The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-08-18

singers. actors. etc. at
S200 per week ...... S473o. 600
1t might he added that Mr.. Belasco
himself might jump ut the chance to
pili the same artists at two hundred
per,
To be able 10 walk INTO Mr. John
sons office some morning, you would
only nave 10 persuade the New York
! office OF the Y, NJ. c. \. that YOU
! could entertain a group of dough boys
! VINO maybe haven't seen any kind OF
a show since they left home. and after
| mat exert patience. Exert all the
patience you were born with or have
acquired since, and some that YOU
never Will acquire while you're wait
ing for Uncle Sam to find out whether
your an alien enemy or, a spv in
disguise before he reluctantly and
with great deliberation gives yoa "a
passport.
After you had escaped the T.
boats which never seem really to
catch anybody, after alI--you would
probably find yourself one of these
f1ne mornings inquiring where you
could find Mr.. Walter IL johnson, Jr.,
late of Buffalo, n. Y. and now acting
head of the Y NJ. G. A. entertainment
bureau IN Paris
And there, unless you happen to be
MISS Adams. maybe. you'll receive the
shock of lifetime. There won't be
any office boy. for one thing. 10 in
form you that Mr.. Johnson is out-of-
town definitely and that you'd better
not wait because all the chairs are
busy. Inside of half and hour il it's
rush day, and most days are you'll
be sitting across the desk from Mr..
johnson and wondering whether the
stenographer who brought you in
hasn't mixed you up with Mr. George
Arliss or somebody. MIR. johnson
doesn't look like a manager, what
ever they look, like, He's entirely too
young and goodnatured. and the only
thing he seems to be Interested in Is
being glad that you've arrived and
solicitous to know how soon you can
start 40 work
You tell him that you can go as
soon as you have IA red workers per-
nit. You've already caught the fever
to be doing something. Mr. johnson
beams at you and picks up a pile of
kilograms
Where In the dickens shall / send
you he muses.. Here's telegram
from Colonel c. asking for an en-
tertainer quick for rear area----divi-
sion And here's one from the boys
at O., We haven't seen real,
honestto God American show since
we came over Or read that" He
losses you letter written on "Y"
paper--a letter from American SOL
diers somew here on the front
Dear Folks" it says. we are
miles from anywhere, without money.
tobacco or reading matter and would
appreciate any help. however. small,
you could offer"
The only fault | have TO find with
you" Mr.. Johnson rumbles still deep
in kilograms and letters, lis that you
didn't bring ten more of you along"
Your mind goes back to all the fell
lows you know who are hanging
around Broadway and grum bling be-
cause the old man is only goinh to
give them half-pay holy week and
the week before Christmas, or down
in the dumps because they've had
two weeks notice. or seeing red be-
cause some gink with uncut velvet
eyes and swan neck is trying to get
their parts away from them. And
you wonder why in thunder you didn't
bring some of them along and why
you were so slow in getting here your
self
Wen fix you up" Mr.. Johnson
promises cheerfully. go along down
and get your movement order and
your workers permit. tn take a !
day to have it sent over from head
quarters and by that time we'll have
a schedule made out. for YOU Yes,
that's about all the formalities. But
maybe you would like to meet some |
OF the people out there in the Office 2" |
You would, and you do. You meet |
Miss Neysa McMein, just over from
America on the boat before yours to |
give one of those celebrated Chalk |
Talks" of hers, and to show Windsor |
Mckay's cinema cartoon. "Gertie," the |
pet dinosaurus. with her lap-dog |
tricks. Miss McMeins chief feeling !
seems to be one of relief that she has