiser than some of
the zealous prohibitionists attached to tho
Presbyterian churches, for It has decide
that the Rev. Charles H. Parkhurst, ono of
the most distinguished Presbyterian clergy
men In the country, has been guilty of no
offenso against Presbyterian faith or prac
tice in telling the people of California that
they would do more for temperance at the
present time by attacking the consumption
of spirits than by seeking to bring about
absolute prohibition.
The oharges against Doctor Parkhurst
were so silly that It did not seem possible
that they could be seriously considered by
the New York Presbytery, but as that Pres
bytery has so many times done what seemed
to outsiders Impossible things, the religious
world was waiting with some curiosity to
learn how it would act In this case.
Of course, Doctor Parkhurst and every
other clergyman Is opposed to Intemperance,
but It Is not yet generally admitted that a
ipan cannot be a Christian if he Is opposed
to prohibition. So the New York clergyman
may still exercise his best Judgment In urg
ing those who ask his advice about the best
way to promote the cause of temperance.
And the Presbytery has fortunately avoided
adding to Its reputation for narrowness.
Reason for Failure Is Under Your Own Hat
THE policy of the Government for sev
eral years has' been based on the theory
.hat it is impossible for a small corporation
tffiuht a b'ff Jrust. It has been assumed
i ii at there M no Initiative and energy left
oUtslde qf the big corporations capable of
oiUenalng with the combined skill of the
capitalists who have organized them. Rut
the facts do not sustain this assumption.
The, United States Steel Corporation, which
is fighting dissolution In the courts, does not
control the steel industry because it does
not control the energies of all the men en
4gged In It-
jji recent astounding rise in the price of
the shares of the Bethlehem Steel Company,
which la not in the trust, ought to convince
eve the most skeptical that there is no
wporation so big that it can, overawe men
wHM swtftftteo and snargy who go about
(hMr hitnim In a businesslike way. The
XtatMAtttt Mlfy has euted orders for
nanism of aritw' worth of material from
9
EVENING LEDGER-PHILADELPHIA, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 1915;
Europo becauso Mr. Schwab was wise enough
to go abroad to get the contracts to keep his
mills busy at a tlmo when Industrial depres
sion nt homo compelled him to look nbroatl
for work. Instead of bewailing depression
ho sought to remove it by going ntler busi
ness where It was to be found. Before the
war started ho was In active negotiation
with both China and Russia, but when ho
failed to get tho Industrial contracts that he
sought ho put tho samo energy into getting
war contracts.
Every alert business man understands tho
secret of the success of Mr. Schwab's com
pany. A personality Is behind It and not an
Impersonal Industrial organization. It Is the
man and not tho trust thnt gets the busi
ness. And so long as there Is a real man In
charge tho small corporation can hold Its
own with the biggest. And the Attorney
General can persuade tho courts to dissolve
every trust In tho country without bringing
any rcllof to the man who could not havo
competed successfully with the corporation
before It wns dissolved. It Is easy to blamo
some one else for your failure, but If you
fall, tho reason for it is found, nine times
out of ten, under your own hat. The trusts
can be fought by a man who knows how to
fight them.
A Good nnd Faithful Public Servant
T
service which has characterized tho activ
ity of Director Norrls is emphasized by his
determination to retire from tho Mayor's
Cnbtnot nnd dedicate hi., energies nnd
talents to tho cause of better housing,
With conspicuous ability lm has wrought
out comprehensive plans for tho Improve
ment of tho port, nnd ho hns enlisted In
advocacy ot those plans a formidable public
sentiment which has already manifested
Itself In political support. The achievement
of those plans Is now largely an engineering
feat, whercforo Mr. N'orrls feels' Justified In
retiring from this special Held nf activity In
answer to the summons from another arena,
tho humanitarian aspects of which make a
particular appeal to a man of Mr. Norrls"
qualities.
Thore can bo no higher work than "to nllc
viato tho distress In health and mornllty
among hundreds of men, women and chil
dren." However humiliating to civic pride
It may be to know that the enemies' of decont
housing aro domestic, that there ore bad
tenements becnuso selfish Interests make a
great profit from them, It is correspondingly
Inspiring to know that the citizenry of
Philadelphia can still furnish unselfish men,
Impregnated with noblo ideals, who are
ready at any sacrifice to champion the cause
of tho needy and battle In their behalf.
