Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1918-01-31
Good HINY Smiles
CAN Be HAD TOR So
Smileage Books TO Bring
Joy Into Lives of
Soldier Boys
ROTARY CLUB MEN
WILL SELL YOU ONE

An army recruited by draft includes
the best young men Of the nation The
of hours Of these young men are the
loneiiest hours Of their camp life II
those hours are TO he pleasantly and
BEAUTIFULLY filled there must be pro-
yided not only places TO write and read
but performances Of the grade to which
the men are accustomed at home and
opportunities for them TO develop and
exhibit their own skill.
Accordingly, the Council will present
at the camp theatres
Broadway companies In the best thea.
trlcal successes Of the season
|. The best musical and vaudeville oh
lainable.
Lectures Of the highest excellence.
Amateur performances by The men
themselves.
Low Cost 10 Soldiers
Ordinarily tho cost Of booking such
attractions would be prohibitivc But
as the government built the theatres
and supplies The light heat and man
ager, the overhead expenses have been
reduced 10 q minimum. As a result, the
cost of these performances will range
from ten cents 70 twenty-five cents a
seat.
Yet many soldiers will not be able 10
attend many performances even at these
prices. Thousands Of them are sending
home practically al their pay.
On the other hand, practically every
soldier has those at home who strongly
desire to contribute into his camp life
something Of wholesome and cheerful
entertainment
Therefore, tho Council originated a
type book Of tickets that members Of
the soldiers family and his friends may
send to him at the front. They are
called Smileage Books and will be made
up Of coupons somewhat Ike the mile
age books OF the railroads.
Two Sizes Of Books.
In books Of one size 20 coupons viii
be sold for a dollar In books Of am
other size 100 Will be sold for five doll
lars. These coupons viii be good FOR
payment for seats at any performance
in any camp theatre under the direction
OF the Commission on Training Camp
Activities
As gifts these Smileaee Books viii
have rather a distinctive character
Each time tho soldier tears coupons
from his book he will renew his sense
Of attention from the sender. Every
book will constitute a current OF in
terest between the man at The front and
the folks back home often. OF course,
one soldier viii receive many books;
and then he will do the thing which is
characteristic Of the American soldiers
throughout our history-he will share
his abundance with his mates
The result viii be to change q danger
/ period IN the life Of the soldier into a
period Of healthful relaxation and re-
| freshment
Smileago Solves Problem.
The problem has been two-sided--to
set programs for the theatres and TO
get tickets into the hands Of the SOL
dlers at prices which will meet the
operating expense.
n the men do not get the program
they want inside the camps they will
take what they can get somewhere else.
The operating expense is borne by the
tickets in the Smileage Books, paid for
by the families, the employers, the COM
pany Of friends, OF the men back home
The Military Entertainment Counch
is thus not a duplicate OF any OF these
other agencies. It. is, instead, an expan-
sion Of them, or partnership with
them.
As soon as 10 can be arranged. this
circuit may be wldened 10 include the
Smaller Army camps and the Navy
training stations. Beyond all this
though America has not yet been re-
qulred 10 realize IL. lies the prospect
OF an entirely separate circuit in France
and Belgium. larger perhaps than an Of
these at home.
The Smileage Books are your means
Of making this possible for your men
Any member OF the Rotary Club OF
Wilmington will sell you a Smileage
Book for one dollar or nve dollars. So
here's your chance 10 help.