The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-14

Washington, April 13.-{Special) Great screen stars are sometimes lem ons, on the so-called Legitimate" state. As examples. let Mary Pick ford. Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanis be introduced. As an ex- ception, behold Marie SDressler. It IS nrohahie. however. that the fiat and fair and 40" Marie would not be an exception, but for her previous exten- sive experience,
 These great stars came to Washing ton to inaugurate the present Liberty Loan drive. They were inspired by patriotism. Their effort is and has been appiaudcd from one section of the country to the other. The fact that they cannot entertain gathering of people unless present only on the screen cannot bc held ngninst them. The fact that they cannot. or In Wash ington did not. is simply Interesting. That is all.
 The stars were gathered together on their arrival in Washington by the Ma tionnl Press club They were present. ed to the membership at an audi- torium which was packed and damned by n patriotic. curious and perspiring crowd of people-all of whom were familiar with the faces of tho stars, but few of whom had beheld either in the flesh.
 There was great applause whom the curtain was raised. The people stood on foot to do the stars. Honor. The stars siniled and scraped and bowed and Chaplin evoked childish giggles by pretending to be embarrassed, When peace was restored Fairbanks was in- troduced. He attempted q monologue, but his jokes were among those in scribed on tho walls of tho temple of Cheops. He walked very rapidly up and down the stage md threatened to perform some remarkable acrohatic stunt. which, had he done so, would have made his ''act successful. Ho concluded with jocular, but rather innne reference to Miss Plckford
 Chaplin, during the presentation speech, hid behind q chair, The mas ter of ceremonies lifted him to his feet in the manner screen policemen have repeatedly lifted him. But the actor abandoned his own peculiar brand of knitting. and after an agon- ized effort to be funny in unaccus- toned manner. took his seat with un- disguised pleasure.
 Miss Pickford was introduced as 'the sweetheart of America" She was dainty and prettily dimpled. She yielded to bushes when an usher de- livered bouquet too large for her to handle, and over which she ripped, to be oxtricated later only by appreciable effort. She was obviously frightened. She confessed as much,
 For the second time in my 1ife." she prettily exclaimed. T have stage fright"
 Her voice was scarcely audible, and those who sat before her appreciated the size of the lump which had formed in her throat. She threw kisses in various directions, and apologizing with declaration that Doug had stolen all the stories she had prepared to tell, sat down.
 But Marie took the place by storm She elevated the knot in which her hair was twisted, rolled up her sleeves and went at it." Her stories were fresh, excellently toll, and Illustrative of hor points. With fine elocution she re- cited a dramatic poem revealing tho pleasure of French mother awaiting the return oa furlough of her hus- band, of the broken-hearted anguish following news of the husbands sud- den dearh, and tho patriotism of the mother whom she held aloft her child, exclaiming in her tears. "All for Franccl'
 There were wet eyes, boys. Marie certainly got close to them. And then with flne appreciation of the efficacy or contrast, she recited as an encore a poem in which a very small boy had kissed a very small girl and had re- aeived for his temerily the rebuke of very stern schoolmaster. The house was convu,scd. of course
 But Marie "ect away more by her