The Dominion. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1909. ART AND POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 425, 6 February 1909, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1909. ART AND POLITICS.

There is a whole volume, of •commentary upon the political and artistic condition jf the English public in the announcement, which arrived by cable this week, ,hat an unparalleled furore has been ireated in London by the production of a irama dealing with England's unpreDarednoss for war. The line of thought ilong which this depressing news impels /ou depends upon which, you consider tho more important—artistic sanity or political sanity. But in either case the conclusion must be distressing. A play which ;reates a furore loud enough to attract he eye of the cable agent must of courso iave excited the Daily Mail into a fit of acad-line's, and that kind of play must iave hit very hard the hopes of the people who have not yet despaired of the British stage; for, with tho exception of a veryfew compelling prodigies of genius, which must impress tho gum-digger with jhe artist, the play that appeals strongly x) the largest audience is certain to be a pcry crude, bad play. One has only to recall tho monstrous list of "popular" plays that have been presented in this :ountry to b'e satisfied of that fact. Broad rvumour, false pathos, exaggerated situations, violence, and sound and fury are ilmost the essentials of a popular play; the wilder its offences against art, the nore likely is the drama to delight the largest audience. It is a notorious fact ,hat the best plays, dramatically and irtistically speaking, aro not popular, l'hey aro usually taken off tho boards iftcr a short, unhappy run, because Aeir appeal is not sufficiently wide. Considering tho nature of the subject, and its DbvioUs adaptability to the wildest meloiramatic purposes which the people love, she new play which has made a furore in London is probably one of tho worst plays published for some years, and that is saying a great deal. While it is disheartening, on artistic grounds, that a play thrown together for political purposes should achieve a great success before tho public, it is depressing to consider that the people' who would lot take their politics seriously, when presented in a natural guise, should be immensely affected when they aro administered in this unsuitable and inadequate form. The leaders of Parliament, tho loaders of tho Army, from Lord Eoberts downward, tho Press, and public bodies have urged the danger of Britain's unproparedness for war with eloquence and logic and sound arguments in innumerable speeches, articles and pamphlets, for years past, and their words have fallen Dn deaf cars. Now the presentation ofthe lesson in this scenic form, which does not admit of argument or study or reflection, has created a profound sensation, It is incredible that the people of London should learn anything worth knowing of. the problem of Homo defence from watohLug a two-hours' play, but probably tho

minds of moat of those who saw the , drama arb quite raado up about the. subject. The political play which is crude and bad art is just as certain to be crude arid bad politics, yet it impresses and influences thousands for a time. It is surely a reflection' on democratic rule when the people ■,who have votes, and to that extent controV the destinies of their nation, can only .be. induced to take'an interest in important national questions by such- a childish, partial, and misleading presentation, of thn • '.■-,...'•■; : '.'.