CHAPTER NINE
"FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE WORLD"
A DRAMA OF THE GREAT WAR
Act I: In the Manner of Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews
Act 2: In the Manner of Eugene O'Neill
ACT ONE
(Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews)
SCENE I
A principal street of an American city in the spring of 1918.
At the rear of the stage, representing the opposite sidewalk of thestreet, are gathered many people come to bid farewell to the boys of theBlankth regiment who are soon to march past on their way to France.
Extending across the "street", from footlights to "sidewalk", is a largewhite plaster arch, gayly decorated with the Allied colors.
On this arch is the inscription "For the Freedom of the World."
At the rising of the curtain, distant march music is heard (off stage,right); this constantly grows louder during the ensuing dialogue whichtakes place between three elderly women crowded together at the edgeof the sidewalk. These women, although, before the war, of differentstations in social rank, are now united, as are all mothers in theAllied countries, by the glorious badge which each proudly wears pinnedover her heart--the service star.
The Professor's Wife--I hear them coming.
The Street-cleaner's Wife--So do I. I hope my boy Pat sees me.
The Pawnbroker's Wife--I told my Jean where to look.
The approaching music and the cheering of the spectators drowns outfurther conversation.
Enter (right) the regimental band playing the "Stars and StripesForever." They march through the arch and exit left. Following themcomes the flag, at the sight of which all the male spectators (youngboys and men too old to fight) remove their hats. After the colors comethe troops, splendid clean faced fellows, in whose eyes shines the lightof civilization's ideals, in whose ears rings the never forgettable cryof heroic France and brave little Belgium. The boys are marching fourabreast, with a firm determined step; it is as though each man weresaying to himself "They shall not pass."
After the first few squads have marched through the arch and off left,the command is issued off-stage "Company--HALT." A young lieutenantrepeats this order to his men, and the column comes to a stop. The menstand at attention until given the command "Rest", when they relax anda murmur of conversation arises from the ranks, in which characteristicsentences "German ideals are not our ideals" and "Suppose it was yourown sister" show only too well what the boys are thinking of day andnight.
As the column halts, the three service star mothers rush out from thecurb and embrace their sons who happen to be in this company. At thesame time a very attractive girl runs up to the young lieutenant.
The Lieutenant--Ellen! His Fiancee--John! The Professor's Son} The Streetcleaner's Son } Mother! The Pawnbroker's Son }
The Professor's Wife } The Streetcleaner's Wife } My Boy! The Pawnbroker's Wife } Voice off stage--Company--Atten SHUN!
The farewells are said, the men come to attention.
Voice off stage--Forward--MARCH
The Lieutenant--(Pointing with his sword to the inscription on thearch)--Forward for the Freedom of the World--MARCH.
The men's teeth click together, their heads are thrown back, and with alight in their eyes that somehow suggests Joan of Arc the Crusaders moveon.
SCENE 2
Three months later.
A section of an American front line trench now occupied by the Blankthregiment.
It is early morning and the three soldiers mentioned in Scene 1 areconversing together for perhaps the last time, for soon they are to begiven the chance which every American man desires more than anything inthe world--the opportunity to go "over the top".
The Professor's Son--Well fellows, in a few minutes we shall be able toshow the people at home that their boys are not cowards when the fate ofcivilization is at stake.
The Pawnbroker's Son--Here's a newspaper clipping mother sent me. It'sfrom a speech made the other day in Congress. (He reads) "And we and ourchildren--and our children's children will never forget the debt we owethose brave boys who are now in France."
The Streetcleaner's Son--That makes a fellow feel pretty good inside,doesn't it? It makes me glad I'm doing my bit--and after the war I hopethe ideals which have inspired us all will make us better citizens in abetter world.
The Professor's Son--Not only will we be better citizens--not only willthe torch of liberty shine more brightly--but also each one of us willgo back to his job with a deeper vision.
The Pawnbroker's Son--That's right I am a musician--a pianist, youknow--and I hope that after the war I shall be able to tell America,through my music, of the glory of this holy cause.
The Professor's Son--I didn't know you were a pianist.
The Pawnbroker's Son--Yes--ever since I was a boy--I have had no otherinterest. My father tried to make me go into his shop but I couldn'tstand it. He got angry and refused to support me; I had a hard timeuntil I won a scholarship at a New York musical college. Just before thewar I had a chance to play the Schumann concerto with the Philharmonic;the critics all said that in another year I would be--but fellows--youmust think me frightfully conceited to talk so, and besides what mattersmy musical career in comparison with the sacrifice which everyone ismaking?