The Mayor has accepted the Director's res
ignation. It is based on such lofty purposes
that ho could not do otherwise. The city
will shnro with him his regret in losing so
capable an otllcer; it will rejoico with him
in tho knowledge that the cause of decent
housing has already been measurably fur
thered by Mr. Norrls' decision, and Is cer
tain hereafter to he materially benefited by
his devoted activity.
A Giant Pin-pricked by Piprmies
WHY any English newspaper in the Far
East should call Japan's demands on
China "a dirty trick" is not clear. It was
obvious from the beginning that Toklo would
expect some recompense for ousting the Ger
mans, and what better opportunity for en
forcing a definite Japanese policy could be
expected than this, when all of Europe Is at
war and there Is nono to Interfere?
That many American newspapers regard
the Japanese demands as entirely proper Is
merely an indication of the general feeling
that China Is Intended for exploitation, nny
how, and that Toklo is simply following the
path laid out' by European capitals. Were
China a military nation, the Japanese noto
would have meant Instant war; but China
happens to be an easy-going, h-ge, disjoint
ed Government, Incapable of defending Itself
adequately and an apt prey.
Yet It swallows up its conquerors, as Persia
did tho Greeks of Alexander. Concessions
foreigners may get and special opportunities,
but China is forever China, Inscrutablo and
obstinate. Tho thousands of foreigners nro
engulfed by Its millions. So all that Japan
can do, or any other civilized Power, Is to
teach China the secrets of Western Industry
and efficiency. .Thereafter, when sho Is
ready, China, a mighty beast conscious of Its
power, will handlo her exploiters as easily
a3 a Brobdlngnuglnn would Lilliputians.
The dye situation Is entirely blue.
Whether the spring campaigns have begun
or not, the spring tonics have.
Doubtless there aro a good many failures
who are Bure It is "Billy" Sunday's fault.
The general opinion seems to be that Eng
lish cruisers have better guns than eyes.
The Germans have captured 5510 guns. The
next thing will be to get ammunition for
them.
It appears that Thaw has1 found an asylum
in New York instead of the asylum In New
York finding Thaw.
There are some good things the Organiza
tion stands for and there are some "good
things" that stand for the Organization.
It may be said that to build sU bridges
across the Rhine woutd cost tho Allies more
money than any other six bridges ever cost
The difference between a steamship and
ordinary business Is that when ope sends out
the S, O. S. It gets an answer and the other
an Indictment,
If the British keep on seizing American
ships there won't be any seamen left to get
the higher wages the Government thinks
they ought to have.
Possibly Chicago went Republican as a
sign of its appreciation of Senator Penrose's
victory in Pennsylvania and possibly because
of Doctor Brumbaugh's.
Good evidence of the benefit of a protective
tariff is found in the fact that as soon as the
war put Its equivalent into effect prosperity
began to appear in the United St. es.
The Industrial Relations Commission, not
content with learning the amount which the
Pullman car porters receive as tips, is ex
hibiting a great deal of curiosity about the
health of Robert T- Lincoln, the president1 of
the Pullman Company There never was a
comiia with so many commissions.
A WIDER USE OF
THE SCHOOL PLANT
Lessons From New Activities in
Philadelphia and Other Cities.
Opening the Doors of the Public
Schools to the Public.
By WILLIAM D. LEWIS
Trlnclpal of the William Penn lUch School.
WHY spend public money for this? This
persistent question cannot bo evaded by
any public activity that costs money. It Is
a fair question. Tho public expenditure thnt
cannot glvo a satisfactory answer to this
question ennnot continue Indefinitely to com
mand support. Tho Interest that can show a
constantly Increasing return for the money
spent Is sure to receive larger nnd larger
liberality from the public. It Is because tho
public schools have shown this constantly
Increasing return thnt the American pcoplo
have been willing to lavish their money on
them with nn ungrudging freedom probably
shared by no other object of their bounty.
Tho records of our Board nf Public Educa
tion placo a valuation of $26,322,000 on tho
public school plant of Philadelphia. The ex
pense for maintenance and permanent Im
provements for the Inst year wns $1 1.260,7715.
