CINEMA AT SALONICA.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLII, Issue 91, 23 May 1916, Page 7

CINEMA AT SALONICA.

QUEER LANGUAGES. A GREAT MEETING-PLACE. (By G. Ward Price, in the 'Daily News.') SALONICA, March 2. If you came out here to look ?yr an officer in tlw Salonica force, and knew neither his whereabouts nor the namo of his unit, there would still remain one excellent chance of finding him — and that would be to go and sit in Floc-a's till he came in, for Eloca's is the forum and trysting-place of the Ailed armies in- the Balkans, their social focus, their commou meeting-ground, and the resort of their leisure hours. Eloca's in peace time —as one knew it four years ago, for instance—was just a common-place cafe, with no more than the modest distinction of being the best of fruch establishments in' Salonica. Its fortunate proprietor, who, like so many others here, is literally making a 6mall fortune, has to thank two of the most cherished Allied institutions —the Frenchman's heure de I'aperitif Mid the Englishman's afternoon tea.. From four o'clock till eight Eloca's, yard for yard, is more densely populated than any spot in iSalonica. It is an epitome of the commissioned ranks of the Allied armies. PLACE OF RUMORS. Rumor, unlike the clients of the es tablishment, circulates with freedom among the close-wedged tables. "Of course, there's probably not a word of truth inr it, but have you heard that P' ! One sailoj- informs another how the ''buzz 1 ' about the Austrian fleet coming out got started the other day. A Frenchman who has received a "tuyau"' alxiut impending events of the greatest importance argues in vain to convince an Englishman who has had a "straight tip" of an exactly contrary nature. The iniquities of Greek tradesmen, the nuisance of the prevailing rains, and the eternal question, "AVhen's something going to happen here!"' are only three top : cs among a hundred that are discussed at once. Floca'.s would hardly be a commercial success as a teashop if it were bodily transported to Bond Street. Its interior is gloomy and often fuggy. Its entrance is beset bv an importunate horde of ragged urchins attempting to thrust local newspapers into your hand, or the London papers of three weeks ago at six times their native price; its Greek waiters, of inister aspect, only condescend to serve when their attention is attracted by a series of sharp handclaps or a penetrating "P-s-s-t," both of them noises which self-conscious Englishmen find it hard to make in public. While tea and microscopic eclairs at threepence each thus procure for the officer at Salonica a taint illusion of civilisation, the men on their rare visits to town find the same solace in the cinematograph. In gratitude for their patronage the managements of these establishments ■make well-meaning efforts to render programmes into English. The original text, which fills the whole of one side, is in Greek. A second version is provided in Judaeo-Si>anish. which is Spanish written in Hebrew characters, as I if to make it more difficult. Turn over the page and you have the same in French. The last side gives it to you in English; but by the time the programme reaees this filial edition it lias "been translated so many times as to have lost almost all intelligible 'meaning. A "SINY" DRAMA. Here is a literal copy of the English version of the bill which is being distributed at the principal local theatres this week: A ROYAL SINN. Powerful siny drama, in 3 long reels. FAR OF EYES NEAR OF THE HEARTH. A whonderfull Drama, in 3 parts, adapted from P. Mael's roman. (This is intended for n translation' of the French title: "Loin des ycux. pres du coeur.") A COMICAL. It says a good deal for the good behaviour of the new English Army, that, although troops of three nationalities, hardly any of them understanding a word of the other's tongues, have been concentrated round Salonica al] the winter. there have been so few instances of rows between thf-m. Nothing more cordial could be imagined than the relations of our men with the French. The men-of the two armies who come into the town on leave fraternise in the cafes over glasses of washy beer. I Each group addresses the other in its own language. speaking very loudly and distinctly and in simple terms, with a good deal of reiteration, but as the only words they have in common are the names of towns conversation is almost entirely restricted to geographical comparisons. Frenchman: Vous avea passes par Marseille? Je dis! est-ee-que vous connaissea Marseille ? M ARSEILLE ? Englishman: Oh, Marseilles—res. Oui. Marseilles all right. Bong, Marseilles. (Pause.) We come here from Rouong. Rouong, see? Nous-come-from-Rouong, comprint? Frenchman: Mai's naturellement. Rouen. Charmante ville. Qu'est-ce-que vous penser de Salon ique ? SALONIQUE? Englishman: Oh, Salon-I-ka, you mean. Rotten. Pas bong, Salonique.