The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-07-20
Wonderful Part Played by Elsie
Janis in Keeping Up Morale
Of Troops.
SINGS TO BOYS over There
Many Company Has Marched to
> First Night in Trenches With
More Gallant Swing Because
Elsie cheered Them on Way.
BY ALEXANDER wooLLcoTT.


American engineers who are lending
the P. r. r. touch to the astonished
landscape of France. Though retreat
had sounded an hour or so before, 1t
was packed to suffocation with Yanks
for all that day rakish posters turned
out in the company painters best
style, had intrigued the eye with the
modest announcement:
ELSIE NIs-AMERIcA's GREAT
EST AcTRESS-FOR ONE
NIGHT ONLY.
And at last, with warning tOOts from
distant whistle and a great wave Of
laughter as the order was passed along
to clear the track, locomotive trun-
died in out of the night, in its cab a
pair of proud and grinning engineers,
on it's cowcatcher Elsie Janis. A mo-
ment later and the engine was near
enough to the stage for her to clear the
space at single jump and there she
was, with her black velvet tam pushed
back on her tossing hair, with her
eyes alight and her hands uplifted, her
whole voice thrown into the question
which is the beginning and the end of
morale, which is the most important
question in the army:
"Are we downhearted"
The Thunderous Response.
You can only family imagine the
thunderous mo" with which the train
shed echoed. And it is the whole point
of Elsie Janis-as well as the whole
point of all the mummers now being
booked to play for the A. e. F.-that
whatever the spirit of the boys before
her coming, they really meant that
mo" with all there was in them, that
any who might have been just little
downhearted before, felt better about
1T after seeing and hearing her. For,
like the rare officer who can inspire his |
flashing Elsie is compact of that price
less thing which, for lack of a less
pedantic phrase, we must call positive
More than one company
has marched off to its first night in the
trenches with brighter eyes, squarer
shoulders and more gallant swing be-
cause, at the very threshold Of safety,
this lanky and lovely lady from Co
lumbus, Ohio, waved and sang and
cheered them on their way.
That is why, when the history of
his great expedition comes to be writ
-en, there should be chapter devot-
ID to the play-girl Of the western front,
he star Of the A. E. F., the forerunner
# those players who are now being
booked in the greatest circuit Of them
Ill. the Y. M. G. A. huts of France.
For her, and for her like, there Is
llways room. And work aplenty to :
10. There are troops to be fired-as
y martial music-0n the edge Of the :
dvance.
Elsie Janis (and mother) are having
he time of their lives, and she meant !,
very word Of 1t when she cabled
ack to all her brothers and sisters Of
be stage to come or they would never \
now what they had missed. :
transforming With Vengeance.
For Elsie it has been transforming
18th vengeance, tour of tank towns
/ more senses than one. 1t has meant f
aveling without maid for once In
way, playing q whole season with
redress wardrobe, bivouacking in =
range and uninviting hotels. F
1t has meant warbling as q cabaret
niger among tables of some officers
ess or mounting a bench to sing =
trough the windows OF come conta-
on barracks where the isolated
'ughboys had been tearing their in
cted hair with disappointment be-
use they had heard she was in the
'st and knew they could not get out
see her. =,
1t has meant lingering for an extra y
rformance at some hut because a
hole new audience was coming
rough the starlit heavens from the
iation camp down the lines. =
In all her years on the stage she
8 known no such tumultuous, heart
lrming welcomes as are her nightly ~
rtions in the biggest time booking
Ice can offer to player in the year on
La.
The boys swarm up on the stage
slap her on the back and vow there o.
YER was such q girl since the world :
gan. They cheer her until they are etc
arse, and she II dizzy with pride. =