Thin Is an Immense Investment, nn enormous
nnnttnl outlay. Thnt it is worth while no
ono questions. The development of wide
spread Interest in our social activities within
tho Inst few years, however, has suggested
that there may also be somo valuable by
products thnt arc worthy nf our careful In
vestigation. "Tony" and "Iky" Lincoln
Tho Hot ace Howard Kurncss School, at 3d
ind Mlfllln streets, wns opened Inst spring.
It wns the first of the elementary schools to
be equipped with n satisfactory auditorium
I.nenl Interests Immediately sel::ed upon thli
opportunity to grt together. The drnmntlr
Instincts of the grammar school children
prompted them to visualize certain elements
nf their study-world. So Mother Goose, Cin
derella, Itnbln Hood, nnd scores nf the worlrt
chnracters of Imagination have in four short
months delighted the children nnd their par
ents nnd friends In this, the people's own
house. Roy Wnshlngtons and Llncnlns have
for a few minutes nt least felt new emotions
of patriotism ns they stood In the limelight
to represent before schoolmates nnd friends
these personifications of American national
ity: nnd proud fathers and mothers, tho refu
gees from foreign despotisms, hnvo had new
visions of tho meaning of our democracy In
the stories nf the nehlovemonls ot humble
virtue. As they pointed to the "Tony" or
"Ikoy" Lincoln on the stnge, they havo
mingled with pnrentnl pride the strange emo
tions of n new patriotism. Incidentally, they
have been glad tn contribute nn ndmlsslnn
fco of 10, in, or 2." cents tho price of a
screamy, salacious, syncopated comedy or an
Innne vaudeville. This money every cent of
It hns gone back to the school to beautify
tho walls with pictures or to enliven tho
school dny with phonographic reproductions
of tho world's great music.
Truly, hero is a by-product that Is worth
while.
Tho People's House
In this hall, too, the pioblcms of the schools
havo been interpreted to tho people. The
chief nf the Bureau nf Compulsory Educa
tion has explained to tho parents the mean
ing nf education to their children, nnd en
listed their co-operation In keeping them In
school. The parents nf children of tho sev
enth and eighth grades In several of the
grammar schools In the neighborhood havo
heard from principals of tho high schools tho
advantages nnd tho meaning of high school
education. The physicians in charge of tho
Bureau of Health havo explained tn tho peo
plo tho meaning and the necessity of their
regulations for public health. Tho chief of
tho now Department of Vocntion.nl Education
has explained to the parents somo of tho
opportunities open to their children nnd tho
kind of training necessary for preparation
for each.
The people havo flocked to this new houso
of theirs. Again and again havo hundreds
been turned away. All of this raises a ques
tion: Can not this by-product bo made still
more valuable? Can not It bo further ex
tended? Modern business often makes Its
profit out of Its by-products. Can modern
education profit by tills example
Hero is a recent illustration from the high
schools. Tho William Penn High School
needs an organ. A chorus of 1700 girls Is
Inspiring, but It needs the solid substratum of
a bass harmony to becomo most effective. Be
sides, tho whole realm of Instrumental music
could bo opened up to tho students and to
tho people who aro coming to this particular
ono of their houses In larger and larger num
bers every year If tho school had an organ.
There nro at least a dozen other reasons why
the school wants nn organ. Tho philan
thropist who could present one was disturbed
by the war or, like the god Baal had gone
for a nap or a walk. So the Student Associa
tion said, "let's begin."
One of the teachers wrote a dramatization
of Tennyson's "Princess." Another set tho
splendid lyrics of that poem to music. The
domestic arts department made 126 costumes,
and the Board of Education gave permission
to charge for the entertainment.
Then a surprising thing happened. Within
two or threo days of the opening of the ticket
sale the capacity of tho house had been sold
several times. "Wo can't run a regular
theatre," said the school. So hundreds of
peoplo who wanted to see the entertainment
could not. From tho evident demand, It
looked as If 10,000 more tickets could have
been sold If a real effort had been made. The
net result, however, was $1756 for the organ
IKE WALTON'S PRAYER
I CRAVE, dear Lord,
No boundless hoard
Of gold and gear.
Nor Jewels fine.
Nor land, nor klne.
Nor treasure heapa of, anything
Let but a little hut be mine
Where at the hearthstone I may hear
the cricket sing.