-;-■'. : ; '.' : '.The quostion of political drama- is associated.with the. question ,of. political and social novels,; of which ■■ thero 'have been mbre,examples. ■ the lessons which the Churches: are apparently not -trusted to drive home are' incorporated in ■dreary . novels, of the .:typo7of'"When. it' was Dark,"; and .'"First ,'lt .was Ordained," which are '.published. with / the endorsement:' of a. bishop'; The atrocities of ■ Chicago slaughter-yards;, and the evils of ' the. extremes of. wealth and poverty in • New /York; are forced upon the public ; attention'in a medley of bad, fiction, '. which. the public curiously devours. Al- ' though they make , : a temporary sensation, bogkabf .this kind are short-lived. Prob- ' ably no one reads "The Jungle" ; to-day. ! With;a,few examples,' when' a Governmoni ' or ■municipality.' takes , '■} .is doubtful if their ' influence--lasts'\ibe-' ' yond ; ,the'brief.term of their:lives." : : The ; excitement; which has ; beqri : roused io-day ;; by, a drama oh -British defence was an- ' ; ticipated; :a dozen 'yeara ago, by the sensation/ caused■'; by 'Me. .Louis .Teacy's ' novel, "The and .that' novel ; w.as. already forgotten, a few.years;later, ' when Me. Willtam'Lβ Queux-produced j his; sensational: romance, "The : Invasion : \ of 1910.";...'Both'Sthese.book's.provoked a I :liyely';-;'..-:momehtars; ■; ; in'.v f the ' question. :; of;. - defence;-,-' as. ::litera-! . they';.' were \. entirely:.: :worth- : .less,;,; and; their,political '; gauged by.the factithaithQ-'British public' '! . had completeiy. forgotten the.alarm which '■: they..produced;:and;wokeVup;.with:a- new t ; t %iU;sopn'-afterwards : when: i an--unkn(rwn : .' dramatist/covered-thesame,; :or very siini- ; ■ ;hr,.;feround.:':Very>6ooii.they ; l^in, : have : ') forgotten .the. play; as-they; forgot: the ■ ■: fa^9fi''.:'-:V'Now.vthotXa;: .iarge'.'numbor.:'pf-' ! people in /Australia.like" to introduce" a"■ •excitement.into; tame;'liyes by ! ■imaginingseveral.million;inurderous yel- i ■; low ; men>reeping'-down over.■'■'that'invit- ] : :ing;Norfihern;Territory;■ to abolish Syd-- ] ney. or .Melbourne; ' . a; lively, 'melodrama, bringing -close '' the ; homd details ] frighten /-many , .pepple:. 'desperately;'. and ' ,the ; ;;»nti-Asiatic;. .agitation•"■, : . would' , be ' ; know-' ' Jedge.: !*Butithe;iears:.would ;not': be ! rati6nal,:.nor would'the'plaV'be i mgJqng.^One,does : npt.Teffiember:a'p(iiii- 1 ; ticaU drama vi n ;;thl serisef of. ; a - drama \ effect an.yimmediat? political; / objebt/which'isan'anyway-famous'from : , i ;a (Jramatic::pomt of •view, 'or a .political : noyel,vin'-thoVsame sense, which is", dis-i ' tinguished ;froni'a : literary point of wiew;. : ■.^lstohcaland-satirieal.dramW'and'fic-. - tjip n: belong'^another"clause. ; v/:; ■ : '.''.■ ■''"; ;;-'-jThera''ia' one;,instrument of : art ■ which : :' 'has .been; used'with entire effectiveness'for . an^immediate , political' purpose andvthat is the- song..v.The ballad; with : a 'good Jilt '■■ can:be a terrible weapon.:^ :; ,fK'.'-:i : :':r : '.-- : -©^V dr eam;,atiiea3ure .iM' ': 1' ,3 "■'•' 'a j g0 °— an oon 9 u er a erown '■' ■' ■' ' ,v;AndHhree with a?new song's.-measure"' ; >•;';,: V^.'^J a .Wple;.o'-kingdom down; .:...■ ;- ■*' •; ..It was > P.o.litical'.baUad^^tilUbullero,"' -whichr"sung;fJames ; ll'out'of three • ballad, Vurilike;thenbyel ; '; Wie,;Plfty>.. dpesjnot' • , : ; dangersJhey had , notjpercevved.:' ; lt'sim- ! ' ' : : W sCpncehtrates,:an;;words % ancl;:air:' that , ■ ■i^?P* : 4eaye and' . 1 :bura;ihemselyes^heje;;tni : men:are'dfiven ! i ; to; frenzy, th;eV';aspira- ! ' "known an<l i : felt ) derive r-ajiiew' ' ■ 'motiye.-power frbm. ; thisVincessarif;'r6peti-. : ■: vtion:^!The,political ■ I art;;;.,;Lillibiillero'; ; .doggerel,; .though; it' was : not much worse ■ ; than , ' sprigs;'that have been ..written-' lately;' '■ I "on^itheVfiscarquestion^^iria:stated-that' ,: ] I there:have,been;p]ays;wfitten ; bn v thefiscal: ;problem; as ; ;they are.'never heard : parently*they did, inot : achieve/even the ■ Buccess of :popularity.'.'Starting from this/ ■ :'example,.. one;:p;erceive's;> : promising field ; ior/future: ; dramai.inVa^hundredfeibjects •that, have.'.nbi/hithertb been touch'ed-the : / currency,';:the .Budget,vand/ 'in ; ; ; New, ;'j ■ ;Si^' "Joseph /Ward's}; A,'play ) '■ , ;whichivma'cle;- these; things ; ; jnterestifigi I 1 ' ; wpuld/have-some''claim- to';be"called art,'. ] ■ '■ ;e#; of-.art.:to';make v usilovelTyhat;we' ha>e': . iried: a>hundred;times'before^.and v found- : "' ; .dull..ea , chvtime:^ : v:-:" i ; < ;r;V:-.':<^ r c'-:? ;.; : v';;; : .-'',