Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, June 13, 1915, Page 29

\ Thae OMAHA SUNDAY /-\ French Soldiers in an improvised Theatre in the Trenches Listening to a Song of the War by the Poet Maurice Richepin, Who Is Accompanied by a Famous French Violinist on an Improvised Fiddle. Charming Actresses, Dancers and Singers - Among the Many Luxuries that Lighten _ the Nerve- Wracking Terrors of the Trenches By LIEUTENANT ERIC B. JOHNSON of the Royal West Kent Reglinrent. Field Headquarters of the British Army, near Ypres, Jume 6. IFE in the trenches is a I startling succession of nerve- wracking terrors and pleasant surprises, ever did the mind of a soldier concélye that so much death and misery could be cyowded into a hun- dred feet of trench as in this war, but mever did he think that so much would be done for his comfort and entertainment. After & day spent in facing asphyxiating bombs and 42-centi- metre shells that blow a section of the globe away each time they strike, we may, if alive, pass the afternoon or'evening at as good an entertain- ment as one could find at the Alhambra Theatre in London or the Folles Bergere in Paris. To put the finishing touch on the 1yxurious side of our existence, some of " the most beautiful actresses, dancers and singers in Europe have come to the front as war nurses. Six or seven million soldiers—the censor would not allow me to be sccurate—are jammed together, in- cluding both sides, on the western battle front upon a line about four hundred miles long. They are with- in easy distance, often within sight, of the greatest centres of population, the greatest centres of the luxury- producing industries and the most noted regions for producing choice foods in Europe. A German army Iis based in Strassburg, where the best pates de fole gras come from, while not far away the French are holding back the Germans from Champagne, where the drink that is needed to wash down the other delicacy is produced. Then another part of the line iy only sixty miles from Paris, which is still the headquarters of the art of entertainment, in spite of a tem- porary depression. Even we Englishmen are remark- ably near Home. Officers in our regiment have left a battlefield piled with dead on Friday evening, goue home to comparatively quiet Eng- land, ordered some new clothes, en- joyed a dinner at home and an eve- ning at the theatre and been back on the firing line agan on Monday morning. The old hardships, the loag marches, without sufficient food -or water, such as soldlers experienced in the American Civil War, the Rus- slan-Japanese war, the Boer war and other conflicts 1 been largely eliminated. There ig an abundance of food, drink aund clothing, and seven of many luxuries, which E:mny Atkins does not ordinarily et. - There is no chance for long d exhausting marches. On the other hand, there is the lcrowding together of soldiers such ‘as the world bas never seen before, stench arising from unburled |dead bodies and other causes, the absence of the nealthy freedom that campaigning in a rough country gives and the increase of the means of destruction a hundred times and more beyond any previous standard. We soldlers are thus being stimu- lated with rich food and lively en- tertainment to face an accumulation of terrors. As a rule, the trenches are cou- structed in three lines, according to well understood rules. They are connected with one another by cov- ered ways. The first and second lines are expected to repel attacks by the enemy. In the third are resting places for the soldiers, big “dugouts” where the higher com- manders have their headquarters and where storehouses for provisions, stcongholds for ammunition and so forth are concealed. In these rear trenches you would find an entertainment going on about every half mile along & line of three hundred and fifty miles on every day of the year. Morning and afternoon perform- ances are more popular than evening ones, for lights cannot be used at an evening entertainment, as they would draw the fire of the enemy. The German artillerymen are un- happy at night on account of the lack of targets, and everything that furnishes one ls nailed by them with joy and a rain of shelis. The actresses and the show gir! God bless them!—have never hesi- tated to come to the front to enter- tain us whenever they were able to do so, Dangers of death and mutila- tion have never had the slightest force in deterring these brave girls from coming to cheer us up. They have eagerly selzed the op- portunity to eome to the front as war nurses whenever it was possible. They make the best of nurses, for they are generally strong, sell-re- l{ant, accustomed to travelling and to facing all kinds of emergencies, Having mastered the art of facing an audience they are able to face any other kind of difficulty. ‘When not too busy caring for the wounded these busy actress-nurses turn round and amuse us who are still alive and. kicking. They have been of enormous service in helping to keep up the “moral’ of the sol- diers, which is the correct French expression for helping them to face the horrors and miseries of war, although most English people prefer to write that word “morale.” ‘The army authorities sometime ago recognized the value of theatrical entertainments to keep up the spirits of the troops. At Christmas time a large company, including Ellaline Terriss and Seymour Hicks, came out under official auspices and did some good work. Their visit was only a drop in the bucket, when considered in connection with the task of en- tertaining upward of three millien men. Since then every effort hax been made to have all the actresses Miss Phyllis Monkman in Her Curious Dance as a Vestal Virgin of the Ancient Incas, Which Has Soothed the Weary British Soldier. and entertainers possible come to the front. Above all, the thanks of the allled soldiers must be given to the won- derful Russian dancers, men and women, for all they have done tv entertain them. English, French and Russian soldiers have been equally entertained by these devoted artists. The language of the dance speaks to every eye, without regerd to nationality. 