By Pigeon Post

Examiner of Plays' Summary:

This is a spy play, better written than most, and with a novel setting. The scene is a chateau in French Lorraine, 20 miles from German Lorraine, in a room communicating with a pigeon loft: the hero, Capt. Paul Chalfont, is head of the carrier Pigeon Service and the birds are continually in evidence. All the characters belong to the French army. Paul is in love with Marie Latour, a woman doctor. So is Major Pierre Vaudry, a disagreeable character who quarrels and threatens. We find in a little that he is a spy, in league with Laeken, an orderly who is really a German. They intercept one of Paul’s pigeons bringing from a confederate in Germany a plan of attack. This apparently not having arrived Paul volunteers to cross the German lines in disguise and get it; he is accompanied by Laeken. In Act II Laeken comes back bringing Paul who is suffering from shell shock and has lost his memory; by the end of the act it is clear that he has really stunned Paul from behind; but Paul is shamming and with Marie’s assistance convicted Laeken and Pierre of their spying. In Act III there is some business of their trying to get off and a confusion of documents, too long to set forth here, but of course the end is happy and the spies marched off to be tried and shot. The play being concerned with the French army the questions of French susceptibilities arises. A French officer as appears above, is convinced of spying. But so, in other plays, have English officers there is some comic business of a general in love with Marie's sister, who drives his car, but the General is thoroughly sympathetic. The general tone towards France and the French army is all that could be desired. In my opinion the French are far too intelligent and too accustomed to freedom of the theatre to have the slightest objection to either of these matters. At the end of act II distant gunfire, drawing nearer, is heard. This is quite unnecessary to the play and on a rainy night might possibly be alarming. The point is worth considering.