New-York tribune., 1920-02-08

Stella Hoban, who has a slippery,
supposedly seafaring husband to look
after in "The Night Boat" at the Lib
erty Theater, is used to bossng men Of
the sea. In France Stella Hoban and
her marines became we'll known in
stitution in the days following the
armisticc, when things went rather
slowly and the sight of real American
girl in pink evening dress was dn
event in the life of the doughboy. The
significance Of the pink dress was that
its trim young wearer was only allowed
a small trunk, capable Of holding the
harest necessaries, and her Y. NJ. c.: A.
uniform was supposed to be the Alpha
and Omega of her wardrobe. She had
squeezed the pink dress in somehow,
and scores of times it served it's pur-
pose, with burlap background, before
an audience of 5000 or more soldiers.
u had only to walk on in that dress
and those men roared. They didn't
know whether | could sing They
didn't even know If l could talk" de-
clared Miss Hoban in relating her ex-
periences to Tribune reporter. "But
the sight of girl in pink evening
dress spelled America to them. When
| sang at dinner party given for
General Pershing he said he had never
seen anything SO funny as the way
those men yelled before 1 got chance
to do anything"
Perhaps it wasn't altogether the
dress that made the impression. Miss
Hoban herself is fair to look upon and
she sings and dances remarkably we'll
Along with her marines she gave en-
tertainments witnessed by virtually all
of the 1st, I'd, 3D., 9th and 77th divi-
sons.
Her show was the last entertain
ment seen by the 77th. before its en-.
oarkation for home. They saw her at
Sable as they moved up to Brest to
board ship. She spent two years over
seas altogether, going across with tho
Over There Theater League, uraer
the auspices Of the Y. M. C. A. Her
marines were chiefly men of the I'd
Division. For one year she worked in
the environments in France. After the
armistice was signed she entertained
IN Germany. Her most thrilling ex-
perience was in Neuweid. where she
was to give an entertainment for the
I'd Division, then under the command
of Major General LIE Jeune. The show
was to be held in German manor
house occupied by the merican troops.
The doughboys spent days wiring the
pace and preparing for the entertain
ment.
On the night of the performance the
nights went out suddenly, leaving the
manor and grounds in utter darkness.
While army electricians searched for
trouble, hundreds of candles were
lighted and the show carried on" The
electricians found that the equipments
was O. r., but that the German oiler
IN the plant at Neuweid had thrown
the switch as an evidence of his dis
pleasure over the American occupation
OF one of their manors. The culprit
and the chief officials of the viii
iage were promptly put in Jail and
the show went on with undimmed
splendor.
ut seems so strange getting back
on Broadway after my experience
Abroad" confessed Miss Hoban. "It
seemed to me that l reached the pin
nacie OF experience over there and
tnat nothing will seem quite the same
,;{st;. ngain: II was the opportunity of
lietlme Tor a girl and enjoyed every
minute OF IT. The men were so marvel
Gus and the unflinching courage one
saw IN Europe gave . totally new
Agmsstice Day and the day peace was
a'seo. / shall neysr forget 1T othsx