 He was graduated from Harvard College in 1896, but he spent much of his professional life in Europe, first in France, then in Great Britain.In 1912, his "Milestones", written with Arnold Bennett, became a hit at the Royalty Theatre, playing for over 600 performances.He became a British subject in 1916 during World War I, anglicized the spelling of his name, received a commission as a captain in the British Army and served in the Secret Service Bureau in the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and Greece.