The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-15
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INF DR. M A TION
Blu r E AU
FREDERIC J. HAEKIN. Dissesex.
WAshtngton, u. c.
RECREATIoN VERSUS UNREST.
Washington. d. c

grows daily more restless in this coun-
try is now being prepared by the war
! camp community service. 1t consists
of a nationwide program of recrea-
ton for civilians. much the same as
\ that which was carried on for soldiers
! and sailors during the war.
1t is broadly limited that big bust
ness will put up big money for the
! support of this effort to fight Boil
shevisn with fun.
! Beginning the first of November
the war camp community service is
| going to drop the war camp and re-
| tain merely the name Community
! service" 1t will then start a drive to
/ obtain funds with which to organize
community play all over the country
| along the lines it has organized here
| in New York. The idea seems to be
to get everybody playing so content
| eddy during his spare time that he
will forget all about the high cost of
| living and profiteering and other dis
agreeable problems that tend to put
| him in a rebellious frame of mind.
! There is nothing like a. good old-fash-
| Toned glee club or choral society or
even a weekly dance, for dispelling
discomfort.
At least, so argues the new COM
munity service, and it ought to know,
for that was it's job for over a year
keeping an army of four million men
Entertainment has always sue
ceeded in this respect" declared
Marius McGuffey. manager of the en-
| tertainment bureau of the service, the
bother morning. 1T is staple article
always to be relied upon-like SOAP"
Just then, a couple of navy men,
lieutenant and a sailor, appeared at
the door. Il mandolin and a banjo
clasped in their respective arms, and
Mr.. McGuffey rose to give them a
cordial greeting and direct them to
nearby room.
Dropped in to do a little practicing
for the show we are putting on to-
night down at the AmericaniZation
center" he explained, returning while
the sound of a banjo keeping pace
with a mandolin Immediately began
In the other room. The stenographers
and clerks in the outside office went
on with their work as if they were
quite used to such Interruptions.
1.-THE Importance of entertainment
in combating restlessness is now so
well understood" continued Mr.. Nc
Guffey, that the most prominent cap
tains of industry are lending us their
support in this forthcoming campaign.
I have just returned from a very in
teresting conference where some very
disqpieting facts were frankly dis
cussed. 1t was more than whispered
in the conference room that there was
great danger; that in three or four
months the country might be in
hopeless state of chaos. il some
thing is not done. Well, the cap
| They decided to contribute about a
fourth of their millions in order to
keep the other three-fourths, this
fourth to be used largely in providing
amusement and recreation for the
people.
,'FTrained leaders are to be sent out
to communities all over the country
to organize recreation centers, games,
amateur theatricals, and social at
fairs. People will not only be pro-
vided with free entertainment, but
they will be trained to provide enter
tainment for others. This will help
to supply that demand for self-expres-
sion, which is one CT the most signifi-
cant manifestations of this age
sometimes it is called the will of
power"
The entire staff of the new COM
munity service entertainment bureau
will be made up of managers and
actors, with perhaps a social worker
or two for emergency cases. Such
staff has already organized between
five and six thousand talented young
persons here in New York to provide
entertainment for a long list of insti-
tutions, as well as for soldiers and
sailors. Sometimes as many as fifty
two shows a week are put on by the
entertainment committee. 1t furnishes
anything from a pageant to a vaude-
vile act to any organization that
wants it. During the summer, a
vaudeville performance was given ev
cry night on a roof garden donated
by q society woman, to which soldiers
and sailors were admitted free and
civilians at the price of rs cents. The
same sort of performance has recently
been given four nights a week at the
Amsterdam opera house, reohristened
1.-THE Community Playhouse" and in
addition to this, travelling groups of
community playhouse players have
been furnishing entertainment for the
American Legion, battleships, hos
pitfalls, military prisons. civilian hos
pitfalls, re-education centers, public
schools, churches, evening classes in
| Americanization and to settlement
houses.
Anyone who thinks that he has any
talent that would be useful in provid-
ing entertainment is invited to join the
organization. 1t can make use of
everything from a singer or dancer to-
a basketball player and a distributor
| have volunteered for one night or one
matinee a week, but the mainstay of
the organization is it's thousands of
amateurs. some of whom develop very
unusual talent.
For example. not long ago, a sailor
appeared at the playhouse one night
in a not altogether sober condition.
Instead of reprimanding him. the hos
tess in charge ushered him to seat
for a view of the vaudeville perform
ance, and later one of the theatrical
scouts approached him and asked him
If he would not like a part in one of
the dramatic productions. The boy
protested that he had never done any
thing of the kind, but the scout told
him to come and see one of the re-
hearsals. The next day he appeared
and sat deeply interested. watching
the rehearsal of a comedy, after which
he fingered and helped the scene
| painter arrange bits of scenery. Grad
ua1ly, the scout who had first spoken
to him secured his history. He had
| been discharged from the navy and