And have the shine
Of one glad woman's eyes to make, t
For my poor sake,
Our simple home a place divine
Just the wee cot the cricket's chirr
Love, and the smiling face of her,
I pray not for
Great riches, uor
For vast estates and castle halls
Give me to hear the bare footfalls
Of children o'er
An oaken door
New-rinsed with sunshine, or bespread
with but the tiny coverlet
And pillow for the baby's head;
And, pray Thou, may
The door stand open and the day
Send ever In a gentU breeze.
Wtth fraersnee from the locust trees,
And drowsy moan of doves, nnd blur
MORE
MEOTRJlTp1 1
fund. This nest egg awaits the return of
good business conditions or of the philan
thropist fiom his walk.
Interesting Possibilities
These experiences in both grammar school
and high school suggest nn interesting possi
bility. Tho people nf Philadelphia need to
get together. They need to know more about
their city Its schools, Its health department,
Its police department, Its government, its
transit problem, Its housing problems, and
its thousand other interests. Moreover, they
need wholesome entcitnlnment. Thenties
nnd movlng-plcturo shows they have in
abundance. Somo nro tolerable. Tho ma
jority aro questionable; somo are frankly
bad. E.Nclu.slve of those in tho Little Theatre,
tho Drama League has given a clean bill of
health to only live nr six different attractions
In Philadelphia theatres tills season. Of
course no one would dream thnt tho schools
ever could supplant tho theatres. Is there
not, however, n possibility that they could
supplement them? Is It not possible that
they could furnish a better standard of
amusement? Could they not encourage edu
catlonal lectures, low-price concerts, and de
cent, wholesome dramatic performances?
Aro there not literally scores of other things
that they could do on a strictly self-supporting
basis to the very great advantage of tho
great public that Is paying their bills?
The proposed Junior high school plan,
which would gather In separate schools tho
children of the last two yeais of tho gram
mar school and of tho first yenr of tho high
school, would, if adopted, provide convenient
centres for a large application of this wider
use of tho school plant. Thcso schools will
be much nearer tho homes of the people thnn
tho present high schools. If each building
were equipped with nn adequate auditorium,
gymnasium nnd swimming pool, tho useful
ness of tho plants for this new function
would be greatly Increased.
By using to its fullest capacity this im
mense Investment of $26,000,000, untold oppor
tunities of educational and social advance
ment can be opened to the great Philadelphia
public. The peoplo will gladly pay tho cost
of tho majority ot these activities In tho
slight fees necessary, so that tho Board of
Education need not ndd a largo sum to Its
budget. When Mr. Common People can go
to tho schoolhouso near his home and find
there others like himself to play games, read
books and magazines, do gymnasium stunts,
Join In debates, discuss public questions, sing
In choruses, listen to music and lectures, seo
Instructive moving pictures and witness tho
vltnlizatlon of literature In dramatic per
formances by his own children, the anti
social forces that appeal only to his worser
Instincts will have less force. Very many of
the boys and girls can be saved, not by the
denunciation of the evlla around them, but
by the good things appealing on every hand.
Higher standards of civic virtue, more un
selfish habits of social co-operation; in other
words, tho civlo virtues fundamental to our
democratic government and social order can
be fostered by opening wide the doors of
this one complely .socialized agency for
human betterment tho public school.
THE FIGHT FOR GOOD HOUSING
To h Kditor of the Evening Ledger:
Sir Allow me to congratulate you upon your
fine fight for good housing In this city. Your
spirit pf handling big Issues strongly, but not
sensationally, must commend your paper to
the thinking people of Philadelphia.
. ...... Jl J- RIDGWAY.
Philadelphia, April 10.
Of robin chirps, and drone of bees.
With afterhushes of the stir
Of Intermingling sounds, and then
The good wife and the smile of her
Filling the silences again
The cricket's call
And the wee cot,
Dear Lord of all,
Deny me not!
I pray not that
lien tremble at
My power of place f
And lordly sway --
I only pray for simple grace
To look my neighbor in the face
Full honestly from day to day--Yleld
me his horny palm to hold.
And I'll not pray for gold
The tanned face, garlanded with mirth.
It hath the klngllest smile on earth
The swart brow, diamonded with sweat.
Hath never need ot coronet.
And so X reach.
Dear Lord, to Thee.
And do beseech
Thou glvest me
The wee cot, and the erlcket's chirr,
love, and the g!a4 swtet face, of her.
jHSBKau mir.
