H. L. Mencken and George Jean Nathan for many years have sung
praises of the Moral in the Smart Set. But its production on the
English speaking stage still remains an event eagerly to be
awaited. Briefly, the play is a polemic against the "men higher
up," churchmen, reformers, and social hypocrites.

The translation follows the text implicitly. Four different
versions were made all varying in a degree from the original, and
although Dr. Thoma wrote to the writer "bin auch damit
einverstanden dass Sie in der Ubersetzung meines Schauspieles
'Moral' etwaige Aenderungen oder Adaptiereungen, die durch die
englisch-amerikanischen Verhaltnisse und den Geschmack des
amerikanischen Theatrepublikums geboten erscheinen, in
entsprechender Weise vornehmen ..." it was deemed best for
purposes of publication to try to preserve the original atmosphere
without an attempt to even transpose such phrases as Gnadige Frau,
or Herr Kommerzienrat.

CHARLES RECHT.

New York, October, 1916.




PERSONS OF THE PLAY


FRITZ BEERMANN, a wealthy landowner and banker.