The Streetcleaner's Son--And gladly making, too, for it is easy to giveup all, as did Joan of Arc, for France. Attention, men! here comes oneof our officers.
The three stand at attention.
Enter the Lieutenant.
The Lieutenant--Well, men, do you feel ready?
The Three--More than ready, sir--eager.
The Lieutenant--Brave men! (To the Professor's Son) Come here a minute,Keating. I have something to ask you before we go over the top.
The Professor's Son and the Lieutenant go to one side.
The Lieutenant--(To the other two in a kindly manner)--At ease!
The Streetcleaner's Son--Thank you, sir.
They relax from their rigid posture of "attention".
The Lieutenant--(To the Professor's Son)--Keating, when we "go over",we--may--never come back, you know. And I want to ask a favor of you.I am engaged--to a girl back home--here is her picture (he draws aphotograph from his inner breast pocket and shows it to the Professor'sSon.)
The Professor's Son--She is beautiful, Sir.
The Lieutenant--(Putting the photograph back in his pocket)--Yes verybeautiful. And (dropping his eyes)--I love her. If--if I should "gowest" I want you to write her and tell her that my last thoughts were ofmy country and--her. We are to be married--after the war--if (suddenlyclearing his throat). Her name is Ellen Radcliff--here, I'll write theaddress down for you.
He does so, and hands the slip of paper to the Professor's Son, whodiscreetly turns away.
The Lieutenant--(Brusquely)--That's all, Keating.
A bugle sounds.
The Lieutenant--Attention men! At the next bugle call you go over thetop--remember that you are Americans and that Americans know how tofight and die in the cause of liberty and for the freedom of the world.The Three Soldiers--We are ready to make the supreme sacrifice if needbe.
The bugle sounds.
The Lieutenant--(Climbing up the ladder to the top of thetrench)--Follow me, men--
The Three Soldiers--(Climbing up after him)--Lafayette--we come, thoughpoppies bloom in Flanders field.
They go "over the top".
SCENE 3
A section of a Hun trench a minute later. Two Hun soldiers areconversing together; another Hun is reading a copy of Nietzsche.
First Hun Soldier--And then we cut the hands off all the littlechildren--oh it was wonderful.
Second Hun Soldier--I wish I had been there.
A Hun Lieutenant rushes in.
The Hun Lieutenant--(Kicking the three men and brandishing hisrevolver)--Swine--wake up--here come the Americans.
The three spring to their feet and seize their guns. At the topof the tren
ch appears the American lieutenant, closely followed by thethree soldiers.
The American Lieutenant--(Coolly)--We come to avenge the sinking of theLusitania.
The Hun Lieutenant--Hoch der Kaiser! Might is stronger than right!
He treacherously tries to shoot the American but the Professor'sSon disarms him with his bayonet. The three Hun soldiers offer a show ofresistance.
The Streetcleaner's Son--(To first Hun soldier)--Your hands are uncleanwith the murder of innocent women and children.
First Hun Soldier--(Dropping his gun)--Kamerad!
The Pawnbroker's Son--(To the other Hun soldiers)--Prussianism hasdestroyed the Germany of Bach and Beethoven and you fellows know it,too.
Second and third Hun Soldiers--(Dropping their guns)--Kamerad!
The American Lieutenant--Men--you have kept the faith. I am proud ofyou. Forward!
An explosion (not too loud to annoy the audience) is heard offstage right.
The Professor's Son--(Sinking to the ground) Fellows, I'm afraid they'vegot me.
The Streetcleaner's Son--What a shame!
The Lieutenant--Is there anything we can do to ease the pain?
The Professor's Son--(Weakening rapidly) No--go on, boys, carrythe--banner of--civilization's ideals--forward--without me--Tell motherI'm glad--I did--my bit--for the freedom--of the world--fellows, theonly--thing--I regret--is that I won't--be able to be with you--whenyou--go back--to enjoy the gratitude--of America--good-bye, fellows, mayyou drink--to the full--the rewards of a grateful nation.
He dies. The others regretfully leave him behind as they push on afterthe fleeing Huns.
The stage is slowly darkened--the noise of battle dies away.
Enter an Angel in the uniform of the Y.M.C.A. She goes up to the fallenhero and taking him in her arms tenderly carries him off the stage.
CURTAIN
TWO YEARS PASS
ACT TWO
(Eugene O'Neill)
SCENE I
The bedroom of a bachelor apartment in New York City in the Fallof 1920.
There is about the room an air of neglect, as though the occupant didnot particularly give a damn whether he slept in this room or in hell.This is evidenced in a general way by the absence of any attempts atdecoration and by the presence of dirty laundry and unopened lettersscattered about the room.
