New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-20
DIVERSION URGED
BY GAY 'POILUS'
French Soldiers Ask Folks
at Home to Resume
Old Life.
BY NINE. JEAN ALCIDE PICARD.

Nv sW-uIs. JHtN4N AiNiDfs Il iNsNhDs
Paris. April 10. The letters we re
coived from the front are generally
spirited and gay Our "poilus" find in
the accomplishment Of their duty a
lightness OF heart which they would
Ike to communicate to all non-com-
batants Their only cause of anxiety
is that we who wait may become tired,
unhappy. impatient. They feel that
our tasks. if important and numerous,
arc obscure and difficult, lacking the
action which theirs have and which
keep their spirits pitched at the right
key-in a word they still fear that
we may not hold as CALAMITY as they
wish. Resume the old life" they
write: visit your friends. 60 TO the
theatre. Do not let thoughts of US
keep you from enjoying yourselves.
We are happy up here. We enjoy
every bit Of amusement that comes our
way. Do the same"
Yet the old life can't be resumed
when the families are separated. Wis
its? Yes. but Of a different kind. We
meet to discuss the best way OF con-
Quoting some relief enterprise. to work
together and hear the news from those
at the front.
AS for the theatres. it is another
matter. Actors ourselves in a great
real drama, the make-believe OF the
stage has but little attraction for US.
Yet they are all open. All have made
efforts TO have attractive programmes
suited to the serious mood OF the day.
Classics, old patriotic plays evoking
glorious past, new ones eXalting the
deeds Of our soldiers, are staged with
great care. Many witty reviews seem
10 have been especially well received.
+ The Opera has reopened its doors, and
under new management happy changes
and innovations have been successfully
accomplished
Nevertheless, the audiences are not
very large. They are composed mostly
Of soldiers and foreigners. Very few
of US need this kind of diversion 70
our thoughts. We 90 with our hus-
bands. our brothers, our sons, during
ms every three months. for they, We
feel. must have all that life can offer
in gayety; they must have change as
complete as possible from war and its
horrors.
Motion picture theatres alone have
lost nothing of their popularity. People
who had never been in such places be
fore 20 now regularly. Such the old
woman who ignored even the name
Of Saionica till her son was sent there
who seeing landing of troops burst
out crying with JOY when she realized
il was a civilized place. and actually
recognized her son descending the
Thanks TO the movies, the User, Dix
nude. Melville st. Vast, LIE Bots
lie Pretre. Hartmannsweilerko are
familiar places; every one knows all
the principal actors in this worlds
struggle. -,
If the theatres are less popular with
nc at home. they have real success with
the soldiers in the trenches; FOR oui
hest theatres have managed to stage
some plavs at the very front. II was
tho Coincide FRANCHISE which took TINS
banpv initiative, which has been FOL
loved nv others. so that some Of our
best actors. our loveliest actresses
have charmed in different sectors the
long hours Of waiting and inactlon oil
our soldiers. -, -.
They have also given countless pen,
oft performances for different reIei
frnds II is the occasion OF one OF
these that has given the Parisians inc
opportunity Of applauding at me
Athenee the original review OF MI
HenriOt. H.,
Whoever knows the verve Of Hen
rio. the illustrator Of the "lllustra
t;onp- for he was the father nay
cucss what his pencil invented. lie
made review of shadows: 1.-THE POI
p lus Through the Ages.
This precious epopee is pelhE re,
vealed TO the Parisians IN severai
natinees al the Athenee for the Dehe-
a. Of mutilated soldiers and chlldren
b victims or orphans Of the war. ne
performance has an important must
cal mart. As the Poilus march across
d ,bc screen. those Of NercingetorlN
Rouvines Fontenoy, Friedland, ances'
tors Of the Poilus of Alsace' Marne
and Vcrdun. charming verses rom
Ucnriot and his son are reeited py
clorious mutilated victim Of this war
The son Of the celebrated Samson OF inc
Coincide Francaise. o..r
The visions which succeed eacn
other have an Incompatible accent o.
realitv: one would like TO hold DacS
some of them a little longer Tor they
arc veritable portraits, OF vigorous
. 80, and very happily situated.