Industrial Workers of the World

The Fraser Film Company is patriotic. Intensely so.

There is a blood-mad population who desire sensational anti-German photo-plays to howl an booh at. The Fraser Film Company may hail from Germany, Palestine or Scotland, but when there is a profit to be made their business instincts are aroused.

German atrocities are needed so they must be enacted and photographed somehow. As Belgium is so far away, and so unhealthy, the “atrocities” had to be performed near the Sydney Gas Works.
The first thing required is a tame actor; the next thing is two supers that have been donned up in the paraphernalia and tin helmets, of German soldiers.

Scene: The Gas Works. The benevolent, white-haired patriotic hero is captured by the swash-buckling, sauerkraut-chewing, man-eating Germ-Huns.

He begs for his ten-bob-a-day life on his bended knees. The German Huns dance around, and threaten him with pea-shooters. The dastards prod him. (Get your handkerchiefs out, girls.)

The poor hero is agonised and with tears splashing down his cheeks he pleads for mercy.

Suddenly he springs into the air with a frenzied howl. The onlookers applaud enthusiastically at the good acting. The actor is, however, is not pleased at the reception, for one of the tame Germans has stuck his bayonet right into our hero’s rear anatomy.

Alas, woe is us, that such high spirited and patriotic sentiment should be spoiled by a blundering, comic opera German soldier. But it is extremely gratifying to know that the picture will do much towards arousing the indifferent working-class of Australia, in bug-infested picture halls, to the unparalleled and barbarous atrocities performed by German soldiers in the vicinity of the Sydney Gas Works.

The valiant hero is now in hospital and it will be pleasing for him during his convalescence to reflect upon the signal service he has rendered to his country by arousing the indignation of the Australian people against the dastardly outrage which a German soldier (hired by the Fraser Film Co.) inflicted upon an unarmed Empire-saver (also hired by the Fraser Film Co).

If the bayonet inflicts blood poisoning on our hero, we sincerely hope that the perpetrator should be court-martialled, and strung up by the toenails.

We also suggest that the Millions Club present the hero with a pair of second-hand trousers.

Direct Action, December 1 1914