TO BE PITIED THAN CENSURED
INTRODUCING THE PRINTED PLAY
A Literary Renaissance for the
Playgoers Unite in Praise of the Printed Play as a Means
of Checking Up the Stage And Good Fun, Too.
By KENNETH MACGOWAN
consider It Injurious to a dramatic work
that It should be first given to the public bv
means of a stape performance. A new play
van never be judged apart from its stir
t oundlngs, purely and simply as a literary
work. The Judgment will always comprehend
both the play and its performance; these two
entirely different things arc mixed up to
gether, and the chief attention of the public
is, as a rule, attracted more by the acting and
the actors than by the play Itself. Henrik
Ibsen.
o";
COURSE, tho best of all reasons for
printing plays Is that peoplo really en
joy reading them. That is why the dramas
of tho wholo Continent before the war
France, Germany, Russia, Scandinavia,
Spain, Italy were to be found on tho bo"ok
shelf or In tho magazines; everything from
French farces to Strindberg's terrible dia
tribes. And that is why tho printing of
plays has sprung up so sturdily in tho
United States the last two or three years.
Checking Up the Playwright
Aside from tho reader's enjoyment, how
over, thero are somo very good reasons for
tho theatrical bookshelf. Ibsen presents a
plea for tho playwright's work as ngatnst
tho other Innumerable factors that make
tho theatrical production. Henry Arthur
Jones, who prints his plays even before they
are produced, put this in a very amusing
manner In a profaco to "Tho Dlvlno Gift."
He lists In the order of their Importanco tho
factors thnt ho has found to make for suc
cess In the career of a play:
1. Tho vogue of the leading actor or actress,
apart from his talent.
2. The vogue of the theatre.
3. Tho vogue of the author apart from his
present work.
4. The personality of he leading actor, or
actress, getting a chance to express Itself In a
striking way, In a striking and suitable char
acter. G. Capable and dovetailing stage manage
ment. 6. The novelty or sudden popularity of the
theme.
7. A smooth ensemble of Intelligent and sym
pathetic representation.
8. A happy relevancy of mood and taste In
the first-night audience. It Is useless to play
the banjo exquisitely to a band of devout
Turks In a Quaker meeting-house.
9. The weather; the absence of any public
distraction or calamity; the absence from any
other theatres of any pronounced success of a
play of a similar class.
10. The desire of playgoers to see any play
that Is talked about.
11. 12, 13, Heaven knows what.
14. Tho author's bare work '
hts actual manuscript.
The real value of the author's work, says
Mr. Jones, Is obscured by the first 13 factors.
Thoy are also frequently responsible for the
failure of a play, Publication affords "the
best and easiest means of winnowing the
wheat from the chaff, and of judging
whether a play has any claims to serious
consideration; that Is, to rank as literature."
Out1 Only Repertory
Quite as Important, printed plays make
the best substitutes in America, almost our
only substitutes, for the repertory theatres
of tho Continent, which h.ave kept tho best
In dramatic literature always within reach
of the playgoer, There are signs of a change
here; more and more revivals and ventures
Into repertoires are being attempted. But,
in general, a good play once cast aside, by
its producer is dead to us except for in
ferior performances by stock companies.
Thus, for Instance, a most delightful comedy
which had a large vogue a few years back,
Hermann Bahr's "Concert," cannot be re
gained, by those who saw it, or encountered
for the first time by those who were, un
fortunate enough to miss it. As for the
great dramatists of Europe how many of
them should we ever know if we depended
on Broadway?
AH credit to the Macmillan Company tha
it was one of the earliest champions of the
printed play, publishing poetic and modern
drama when the demand must have been
very slight. It may now rejoice in many
rivals, so many that a California firm has
begun tbe regular publication of & list of
printed plays. Newer men, like Doran and
Huebsob. Issue Arnold Bennett ami Haupt
maan complete, gcrtbner's, besides print.
emm f
Drama Dramatists, Critics and
tng Galsworthy nnd Ibsen, has developed a?
excellent series In uniform black lncludio?
fifrlmlliprpv TVVinlrnfP Androvnff nr.A nln.4
son. Luce, of Boston, Imports many of ft?
