The Washington times., 1916-04-04
Germany, Austria, and Belgium
Relieve Worn Nerves by
Watching PhotopIay Stars.
COWBOY DRAMAS. POPULAR
Women and Children and Old
Men Left Behind While Away
! Thine at Picture Shows.

Motion pictures have been pre-
ocfibed by several OF the radical
members OF the medical profession
who write what they practice.
But Belgium, Austria, and Ger
many are said TO furnish the actual
application OF the photoplay pre-
acription to worn-out and sorely
wrecked nerves.
Kari X. Kitchen, who II a CORES
pondent for the New York World.
and has been all over Germany. Boil
Rium. and Austria during the past
year, ia authority for the statement
that the motion picture has been
the savior OF those countries.
The current issue OF the Photo
play Magazine has q long story By
Mr.. Kitchen setting forth these
Facts. Among other things, he
writes:
There is but one topic Of CONVEX
satlon in Berlin--the war. There 10
but one place where the Berliner
can forget 1t and Its concomitant
horrors and sorrows-the lichtspielo--
the 'movies;' and then only for al
hour or SO, because war scenes are
a part OF every Aim program And
though the common grief OF the
nation cannot be wholly forgotten
even in the common recreation the
movies go far toward making lie
bearable.
Gin Vienna and Budapest. capitals
OF the dual kingdom, where every
cay life has not been so poignantly
tainted by the nearness Of the blood
demon, they laugh aloud at tho an
80 he lNN N
lin, they only smile. for In Kulturs
center they take even their pleasures
seriously. Even in Brussels, the
BUNDLED Belgian enjoys the TRACE
dies and comedies OF the cinema
and forgets. for the time, the grief
that came with the gray-clad hordes
from the east.
Relief In Belgium.
swell, 1t might be worse. solilo-
quizes the phhosophic Belgian. The
tyranny OF no ancient or medieval
conqueror was tempered by the
cinema.
"Of all tha war capitals, Brussels
seems to be the real home of the
movie fans. The city IL dotted with
cinemas. as they are called there.
and they are filled morning. noon,
and night.
"There are several reasons for this
surprising condition. Brussels, Of
course. Is under German rule. and
the native population IL in mourning
for the sad plight of their little
country. They have no heart for
theater golng-that Is, attending
Germans are trying to bring 'Kul-
tur' to the Rclgians, and there are
two theatere devoted to German
plays, which, OF course, are avoided
by the Brusselois. +,
las the opera is closed and travel
ing French dramatic and musical
companies are unable to reach Brus-
sells, moving pictures have become
the popular amusement for all
classes. They have the advantage
of being inexpensive-a very import
ant consideration in ,wa- stricken
Belgium.
"Of course, al, the films shown in
Brussels are censored by the German
military authorities. But the most
surprising liberality Is shown In this
censorship. The war films which I
saw in a cinema on the Boulevard
du Nord near the Metropole Hotel.
gave glimpses of the French, English
and Russian armies as well as tho
victorious Tcutons. .,
Censors Are Liberal,
"In addition to the German. Swed-
ish. and Danish films, numerous
American films are to he seen IN
Brussels at the present time. Cow
boy films arc particularly popular.
Because Of the work of the Belgian
Relief Commission, Americans are
extremely popular in Belgium, and
American Aim actors are applauded
to the echo.
tai are more like our American NOV
ing picture houses than the Licht-
spieles and kinoE of Berlin and
Vienna. The prices are extremely
low, the best seats selling for one
franc less than 20 cents.
"The majority Of movie goers In
BRUSSELS pay less than half that
sum for their entertainment. The
performances in many of the play
houses IRE continuous but end
promptly at II D. M, when every
amusement and activity in the for
mer Belgian capital is ended by tho
German regulations"