Evening journal., 1921-05-09
CANADA TRIES
Of YANK JOKES
Actors Tell Too Much of
What American Dough-
boys Did
MAY RESULT IN
I'LL FEELING

-
I (Stewart II. Holbrook, in the Ameri-
can Legion Weekly)
Canada Is bounded on the north
by God knows what, on the east by
The Atlantic. on the west by the Pa
cific and on the south by the United
States.
The average American who has
never been in Canada has rather hazy
ideas OF that country. They have
been formed-naturall what
he has read and, II he has read Rob-
ert w. Service, he pictures a land of
intense cold, snow, mounted police
and gold. on the other hand, the
Yank from the East is prone to re-
gard all Canada as the habitant-
speaking Jean Batisse country made
famous by the poems OF Drummond.
In these conceptions he is both right
and wrong. Canada still has plenty
Of snow. gold and mounted police,
and in one province Jean Batisse is
very prevalent. But these things are
a long way short of being all of
Canada
The Yank crossing the line for the
first time will at once be impressed
by the fact that he is no longer in
the United States. The buildings
look the same, the street cars are
very similar and the stores are like
those he has seen at home, but here
the familiarity ends. The language
he hears is much different 1t is
English English and Scotch English,
and some OF 1t he will find very diff
ficult to understand.
To be a regular John Henry ne
must learn that lieutenant is leften-
ant, opportunity Is opporchunity, p
is zed and good night means good
evening
Also. he will note just now distinct
antipathy toward things American.
There are a number OF reasons
which have brought this about and
chief among them is the fag-waving
vaudeville act from the southern side
of the line. Practically all OF Can
ada's vaudeville comes from the
States, and since we entered and left
the war there have been hundreds OF
these acts which in song, word and
action have glorified the American
ENpeditionary Forces and the Stars
and Stripes. In addition. there have
been many photodramas depicting
scenes in which two or at most three
Yankee soldiers (movine picture
type) killed or captured one full
regiment OF the Prussian Guard, do
ing the job nonchalantly under the
caption, AN In the Days Work"
These acts and pictures were fine
stun in the States But In Canada
they were, at the best. in poor taste.
An expansion to these unthinking
vaudeville acts was that OF win
Cressy and his wife. Blanche Dayne
Many OF the American Expeditionary
Forces will remember them as two
OF the few entertainers who showed
all along the front. The writer had
the pleasure Of seeing them in Toul.
in 1918, and again in Winnipeg this
winter
Mr.. Cressy had been using a set of
slides in his act, showing life on the
American front, as he had seen II.
When the writer found Mr. Cressy in
his dressing room at the Winnipeg
Orpheum ne was carefully sorting
these slides putting away some OF
them which might SAVIOR of too
much Yank" Also Mr. Cressy said,
he was obliged to change about half
his act for the Canadian side OF the
line. Mr.. Cressy is a diplomat and a
Snowman.
on the other hand there was a
Canadian division show touring Can
ada the summer which passed
number OF remarks in regard to our
part in the war. One Of the actors
4 impersonated A Yank. what ouft
we're you in7" asked the Canadian.
In the Rainbow Division" replied
the Yank.
oh" remarked the comedian.
you came over after the storm" ."
] (Big appaluse.)
Canadian-what does this A. E.
t. mean7
Near-Yank Il American Expedi-
tionary Forces
Canadian thought Il meant
After EverythinE's Finished.
Voice from Gallery (ChicaEo Ac-
cent? n You're wrong buddy ~ ii
means After England Failed.
his line Of patter will scarcely lead
to war, but it can breed in feeling.
Let the Canada-bound Yank. with
out hiding his nationality under a
bushel, refrain from III advised nag
waving and glory shouting and he
will do his bit toward fostering the
good relations which have always
characterized our dealings with can
ada in the past. This the American
veteran himself is pretty sure to do.
More to he feared than the man who
went to war is the man who did not
particularly the American civilian
with many war-made dollars To
spend at present deprecated ex-
change rates. A Yank and a Can
adam both vets are far more ant
to swap yarns than blows. Let both
Canada and America remember that
the war movie is generally a civilian
eterprise.
{ LUTHERAN ALMANAC fSSIrTgD