The furniture consists of a bed and a bureau; at the foot of the formeris a trunk such as was used by American army officers in the recent war.
Although it is three in the morning, the bed is unoccupied. The electriclight over the bureau has been left lighted.
The lamp flickers and goes out for a minute; when it again flashes on,the Angel and the Professor's Son are seen standing in the room, asthough they had come there directly from the close of the preceding act;the Angel, however, has completely removed all Y.M.C.A. insignia andnow has a beard and chews tobacco; from time to time he spits out of thewindow.
The angel--Why the hell weren't you satisfied to stay in heaven?
The Professor's Son--Well, I just wanted to see my old buddies oncemore--I want to see them enjoying the gratitude of the world.
The Angel--Hmmmm--well, this is where your Lieutenant now lives--and Ithink I hear him coming.
They step behind a curtain. The noise of a key rattling in alock is heard, then a light flashes on in the next room. The sound ofunsteady footsteps--a vase is knocked over--a curse--then enter theLieutenant.
He wears a dinner-coat, one sleeve of which hangs empty. His face iswhite, his eyes set, his mouth hard and hopeless. He is drunk--nothilariously--but with the drunkenness of despair.
He sits down on the bed and remains for several minutes, his head in hishands.
The Lieutenant--God, I'm drunk--(after a pause)--drunk again--well,what of it--what the hell difference does it make--get drunk if I wantto--sure I will--get drunk--that's the dope DRUNK--oh Christ--!
He throws himself on the bed and after lying there a few minutes sitsup.
The Lieutenant--Gotta have another drink--can't go sleep, Goddamn it--brain too clear--gotta kill brain--that's the dope--killbrain--forget--wipe out past--
He opens the trunk in his search for liquor. He suddenly pulls out hislieutenant's coat and holds it up.
The Lieutenant--There's that God damn thing--never wanted to see itagain--wound stripes on right sleeve, too--hurrah for brave soldier--armshot off to--to make world safe for democracy--blaa--the god damnhypocrites--democracy hell--arm shot off because I wasn't clever enoughto stay out of it--ought to have had sense enough to join the--theordinance department or--or the Y.M.C.A.
He feels aimlessly through the pockets of the coat. Suddenly, from theinside breast pocket he draws out something--a photograph--
The Lieutenant--Ellen! Oh God!
He gazes at the picture for a long time.
The Lieutenant--Yes, Ellen, I should have joined the Y.M.C.A. shouldn'tI?--where they don't get their arms shot off--couldn't marry a man withone arm, could you?--of course not--think of looking at an emptysleeve year after year--children might be born with only one arm,too--children--oh God damn you, Ellen, you and your Y.M.C.A. husband!
He tears the picture in two and hurls it into the trunk. Then hesinks onto the bed, sobbing drunkenly. After a few minutes, he walksover to the trunk and picks up one half of the torn picture. He turns itover in his hand and reads the writing on the back.
The Lieutenant (Reading)--"I'm waiting for you, dear--when you have doneyour bit 'for the freedom of the world'."
He smiles, wearily, and reaches down to pick up the other half of thepicture. His eye is caught by something shiny; it is his army revolver.He slowly picks it up and looks at it for a long time.
The Lieutenant--For the freedom of the world--
He quickly opens his top bureau drawer and takes out a box ofcartridges. One of these he inserts in a chamber of his revolver.
The Lieutenant--For the FREEDOM--
He laughs.
As the curtain falls he presses the revolver against his temple andfires.
SCENE 2
A bare room in a boarding house. To the left is a bed, to theright a grand piano--the latter curiously out of keeping with the othercheap furnishings. The room is in partial darkness.
The door slowly swings open; the Angel and the Professor's Son enter.
The Angel--And here you have the room of your friend the Pawnbroker'sSon--the musical genius--with a brilliant future.
They hide in a closet, leaving the door partly open.
Enter Jean, the Pawnbroker's Son. He has on a cutaway suit--a relicof his first and last public concert before the war. His shoulders sagdejectedly and his face is drawn and white. He comes in and sits on thebed. A knock--a determined knock--is heard at the door but Jean does notmove. The door opens and his landlady--a shrewish, sharp faced woman of40--appears. He gets up off the bed when he sees her and bows.
The Landlady--I forgot you was deef or I wouldn't have wasted my timehitting my knuckles against your door.
Jean gazes at her.
The Landlady--Well Mr. Rosen I guess you know why I'm here--it's pay uptoday or get out.
Jean--Please write it down--you know I cannot hear a word you say. Isuppose it's about the rent.
