146 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDIES 



In the latter the dramatist has shown in thrUling and impressive 

 fashion the struggle that is going on between the Orient and the 

 Occident, founded on deep prejudices of race, rehgion, tradition, and 

 habit. He takes a number of Japanese students and civil servants and 

 places them on alien soil to work for the welfare of their native land. 

 The scene is laid in Berlin, though any of the world's great capitals 

 would have served as well. The Hungarian dramatist has shown 

 extraordinary insight into oriental ideals and Japanese life in par- 

 ticular, as is shown in the development of the following story: Toke- 

 ramo, a young Japanese nobleman, has been assigned by the Mikado 

 to a special diplomatic mission at Berlin. While there he falls into 

 the toils of a beautiful adventuress who nearly succeeds in wresting 

 his government's secrets from him. Warned by his comrades against 

 this dangerous woman, and finally convinced of her perfidy, he casts 

 her off. She, in revenge, denounces the diplomat, and Tokeramo, 

 goaded on to fury, strangles her to death. Immediately, in order to 

 save him because of his value to Japan, one of his fellow-countrymen 

 takes the responsibility of the crime upon himself, and is sent to prison. 

 Tokeramo is thus saved, but the guilty diplomat soon dies of remorse. 

 This is the briefest outline of one of the most powerful plays seen on 

 the American stage in many years. It met with great success, which 

 was also due largely, it should be said, to the superb acting of Mr. 

 Walker Whiteside in the leading part. 



These three plays, so varied in theme, treatment, and setting, show 

 us that Hungary is a force to be reckoned with in the drama. 



The most recent play of Hungarian origin to reach America in 

 English translation is a delicate little comedy by Molnar, author of 

 The Devil. Under the title Where Ignorance Is Bliss, it was produced 

 at the Lyceum Theater, New York, September 3, 1913. In a German 

 version under the title Der Leihgardist it was given at the Irving Place 

 Theater, February 23, 1914, with greater success than when given in 

 EngUsh. This play, somewhat after the style of The Devil, deals with 

 types rather than individuals. We do not learn their names, but are 

 told by the program that they are the Actor who is a jealous husband; 

 the Actress, his wife, who gives him cause for jealousy; and the Critic, 



