War Mates

Examiner of Plays' Summary:

This is a sincerely patriotic play, very vigorously written. John Sturger is a middle-aged skilled workman, a trusted leader among his mates. His daughter Mary Is courted by Steve Allison, another skilled workman, while all her thoughts are with her brother Tom and her cousin Wilfred at the Front. A strike is impending in a workshop important for munitions but not under Government control, the chief point at issue being the admission of non-Union workmen. Steve argues the case with Mary very well. He himself would rather have been at the Front, but cannot be spared as a workman and is working hard overtime; his argument is that the employers are taking an advantage which they will keep after the war and that he and the other intending strikers are upholding the rights of their absent 'war -mates'. John, influenced by Steve, is to make a speech in favour of the strike. But then Wilfred arrives on a few days leave. He is appalled at the idea of the strike, knowing what it means in the lives of soldiers. To gain John's influence against it he tells him that his own son Tom had to be left wounded on the field after an attack which failed for want of munitions, whereas in truth he himself had brought Tom in and had been given the V.C. for doing so. John is won over and is told that his son is all right and Wilfred adds very strongly put pleas for the works straining very nerve and not worrying about non-Unionists and john makes a fine patriotic speech instead of the strike speech he had intended. No doubt extreme upholders of Trade Union principles, even in these times, would object to Wilfred's arguments. But they are certainly what the men in the trenches are really saying, and I think can do nothing but well in being repeated everywhere. Recommended for license. G. S. Street

Researcher's Summary:

As well as being perfomed extensively in Britain, in January 1916 the play was taken to New York. 'The Era' reported on 5 January 1916 that "Mr. and Mrs. Henry de Vries sailed on Tuesday for New York ... The eminent Dutch actor takes with him these well-established successes, 'A Case of Arson, 'A Night with Arsino Lupin' 'Submarine 7', and 'War Mates.''