Evening star., 1917-11-05
CHARLIE CHAPLIN |
IN FRENCH MOVIES
American Reels Popular With
Soldiers in Town Behind .
the Front.
BY JUNfUS .. WOOD.

Especial CsrrespenAenee Of The Even-
ing Star and Chicago Daily News.D
FIELD HEADQUARTERS. AMERICAN
|EXPEDITIoNARY FORCES. France.
October 1o-An around this little
French village French troops wese
camping for the night. Some with uni
forms muddy and faded were returning
from the front. Others with clothes ana
weapons brushed up from few week.
rest behind the lines were going bacis
to the trenches. All day the click OF
marchers' feet on the cobble-stone. tho
hum Of motor trucks. the rattle OF
wagon trains. ambulances. loaded and
empty. and the rumble Of freight cars
loaded with cannon had echoed through
the town. On every road through the
country we had passed marching troops.
trains of hundreds of trucks. each ca
moufiaged and marked with q frog.
rhinoceros. mule or some other distin-
gushing insignia of the unit. Wet. tired
and glum we came back through the
mud and rain to our hotel.
Visit to Motion Pictures.
Lets take chance in the movies
before the rush for the o'clock din
ner." was the suggestion.
Soldiers in blue uniforms filled the Ht-
tie theater back of the cafe. Two feeble
lights battled with the darkness in the
unpainted walls and wooden seats. An
Italian reel of a faithless wife and
lover, ending in shooting. did not
evoke ripple among the spectators A
string OF scenes Of ruined portions Of
France brought sighs and muttsrsd
curses.
Then came American films A philln-
oil. - a A.
Of her automobile shaking hands with ha'
iance on 5th avenue. New York Neat
she was in the south among the cotton
fields. Then came a picture Of . raj
American railroad train and an once W1sA
telephones. and one could almost think
Of taking the elevated homo for dinner.
Chaplin at the Front.
Finally appeared Charley Chaplin. Evs1
the soldiers wife forgot that her husband
was leaving At daylight and laughed until
her cheeks were tear strealssd. Chafisy
sat on the stove. carried the baby by the
middle of the back. smeared dough On
his wife. wiped his nose on the door mat
and slammed a custard pie In the face OF
a man wearing silk hat
Outside il was still raining. The cafe
was crowded with more soldierA Others
were sioshing along the streets bent under
the weight Of their soggy packs. OinneP
was late. At one table q dozen Frsuch
officers. little more than boys. going -
the front. were drinking champaEno at
what they called their last party.
The war will be over in Septembef.~
one wearing an aviators leather 1ackse
kept repeating in English.
Veterans Of the Campaign.
At another table was q group o6 legioGis
aries. the hard fighting mon Of FraneA
returning from the front Comrades Whe
had celebrated with them when they wanx
the other way only = few weeks betess.
were no longer with them. Proudly they
trophies which they had taken from the
Germans. The middle-aged waitress vas
distracted with the rush. The soup was
all gone. One was lucky to eat At all.
''It is war time in our dear France~ she
said. 1t seemed a favorite expression.
Charley Chaplin was back home, thou-
sands Of miles away. and We were In the
midst of battle-racked Franco again