Monday, Jul. 20, 1936

Orders from G. H. Q.

The most persistently cheery friend the American Expeditionary Force ever had was Elsie Janis (Bierbower), oldtime singer and impersonator. With her indomitable mother, Mrs. Janis E. Bierbower, never far away, Miss Janis gave 610 performances in France in 15 months. After the War she appeared in vaudeville, announced her retirement in 1930 after the death of Mrs. Bierbower. Elsie Janis has since written for the cinema, performed on the radio, helped produce a revue (New Faces), married a salesman 16 years her junior. Last week Miss Janis, now 47, an nounced her intention to carry out literally Christ's command, Go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor (Matthew, 19:21).

Like the followers of Dr. Frank Buchman, Elsie Janis believes in divine guidance. Unlike Oxford Groupers, she thinks of God in military terms -- a Commander- in-Chief issuing His inexorable orders from General Headquarters. Last week, as the result of such a G. H. Q. order, Miss Janis used the News of Tarrytown, N. Y., where she owns famed Phillipse Manor (built in 1683), to reveal her plan to dispose of that 15-acre estate, auction off her other effects for local charities later this summer. Wrote Miss Janis to the News editor:

"My dear Boss: ''That's what you are for one edition, anyway.

"I think we ought to let the neighbors know that if I hadn't given 'my notice' to Mammon, the number of words in this effusion would cost plenty. . . . I got the orders I've been asking for.

"I'm giving everything I have, Boss, except the talent, personality, pep, or whatever it was that put me in the money as Little Elsie, and kept me there for 30 years. . , . Maybe G. H. Q. has been testing me. Wanting proof that no matter how high a command He bestowed upon me, I would still listen to orders. . . . This morning, Boss, I received my Community Chest notification and was sneering at its puniness when I got a snappy order. It's this: the end of summer will see an auction. . . .

"You know, Boss, I've always been considered a bit odd. I've never gabbed about G. H. Q.,' and many things I've done were not understood except by my mother, who taught me where real direction comes from. ... I had been a nut for years, for not leaving my wonderful mother for some man, to save myself from being an old maid. My mother was called by G. H. Q. very suddenly. Without asking for it, I was given the knowledge, as mother was leaving, that where there is real devotion there is no parting. While others broke down, I was the only one capable of handling all details of what I called mother's 'going-away party.'

"I had asked for a helpmeet who would understand me. He came and was young enough to be as inexperienced in the fundamentals of mating as Old Maid Janis was at 42. Result: Four years of two being one completely, and now an understanding of what is what. He is young enough to make a new life for himself, if orders are such. . . .

"If they thought I was 'nutty' before, --this will be the pay off, when they see that I know it can't be done halfway. I can't sit comfortably on my plush pillows and tell others what to do to be happy, but I will be able to tell anyone anything, when I am able to meet them, eye to eye, on an equal footing. ... In case you think that's a phoney halo I'm trying to tie up on my bean, this is Elsie. I just want to be happy, and I'm going to be, as soon as I can do everything for everybody that I want to do without some one thinking, 'I wonder what she gets for doing that?' "

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.