New-York tribune., 1918-04-28

I And then, as If the strain were too
much the captain wearily closed his
eyes and for moment covered them
with his right hand. But once more
alert, he looked keenly at his COM
| pany, in perfect alignment.
What. not volunteer" he ex-
claimed.
The entire company had stepped
! forward one pace, and the captain had
not noticed it.
That's what the American stage has
done. When Winthrop Ames and E.
II. Sothern returned from their tour
of the western front to observe con-
ditions pointed out to them by the Y.
M. G. A. they started SNOWFALL rolling
down hill. Tha SNOWFALL has acquired
speed and momentum on its way until
to-day the entire lobby Of the Little
Theatre has been turned into re-
cruiting station for players who are
willing to go overseas, almost all of
them for the pure satisfaction Of
service. Mr.. Ames is directing the
work; an almost unbroken line of
volunteers passes before him and mes
senger boys and letter carriers rush in
and discharge their messages in huge
wastebaskets.
But those messages are not to stay
in those wastebaskets, for each offer
of enlistment under the Red Triangle
will be recorded when the Over There
Theatre League staff can dig out from
under the drifts. The greatest pro-
ducers and the greatest stars are
recorded; minor players and the pick
of vaudeville are ready and anxious to
go.
Donald Brian wires that he will be
honored to go overseas for the pay of
private. John Barrymore thinks the
uniform with the Red Triangle on the
sleeve is the next best after the CON-
bat khaki, and he picked out the wrong
medical board when he applied for
service in the trenches. Otis Skinner
and Frances Starr and Elsie Ferguson
expect to work out few contracts in
time to be of service.
Blanche Ring is willing to take over
some new songs and all the old ones,
and so are Nora Bayes and Louise
Dresser. The boys over there want the
feminine performers. AS Mrs. August
Belmont expressed it the other morn
ing, quoting one of the boys: "The
best thing we can have happen to us
over here is to look into the face and
hear the voice of an honest-to-God
American woman" Perhaps Florenz
Ziegfeld, jr., will help out on that
score. He sent two kilograms to Tues
days meeting. One promised the ser
vices of Billie Burke for three months
and the other said:
"Have had occasion to learn real
feelings of boys at front, and find their
preference for entertainment leans
toward musical. If there is anything
I can do, you can count on my services
any way you desire to use them" 4
To which William Nothing But the
Truth" Collier adds:
GAS soon as I finish present con-
tract, which is we'll within the eigh-
teen-months limit, will cheerfully go
to France and head a company, carry
spear, or a gun if necessary"
And there's more of the same from
Marguerite Clark, Amelia Summer
vile, zefie Tilbury, Marie Doro, James
j. Corbett, David Bispham, Eleanore
de Cisneros and John Luther Long.
The last named-author, poet and
playwright-writes:
"Was it glorious accident that the
meeting was called on the anniversary
of the birth of Shakespeare, or was it
still more glorious intention? In
either case it is an augury of vast
promise for the undertakings
The fact that when the players go
overseas they will wear the uniform
and be under military discipline doesn't
deter them. They do not not quail even
when Mr.. Ames says, with note of
warning:
"You know, if your performance is
particularly bad, the commanding off,
GER has the right to order you to be
shot at dawn"