A Soldier's Honour

Examiner of Plays' Summary:

A very silly melodrama, even more illiterate than the average. It has a confused and rambling plot, which falls practically into two acts, the second beginning with scene 5. In the first part Cora the female villain, one of a gang of spies, is in love with Gerard, an English officer, but marries Jack, also an English officer with some vague scheme of suing the position for her nefarious purposes. Incidentally she murders his father. Jack and Gerard are trapped in the spies' den and get off through Cora's love for Gerard. Eleven years elapse before the second part, the scenes of which are laid at the front. All this part is very stupid and ignorant as regards the customs of war and soldiers; Cora finds out that Jack is entrusted with an important despatch by a general and steals it. [...] she and the other spies are surprised by a hospital nurse who loves Jack, then by Jack and then by the general and others. There is much threatening and shooting and finally Cora sacrifices her life for Gerard and the despatch is saved. An extreme instance of the ignorance referred to is on page 17, when the general makes Gerard a hostage for Jack who is under suspicion. I do not think, however, that this silliness and ignorance would do any harm, because it is well-meant and has no intention of making fun of soldiers - quite the reverse. I think we can hardly prevent merely ignorant persons writing plays about the war. So while I mention its character, the play is Recommended for license. G. S. Street