Omaha daily bee., 1916-05-11
ANNA HELD TELLS
OF WARS HORRORS
Charming Actress Relates Of Suffer.
ing She Saw in Europe to the
Omaha Rotary Club
SONGS WERE CHANGED TO soBs

Charming Anna Held made yes
terday's Rotary club meeting at the
Henshaw one that will never be for
gotten
She was the guest Of honor, the
one woman In the roomful OF men
the only woman who has ever ad
dressed the club.
And such speech as spe made!
A platform had been erected and
covered with oriental rugs. Upon
tirat stepped the dainty little French
woman amid thunderous applause
that followed her introduction by
Chairman w. L. Burgess.
Miss Held told Of conditions In
France, told her own experiences,
) told Of the horrors Of the war. the
Widows. the orphans, the manned
the blind,
She shrugged her shoulders. she beat
With her fists, she folded hor arms, she
smote her breast. Fire flashed from her
famous eyes as she denounced tho rulers
who can bring about q war. Her voice
sank 70 a whisper Of horror az she told
of men with their legs or men with
one arm. men blinded for lie
sobs Triumph over Song.
"Ah, neyair ean leave me tho sight NJ
Tho hospital Of the blind where I went
10 seenR" she brcathed In her delightful
bpoken English I'VE came upon the stage
and yhen We cav those poor dear men,
blind for life. We could not secng. We
could only weep. oI those dear men. all
over Frawco Eet ees ~ same cen Eng
land con Germany / do not care yhero,
zhey are all brave men,
rln FraWce all the young boys even
are going ont to be shot zhey do not
even see whom zhey shoot Oh, II oes
horrible. horrible.
And her final plea TO you dear men. 70
strong. 70 big, 10 happy was to 'be
prepared. but keep peace, keep peace
keep peace"
Miss Held sat at the speakers table
with Chairman w Il, Burgess on her
left and her manager and Billy Byrne
Of tho orpheum to her right
Ladies'. you'll want 70 know Just what
she had on" Well. her hat was made Of
white fur, round top and III close 10 her
head on top of It was white sort Of
semi.ciroular fluffy thing and above that
we're two little cur,ing things, like al
grettee
simple Beyond Description.
Her dress was black with quito an
open space IN front filled with white
iace and a white lace thing up around
her neck Che telephone girl says It was
probably a sailor collar. or II might have
been a "fishu" or a Bertha" Our de-
scriptlon We admit, is rather vague
Anyway, II looked very nice and simple
She wore long, black silk gloves and one
ieweled bracelet on her right wrist and
five or six on her left. She had several
rinRs on the fourth and fifth fingers Of
each hand and some diamoud-looking
things in the back Of her hair and
pearl necklace.
That's about everything oh, yes,
black slippers, too, And her skirt came
within ten or twelve inches OF the ground.
II was the largest Rotary club meeting
for long time. (strange, Watson. What
do you suppose could be the reason?
Most extraordinary
Taken by surprise.
Miss Held was talking to someone at
her right when Chairman Burgess rose
and struck a blast on the automobile
horn, which so startled the little actress
that she gave a leap and screamed. Then
ehe laughed. put hand 10 her heart and
exclaimed mon dien"
The club sang with great gusto a little
song that ran sweet Anna Held. Sweet
anna Held, you are the idol o. my heart
Or something ike that (Ask your hus'
and about this, madam II he Is Ro-
tartan. Most everybody sang I'D
wnl wood Furnished cigars to the com
many in honor Of the arrival Of an eight
pound boy AZ hs house And on motion
II was decided to send eight pounds OF
flowers to Mrs Wood