The landlady takes paper and pencil and writes.
The Landlady--(Reading over the result of herlabor)--"To-day--is--the--last day. If you can't pay, you must get out."
She hands it to Jean and he reads.
Jean--But I cannot pay. Next week perhaps I shall get work--
The Landlady--(Scornfully)--Yes--Next week maybe I have to sell anotherliberty bond for seventy dollars what I paid a hundred dollars for, too.No sir I need the money NOW. Here--
She writes and hands it to him.
Jean (Reading)--Sell my piano? But please I cannot do that--yet.
The Landlady--A lot of good a piano does a deef person like you. That'sa good one--( She laughs harshly). The deef musician-
-ho ho--with apiano.
Jean--Madam, I shall pay you surely next week. There has been some delayin my war risk insurance payment. I should think that you would trust asoldier who lost his hearing in the trenches--
The Landlady--That's old stuff. You soldiers think just because youwere unlucky enough to get drafted you can spend the rest of yourlife patting yourselves on the back. Besides--what good did the war doanyway--except make a lot of rich people richer?
She scribbles emphatically "Either you pay up tonight or out you go."
Handing this to Jean with a flourish, she exits.
He sits on the bed for a long time.
Finally he glances up at the wall over his bed where hangs a cheap photoframe. In the center is a picture of President Wilson; on one side ofthis is a crude print of a soldier, on the other side a sailor; above isthe inscription "For the Freedom of the World."
Jean takes down the picture and looks at it. As he replaces it on thewall he sees hanging above it the bayonet which he had carried throughthe war. He slowly takes the weapon down, runs his fingers along theedge and smiles--a quiet tired smile which does not leave his faceduring the rest of the scene.
He walks over to the piano and plays the opening chords of the Schumannconcerto. Then shaking his head sadly, he tenderly closes down the lidand locks it.
He next writes a note which he folds and places, with the key to thepiano, in an envelope. Sealing and addressing the envelope, he placesit on the piano. Then, walking over to the bed, he picks up the bayonet,and shutting his eyes for an instant, he steps forward and cuts histhroat as the curtain falls.
SCENE 3
Same as Act 1, Scene 1 except for the changes made in the citystreet by a year or more of peace.
The arch across the thoroughfare still stands, although it has becomebadly discolored and dirty; the inscription "For the Freedom of theWorld" is but faintly visible. As the curtain rises workmen are busy atwork tearing the arch down.
Enter the Angel and the Professor's Son.
The Angel--Stand over here, out of the way, and you'll see the last ofyour cronies--Pat, the Streetcleaner's Son--enjoying the gratitude ofthe world.
The Professor's Son does not answer.
Enter Pat. He has on an old pair of corduroy trousers, with hisbrown army shirt, and shoes out at the heel.
He looks as if he had not slept for days certainly he has not shaved fora week. He approaches one of the workmen.
Pat--Say buddy any chance for a job here?
The Workman--Hell no. They was fifty applicants yesterday. (Lookingat his army shirt) Most of them ex-soldiers like you. Jobs is mightyscarce.
Pat--I'll tell the world they are. I'd almost join the army again,except for my wife and kid.
The Workman--God--don't do it.
Pat--Why--was you across?
The Workman--Yes, God damn it--eight months. Next war I'll let somebodyelse do the fighting.
Pat--Same here. The wise guys were them that stayed at home and kepttheir jobs.
The Workman--I'll say they were.
Pat--(Growing more excited)--And while we was over there fighting,nothing was too good for us--"brave boys," they said, "we shall neverforget what you have done for us." Never forget--hell! In about a yeareverybody forgot there ever was a war and a fellow has a hell of a timegetting a job--and when you mention the war they just laugh--why Goddamn it, I've been out of work for six months and I ain't no loafereither and my wife has had to go back to her folks and I'm just aboutall in--
During this speech the work on dismantling the arch has steadilyprogressed. Suddenly there comes a warning cry--"Look out"--as thesupports unexpectedly give way. Pat is too engrossed in his tirade totake heed, and as the center portion of the arch falls it crushes himbeneath its weight. After the cloud of dust clears, he is seen lyingunder the mass. By a curious twist of fate he has been crushed by theportion of the arch bearing the inscription "For the Freedom of theWorld." His eyes open for an instant--he reads, through the mist ofapproaching death, the words, and he laughs--
Pat--For the Freedom of the World--Oh Christ!
His mocking laughter is interrupted by a severe fit of coughing and hesinks back dead.
The Professor's Son--Oh God--take me somewhere where I can't ever seethe world.
The angel--Come to heaven.
CURTAIN
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