The Daily Worker

City History Club Is Peeved With "Gods of the Lightning"

THE first protest against "Gods of the Lightning," which has several characters who intimate that all is not right in the judicial circles of the realm, has been received. It is from The City History Club of New York, of which Mrs. A. Barton Hepburn is president.

The honorary vice-presidents are, among others, John H. Finley, Otto H. Kahn, William Fellows Morgan, Frank A. Vanderlip, Mrs. Jacob A. Riis and George W. Wickersham.

The letter from Mrs. Hepburn is as follows:

"Messrs. Hamilton MacFadden and Kellogg Gary,

The Little Theatre,

238 W. 44th St., N. Y. C.

Gentlemen:

At the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the City History Club which was held November 8th, the following resolution was passed:

It was moved by Mrs. Wyatt, seconded by Dr. Peterson that the President be authorized to write to the management of the play 'Gods of the Lightning' expressing disapproval of the offensive and disloyal utterings permitted to be spoken in the text. This motion was unanimously carried."

As a patriotic organization we offer this protest to the disrespect to our Constitution and flag.

Sincerely yours,

(Signed) EMILY E. HEPBURN,

(Mrs. A. Barton Hepburn,

President.)"

Mr. MacFadden, in replying to Mrs. Hepburn, intimates that the matter isn't so serious and that a research into some of the utterances which attended the birth of these somewhat United States might be interesting to those who feel that the speeches in the play are offensive. His letter follows:

"My dear Mrs. Hepburn:

I have received your letter of November 9th.

In reply, both Mr. Gary and I would like to say that we have produced 'Gods of the Lightning' because we know it to be one of the most important pieces of dramatic writing we have ever been privileged to read. It is not the province of a theatrical producer to question the opinions of characters within an author's play except on the ground that such expressions are not motivated dramatically. We believe that the dialogue in 'Gods of the Lightning' is unusually well motivated.

As producers, we should welcome suggestions to where we can find equally stirring dramatic speech.

In closing, may I step out of my role of producer and suggest that the History Club of New York might find interesting a perusal of some of the more important utterances that brought about the birth of this country.

Very sincerely yours,

(Signed)

HAMILTON MacFADDEN."