Abbey Theatre's repertory, while Putnam"
prints Lady Gregory's plays, and Doadj
Mead many of Maeterlinck's. Harper's hai
Issued from time to tlmo such varied vol'
umes as Augustus Thomas' "Wltchiij
Hour," Tarklngton and Wilson's "Man from
Home." nnd Charles Rnnn KennfiVi
dramas. S
A Literary Renaissance
Three examples of systematic play puM
is only a single volume, from HoughKSf
Mifflin; but "Chief Contemporary DratMJ
tlsts" contains 20 representative plays ot,
tho world's best dramatic literature, somi
of them new to America and all brought W-J
gether Into n convenient volume for fbi
first time. Besides Kitch, Moody, Thomai
nnrl 7VTafIrrn ta Amni-lonno t InrlllrlM
Wilde. Plnero, Jones, Galsworthy, BarktJS
Yeats, Syuge, Lady Gregory, Hauptmaiiiw
Sudermann, Brleux, Hervieu, MaeterllncM
BJornson. Strlndberg and Tchckoff. Jj
Mitchell Konnerley, always venturing Into,
new fields, began his Modern Drama Serlell
in 1D13. it now Includes Ibsen, Ulacosa, ic
Italian, Becquo of France, Bergstrom frwf
Denmark, two such distinctive Englishaei
as Lord Dunsany and D. H Lawrance, the
Russian Andrcycff, und work by four inter;
eating American playwrights, Zoe AMp
Arthur Davison Ficke, Edith Ellis i
George Branson Hownrd. It Is such a MrijjV
cosmopolitan, representative, that Is of t
most value.
Doubleday. Pago hnvo another as pro
Ing kind In their Drama League Series. ',B
already contains. In sinclo volumes, "KW;
flllnr-" Vi. Pl.nHoo Vonvnn- "A ThOUIUd
Years Ago." bv Percv MacKave: "The OreS.
Galeoto," by Echegaray; "Tho Sunken BellV
by Sudermann: Henry Arthur Jwy
"Mary Goes First"; "Her Husband's 'Wlit.V
by A. E. Thomas; "Change." by J. 0. fra
els; "Marta of tho Lowlands," by aulmrp
"Patrle," by Sardou, and Bernstein's "ThltQ
This series Is particularly valuablo becsw
It Includes so many pieces that have bS
acted on the American stage. m
Even the magazines are Invaded by fill
printed play. Bostand's "Chantecler" ?i
out in Ill-fated Hampton's. McClure's print"
one of Arnold Bennett's comedies, and Wl ',
riey's, "Milestones." Less widely ircui
periodicals, like the International and ?K
Lore, make a regular feature of the prMg,
arama. wunin a year jjverjruuu -
printed three plays by Shaw that will titm
. . .... . , . ,iTwmltllflIl.l
oe nrougnc oui oy ureniano, '' ml
"The Great Catherine." and "AndroQlM IM
the Lion." This Is still very far from m
nrlntlni? nf n rnmnletfi nlay every VKBi
feat of the Paris L'Ulustratlon before, tj
war Just as all our current pieces qofi
And the book shelves bo quickly as aW
But there has been remarkable prosrMS-S
mleht hn hurried if only the American PjJ
lie cared for the Bavlng to be got from Pl
bound editions. '
Mnnaiwirtt na PuhHsherfl
T, nltir 1.aai.lfll tnfln&CCrS Q
nnmliAn tn h nrlntnl dramO. GWvJ
TlnftrAf tinth In Atttfnr. anH tn NSW I
has a little bookstall In his lobby and ru
his own productions, oven his 6h8KP
Into print. But Inertia holds the AnW
producer. The amount he pays- to ""'
npninnHnl tur,o.1 In P'rapls" WOUld tS
cnrwl -ufiv Inwnnla nnvlni? the Initial w
a paper edition which, told In tho lbl
35 or 60 cents, would find many puyai
vertise the play, nnd make a UUJ P
thH kIcIb Wlnhrnn AmPH had COPlM W
plays at the New Theatre printed priv,
.. ....a. j.in n..,iinn ''Every01
and "Experlenca" have been brought o
co-operation with their manager.
shouldn't every play put Itself l""1161
Into the hands of Its spectators? HfJjG
thur Jones, who knows as much.
as success, writes: "Publication, eW
fore nr after production, cannot "
to have damaged the success ot an?
A misbegotten novelised arama. -
called In artistic chalatanry by th
tlaed novel. Is mora llfceJy to wor
f?
i