TRADITIONS AND CHARACTER

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 127, 25 November 1929, Page 8

TRADITIONS AND CHARACTER

IS THE PLAY UNJUST?

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—lhis letter has been delayed, as it was-not desired that the excellent acting of the drama "Journey's End" by the company producing it should go with less reward; nor that the appreciation of its audience should be diminished. The letters of "A 1.F." and "JST.Z.E.F." are very much to the point, and it is fully time of the general public, who, as J* fi wt-' ,say *'. had not the "privilege oi lighting lor their country" were warned against the sordid misrepresentations of tiie facts of the war put forward as a best seller, such as "All Quiet on the Western Front" or staged for crowded houses such as the play "Journey's End." it is utterly wrong that the sacrifices of those who suffered and fell, and those who served and returned, should be exploited L iTf that the y°unSer generation should have their national morale sapped; and that the bereaved should have their comfort in what were undoubtedly 6! o£*e.??° st glorious deeds in the annals of British history torn away. . Your correspondent, M. Jones, in spite aflW? PP + l ren* IPowledse of how the war affected the returns of commerce, has little understanding of international aftairs. Hi S I( i ea that anyone, in this year ur> f%* 719^' * e? dea™™g to "dress up and glorify warfare" is absurd The whole activities of diplomacy amongst the better thinking nations of the world are concentrated on the avoidance of war If which l*^ C3USe more than which forces war upon the world from as rpv VTi? ISJ he question o£ s«^val as revealed by those same returns' of commerce mentioned by him • Let us remember that, in 1914 a group of Powers wished for world dominationthvT™. 1 su Pren"acy. They sought it by force of arms. They lost both in E&5? m-P f hs' sical force The soldier gained the victory, with the backing of the nations. The fruits- of the victory v£nr- Q the h.? nds of the Politicians of the victorious nations; whether they gathered &, a 1 or "<>? ea™°*> it is submitted! be cannot V * generation; so that we S fi fT n fr°m a «*»merdal viewpoint, that the war was futile Tinf if tt.'s? ft?" nati«i<=n sorted mmm I#i-:s.?Ki unjust to th P I m luestion is grossly «! } the character of the British SS.^™* for theeiollowg (1) It is extremely unlikely that any WW °ffl C6r W°Ul, d W Prevented a reDortTn^Ce^ COmplaining of illDess from ha ~ I g,to the. medical officer; he might thJ ™ * \ D°te Siving his opinion on ficer character t0 medical ofI (2) To force an officer who has developHihW" St estent of "Lieutenant Hibbert m the play to go on duty would have been ndiculous-his services would nave been useless as leader in action, and he would have been a danger. He should I nave be e n put lmder arreg( . and eh d ! with malingering. It is not in the make up of every man to be fit for leadership in action.

. (3) The action of "Captain Stanhope" in representing to young Raleigh that lie would have to submit his letters to censorship by him, and struggling with him 'tor possession, jyas that of a cad. JDhat

a gallant and efficient officer should do it is so very improbable that it leaves a very unpleasant impression. An officer who did such a thing would find that he would not long retain the respect of his juniors. Officers' letters were subject to censorship only by the censor at the

(4) An officer who had established a reputation for gallantry seldom took to drink to steady his nerves, and even then. not to the.extent that "Stanhope" did in. the play. If an officer became in such a condition it is extremely unlikely that his commanding officer wouid repose much confidence in him. "Dutch courage" was not responsible either for winning the war or bracing shattered nerve*.

(5) The probability of an officer being kept for three years without wounds, sickness, or rest, with an infantry company, was very remote. There is far too much morbid sentimentality about the cam theme.

These opinions are given as a result of service extending for the greater part of the period of service of the Ne-»,Zealand Division in France, and at no time were the conditions observed in any way suck as shown in this play. In justice to the author it must be conceded that the char-' aeter of Captain Hardy and Lieutenant Osborne, as well as the Colonel, Lieutenant Trotter, Adams, and the Eergeant-major, are very well drawn, and truly typical. It is a pity that there were not more such. in the play. In your review you stated that this is an indictment of the wickedness of war rather than a play. But even propaganda for what may be a laudable purpose must not stoop to juggle with the chardut'' s of men who were doing a stem

The root causes of war are not to be Umnd in the possession of armed forces. .Those forces are merely the outcome of .international distrust arising from social, religious, or commercial aims in conflict " the conference table can smooth over such difficulties, the hopes expressed by Air. M. Jones may be fulfilled; but for the attainment of that end a change of heart in every nation on eartb must take place. The character o£ a nation is a re.flex of the character of its people; until the root causes of national disagreement are .wiped out, we cannot expect that internahonal harmony will be firmly established.—l am, etc

INFANTRY COMPANY COMMANDER.