AN ENGLISHMAN’S HO

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2455, 20 March 1909, Page 9 (Supplement)

AN ENGLISHMAN’S HO

A SOCIALISTIC CRITICIS Mr. Robert Blatchford, wri the “Daily Mail” on “An Englit Home,” says: — • If I had come across this play I privincial theatre without any ]i tory press fanfare I should h? with the conviction that I had rather good second-rate melodraj Frankly, I cannot believe tl phenomenal success is duo to the of the piece. The piece is crud< tislic. & , first-class writer woul kept the farce down; hi placed the vulgar clerk by a m fined Englishman; would have 1 the pitch.

Young English manhood is tint: ignorant of the arts of war; blir national conceit, or drugged by lon years of security and peace. B boys are not idiots nor milksops, are simply fine youngsters brou on a diet of peace and goodwillreservation in favor of a twofleet. To make the boys fools and bo bad art.; it spoils the effect —well mit that the theatre-going pufrj things laid on with a towel. Mr|j should be a typical middle class Does our average p| fool in his drawing-room withai set? .1 And then the volunteers! Is it sary to libel oUr volunteers?. served in the line and in the volui There are fools among the office both branches of the service. B volunteers, officers and men, i play are a gross caricature. Tin be needed also to make the- publi creep; but 1 don’t think so.

Who remembers that famous-p let, “The Battle of Dorking” ] the same story as this play; and ; better. Our people hare been. 1 with sweet insular security for c ies. They cannot realise the hori war. They have never imagine* tragedy, the indignity that alwa; low on the heels of a victorious in; This gives a plain hint to those sb but it is not a strong hint. He .have an attack on a villa. The. is damaged: a few men are kill sweet woman shrieks (and wo all; the deadly effect of a woman’s sbr masculine nerves), and then—enter bluejackets (played on by the pipers) and one Adelphi Territoria Britannia resumes her heaven-appi prerogative of ruling the GermanX “And I hope,” said a grey-hairet tleman as he came downstairs, *stß moral will he carried home to the of the people.” I was glad|to that. I love to think that thd; ly have assimilated a moral. dears get so few. But, what is the al of this play? I can see a good many different elusions that might be drawn/ir§ But is it my business to go into 1 matters? The lessons seem so ob: If you want to make and hold ar pire you must be.prepared to d it. Is that the moral? Or is the moral conscription I should call immoral. Put it in a plain, straight way, young men—while war is poss should learn to hear arms. That not imply conscription, for we a without conscription. Every natioj loves liberty should be capable 'of defence. That does not imply Inlj: ism; nor any form of tyranny or b coring.. ' : - V All boys should be trained to'-ii That does not say that .cricket and ball are folly ; they-are hot. Cricl nobler and better Than war, justh;' lin-playing is better;than until the world has’ grown wise} boys ought to be taught to defend’ country.- . Now, to go back to the pohi started from. How are we to ac for the success of the play?, Tput a suggestion that the success oi play arises from two facts*:; The j ish people know nothing about mil affairs—do not even know their-; volunteers and. soldiers; and therj ists to-day in the rather muddled Public mind a feeling of nervous -i the subject of invasion. The p not a good play /though tho last/| very much better than the rest), 1 has come at the psychologicalujo: It will be sent on tour, and it'vril ate a good deal if unintelligent j England has no need to get the |« Her sons are of the old race. Shi great country with great reserv power. All England needs istodi self justice. Ido hot believe-duri: ing stock is failing; but the best must have arms, and know how i? them. , )