The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-09-24
BEST ENTERTAINMENT
FOR j. 5. SOLDIERS
Otto II. Kahn on Return from
Trenches says United States il SUI
pcrior to Others I'm Providing
Recreation,

Especial to The Richmond Virginian)
Washington, Sept 23.--In an in
teryiew just given out Otto Fl. Kahn,
the well-known banker, patron of
arts and philanthropist, who few
days ago was decorated with the
medal of the Legion of Honor, and
who recently returned from a trip 10
the trenches, said;
Il was impressed foreihly over
seas with Americas superiority to
other nations in furnishing systema-
tized recreation for her men. TIE
soldiers appreciate all efforts made
for their amusement but they enjoy
most heartily entertainments by their
own performers, | cannot say enough
therefore for the value of the work
done by the Liberty theatre division
of the War Department Commission
on Training, Camp Activities, which
makes this particular form of relaxa-
ton possible. The plan OF placing
actors of recognized ability in our
training camps as dramatic directors,
charged with discovering. organizing
and training units in putting on
shows the latter given by leading
plavwrishts out of their stock or
written especially for the camps, is
bearing good fruit on the other side
where the boys arrive equipped with
material 10 entertain themselves and
their fellows
"one day had the pleasure of
Witnessing a performance behind the
lines by a group Of nlayers recruited.
from the ranks. The talent was
splendid and the keen enjoyment dis
played by the audience, which was
made up of men who had just return
! ed from battle and hose who would
he lit the lighting line next day. made
me realize the soldiers intense need
of good wholesome entertainment,
especially Just before and just after
battle when his nerves are strained
TO the breaking point.
ut is downright essential to the
morale of the fighting man to give
him some outlet for his pentup emo
Htious4-some objective pictures to take
his mind from The visions which the
surrounding scenes call forth And
that something should have a touch
of home for what tho army boy
Graves is something American
American girls. American newspapers,
American food and American plays.
Above All our boys are intensely
human. Their entertainments reflect
this characteristic just as the German
amusements reflect the maChine-like
character of the German army The
boys from our ranks take their places
on an improyised stage and give their
talents 10 amuse their comrades who
appreciate it in a human way, the
German actors appear before the
German army at command and the
soldiers applaud them at command
The total lack of the patroni2tng
air the we're going to give you-a-
treat attitude, the feeling of being
bcholden to the performers. is one OF
the charms of these entertainments
England'S efforts for the recreation
of her men at the front lose much
by being sporadic: France has neither
the time nor tho men 10 put into
operation system like ours Of units
built in the training camps by dra-
matte coaches to be almost as per-
fectly organized as theatrical COM
panies,
THE work OF the Training Camp
Com mission is reaching farther in its
influence than even designed origi-
nal1y. 1t is affording opportunity and
guidance for laten talents which their
owners might otherwise never have
discovered. 1T is letting loose springs
of inspiration and creating actors
and playwrights of a high order. 1t
sis getting the vast army away from
the cheap and tawdry in amusements
and giving it n finer, wiser apprecia-
tion of art"