THE GERMAN OFFICER ON THE STAGE.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1923, Page 4

THE GERMAN OFFICER ON THE STAGE.

A DRAMATIC CRITIC PKXALISEI). Berlin has been rich in theatrical lawsuits since the revolution, but the details of the latest one, which lias been dragging on for a year, arc particularly interesting irom the point oi view of German dramatic critics (states the •‘Observer’s" Berlin correspondent).

It is not very often nowadays that society comedies and dramas of pre-war days are revived, the contrast witti present day is too painful. “Old Heidelberg’’ is a rare exception . The officer's tragedy. "Bose Idonday,’- inspired some criticism on the part of the then editor of the .Socialist. "!• roiheit.

who wrote it up in a highly polemical leading article maintaining the value of the play from the viewpoint of the historian.

“Such weak-minded dolts and rascals,” he says, “as the Prussian officers depicted by the playwright, are typical of their times ; small wonder that the war was lost If Gar..may’s officer corps was filled with the most extreme types the nation produces in the way of suipiditv. brutality, and general aniorality. 'Those men as they appeared on tlte stage and in the author s mine

possessed ideas of honour and duty inbnilely below that of the canine race. Fnder tliese circumstances it would not I . p-,, con It if Germany paid milloud gold marks t , the Allies for riddireg her of such an incubus.’ A l’rus.inn general reacting tors il i:ic ism wua lc-d in terms infinite, l.v more .jve than the English translation, hit him-eif and the whole Prussian ~v ins.died, and brought an action v.: j- libel against the writer. 1 h‘‘ ( uiirt found that the attack was matte ,-,n,ii pro-, i-i'i efl’iccr-' in their relive it v be foie the war. and that the pi.iiulifi’ was justified in taking a ner•oil'll view of the matter, lit all • a O -"- w here a body is atiaeked the right of the individual to plead in the name ot the community must he recognised, to avoid the danger of misleading generalisations corrupting the public mind. This means that in Germany any member ol an audience taking objection to auv rolled ions on Ids particular profession made by a critic who interprets the | bayw right’s intention as best tints him. may lving a Id 1 action, and. in a", probability, win it.