1 have found that there is some- thing in a shapely, dainty limb that speaks to a soldier more eloquently than any words from. a general officer can do, that ralses up his spirits and makes him ready to rush fnto battle with the spirit of a lion. Qne of these artists who has shown the utmost bravery in exposing her- self to danger for.the benefit of (he soldiers is Mme. Vera Fokina, the celebrated Russian dancer. She is o leading organizer of the Russlan Red Cross and a working war nurse. ‘When not busy nursing she takos oft her simple nurse’s garb and dons one of the wonderful costumes that she always carries In her trunk, even within sound of the roar of the guns A dance by Mme. Vera Fokina In- spires a soldier to deeds of herolc frenzy. Her grace and strength are 80 magical, 8o superhumean, that after seelng them he feels he can dance on the enemy's barb-wire entanglements and dodge nimbly between the bu! lets. How odd it is to find that Mlie. Gaby Deslys, most dainty and frivolous of Parislans, is giving all her spare time to the care and en- tertainment of the soldiers. She has devoted her services lately to the British, because she feels that they need amusing more than the French. that they should receive even more attention than her own countrymen for having unselfishly come to the ald of France, and especially for saving her dear Paris from the Ger- mans. The dainty Gaby may be seen driving the wreck of a once sturdy British soldier in her motor<ycle with its invalld chair attachment. She is giving him a ride in.a health- ful, dry country after his months spent in the swampy Belgium trenches that ended sudenly with a shell blast. She is chntfln; to him in her quaint, slightly broken Eng- lish, and her cheerful society will do much to put hi mon his feet again and stiffen his courage, Gaby is a perfectly wonderful gir! to cheer up the soldigrs. She under- stands men from top to bottom, but that does not. make her a mis- anthrope, although she is amiably ¢ cynical. Her quick perception of the most fundamental masculine weak- messes appeals at once to the frank and simple nature of the soldler, and he laughs heartily at her verbal sallles and Is delighted with her songs and dances. An hour with Gaby will drive away the blues from & company of men whose nerves have been strained to the breaking point. One of the great favorites of the British soldiers {s Miss Phyllls Monkman, whose songs and dances have helped many wounded men to recover. Her dances are extremcly varied, In one she represents a vestal virgin employed in the rites of sun worship as practised by the anclent Incas of Peru. In another she is a “Boy Scout,” while in still another dance she represents a lady of bibulous habits, Of course, it is not possible in every group of trenches to find a theatrical artist of the talent and personal attractions of those that bhave been mentioned. often organize theatrical and vaude ville entertainments entirely among themselves in which they dress up to imitate the leading stage favor- stes. It is excruciatingly funny to see a British Tommy decked out with a plentiful supply of paint, false hair and rags struggling to imitate some The soldiers Mile. Regina Storey in an Egyptian Dance That Is Supposed to Help the “Morale” of the Army. noted beauty of the legitimate or music hall stage. The French army possesses an enormous number of entertalners in its ranks. Some of the most famous actors, singers, poets and authors of France are serving either as com- mon soldiers or subordinate officers. You are not likely to visit a com- pany of French soldlers without finding that they have organized some regular system of entertain- ment. Sections of the trenches or suitable depressions in the ground are fixed up as theatres with seats and & kind of stage. A Names are given to these pla. '8 ol amusement. “Jardin de Parls,” “Folles Bergere” and “Moulin de la Chanson” are favorite titles. Officers are sometimes charged for admis slon. The soldiers employ t French wit In devising amu signs. “Messleurs the Germans requested not to shoot the artists” is one of them. Belleve me, life in the trenches is not entirely made up of horrors. Brown Eyes Are Browner in Summer THE colors of Nature have & regular season. All kinds of pigment, no matter what they be, are at their strongest in the late Spring and early Summer and grow weaker toward the Fall, being at the lowest ebb in Winter, It is a part of the regular rhythm of Nature which leads gradually through the whole year to the pairing season of the Spring. June is the month of brides in the fields and woods, as well as in the haunts of men. It is then that the flowers are gayest, the birds wear the most brilliant plumage, and even human beings re- veal deeper, richer colors in their halr, skin and eves. In actual fact, there is a distinct increase in colora- Blue eyes become .gray and hazel tion in Summer. become brown; brown eyes bLecome be to avoid it. plumage. browner, In tie amount. skin, the pigment or color cells incre burning taking place, no matter how careful one may In the same way the hair secures a greater lustre, just as the Summer coat of many birds is far more lustrous than the dullness of their Winter a slight sun Not only does Nature do this to helghten the attrac- tions of those who come to woo, but also the increase in pigment or color cells is a protection. and our skins become accustomed to a certain avi amount of light, less in Winter, more in Summer, in order to keep this balance exactly even, the colors are lessened in Winter o that the whole body may receive more light, and strengthened In Summer so that the surplus of light may be filtered down to the proper Our eyes 7 d 1ar Company. Great Britain Rights Reserved Dainty Gaby Deslys Taki Wounded Soldier for a BrE MAGAZINE PAGE a Convalescent ide in Her Motor Cycle and Helping to Restore Him by Her Sparkli Conversation. Spirit into the Wounded Soldiers. Not,however, in quite so scanty ments. gar-