The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-08-16
FRENCH CHEER Yankee
MOVIES QUITE Justify
Pictures of Wilson and PERISH
ing Bring Audience to Feet
4
HONORYOUNCROOSEvELT.
People of Prominence In the
Theatre Where Films Were
Shown
FRED E. FERGUSON

Paris, August French and
American hearts quickened in mutual
patriotic enthusiasm IN a recent
afternoon when the American film,
Americas Answer to the Huns" was
shown for the first time in the Gau-
mont palace.
The palace was draped with Amer
lean flags.
Aside from the thrill of the pic
lures themselves, taken under direc-
ton of the American government,
there was inspiration in the mingling
of celebrities, high military officers,
wounded soldiers, and soldiers on
leave, all eager to see America S
work in the pictures.
Glimpses of families and figures of
international reputation, before and
after the show, were to be had by all
in the great audience.
Captain Roosevelt There.
Captain Archie Roosevelt stood
chatting with his sister in law, Mrs.
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., near the
box occupied by Marshal Joffre. Am
bassadors of Japan and other allied
nations, and representatives of
President Poincare and Premier
Clemenceau occupied boxes.
When the films were displayed
Mrs. Roosevelt saw her major hus-
band decorating two members of his
battalion with the war cross, then
standing smartly at attention while
the troops passed in review Captain
Roosevelt smiled at this sight of his
brother, which was roundly cheered
by the audience.
The house was damned to capacity
The Sixth cavalry band played pa
triotic and popular airs, the audience
Joining in singing, "Over There" The
band was showered with flowers by
enthusiastic French admirers.
Outside a vast throng watched the
arrival of celebrities. The most i'm
pressiye scenes were enacted when
a number of ambulances' drove up.
Slowly and carefully the boys who
recently were wounded at Chateau
Thierry were helped from the ambu-
lances and tenderly assisted to seats
in section reserved for them. One
French officer, unable to walk, was
carried in by two husky American
soldiers, whose locked hands formed
a saddle, the Frenchman sitting with
bis arms about the necks of the
Yankee boys. The dramatic realism
of this picture outside the theater
brought more tears to the eyes of
Spectators than did any of the battle
scenes within. 4
The battlefront struggle became
even more impressive to me when l
saw these ban1aged boys, watching
the pictures, whom I saw but few
days ago, fighting on the Marine. In
the pictures they saw themselves,
whole and strong, marching battle
ward. Again they saw the streams
of refugees they passed enroute, and
again were enacted before their eyes
the scenes that marked the high tide
of the German advance, when the
Americans barred the road to Paris
and stopped the enemy as the French
had stopped him in 1914
Applause For Leaders
Pictures of Pershing and Wilson
were greeted with tremendous ap-
plause, as di dali scenes depicting
arrival of American transports, vast
LAuCllCdh OOCho ctllu OthcI
works in France, and the long lines
Of American troops, marching out to
drive the Hun back out of France.
Captain Roosevelt's first inquiry,
addressed to the United Press repre-
sentative, was for the pictures of
his baby, which Mrs. Roosevelt had
to send him through United
Press repr esentatives. When told
the pictures had not been received,
the captain asked that Mrs. Roose-
welt be requested to mail duplicates
as soon as possible, as the first pic
lures sent may have been lost in the
mails. Captain Roosevelt has not
seen his baby, and is eager to get
glimpse of it's picture.
The captain still walks with the
aid OF a cane, but he is well recovered
from the worst effects of his wound