The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-01
BAN ON PUBLIC KISSING
"HOck-tde" Day at HungerfOrd England Recalls Odd
Customs

which portrayed passion rather than love
seemed vulgar to the suaYe Parisienne.
She could indicate the grand passion by
giving her hand to her stage lover TO
kiss. To give her lips except for the MI
nutest minute. and as lightly as e zephyr
! passing over a flower, seemed impossible
/ 10 her, and when she did yield them 70
her lover Il meant the eliminating point
in the love story.
/ In her career Maude Adams has had
fewer kissing parts than her sisters
who have had the lead in as many plays.
/ But this complete artist yields her lips
freely and naturally when the play de-
mands II. Nevertheless. II by any chance
The Girl OF the Golden West crept into
her repertoire one could not imagine the
I FIVE minutes kiss 70 the accompaniment
/ OF banging doors and windows IN tho sec
/ ond act OF that piece would be left In the
/ play Miss Adams kiss IS as elusive and
arch as her art. and both reflect her per
sonalty. Peter Pan suits her better than
juliet. and her idea Of a stage kiss Is en-
/ Illusion. Let the audience think they
SEQ a kiss" she says; but they viii
think 50 II lips DO not meet by half an
inch. opera glasses do not betray 50
slight a measure OF distance and an effect
OF truth is obtainable without the actual
] lablal contact"
Margaret Anglin. on the other hand,
believes in the genuine kiss. IN her opin-
| ion II II is essential FOR an actor 70 put
his arms around her. he should be able
10 do 50 without causing any shrtnkage
on her part. and the same holds good
with q kiss. Reality. and not illusion, IS
| her creed. Her theory IS strong and bold.
! but her practice nearly puritanicaL
/ Ethel Barrymore has not long ago
changed her views IN regard 70 stage
kissing She was lOath 10 suffer the
warmth Of the display OF love in Capt
links. and the author OF the piece. who
also staged q, had 20 urge her 10 throw
decorum TO the winds. Up 70 the end OF
her first season as a star it was impossi-
bic for her 10 repress q shrug when the
! hero pressed his mustache 10 Nine TTen-
tonps lips. But when, several seasons
later. she played the part OF Alice IN the
"sit-by-the-Fire." a Barrie play. it was
she who pr0fered her lips to the leading
man and she who would have been sur
prised II the kiss had not been real
/ The commercial court OF Vienna nOt
! long ago had 10 consider the problem
whether the law recognized a distinction
between kissing and being kissed. Tho
/ question arose out OF the suit brought BY
| a bookkeeper against his employers. who
/ had discharged him without notice FOR
/ kissing his girls in the Office. Witnesses
declared that they had complained after
they had seen some Of the scenes. They
| asserted that the girls began the kissingi
1 they could not tell whether the book
| keeper responded or not. The court there
upon decided that the firm pay their late
bOokkeeper a months salary, because he
was not said 20 have kissed any one. II
was explained that the others having be-
gun the kissing. even II the one receiving
these marks Of regard did return them,
as was not proved IN the present case,
the court could not consider this as kiss
/ Ing.
And now comes an unromantic French
/ decree which puts the ban on kissing. A
restriction which may be regarded as an
interference with the liberty OF the indi-
vdual will shortly be placarded In al
l EAbL-0IS On lo4AN a. A4AeAAaeAetNA nT AA4u
| French government. It Is a decree against
kissing. It seems that Il IS the custom OF
French people when bidding farewell 70
one another al a railway station 10 pro-
| long the ceremony so that serious delay
| IS caused 10 the train service.
At least that Is the official excuse given
for the notorious lack OF punCtuality on
the state-managed lines. The prohibition
Is not yet posted. but inspectors OF the
state railways strongly recommend the
measure. When the notice Is finally put
up 70 VIII run something Ike this: L IS
strictly forbidden 10 exchange kisses upon
the platforms or IN the waiting rooms or
upon the steps OF the carriages OF the
state railways owing 10 the delays fire.
QuentIy occasioned by the prevalence Of
this dilatory practice. which IS calculated
70 disturb the proper running or the
traffic upon the system by retarding the
departure Of trains. and which IS thus
fraught with Inconvenience. and even
danger. 70 the public. as the first condl-
ton Of safe travelling IS punctuality.
Persons discovered kissing will Do ia
bic 10 prosecution. It IS pointed out that
inasmuch as some Of the lines managed
By private companies always run their
trains on time. kissing must be confined
TO the state-managed lines.
Compare this heartless French order
with this ray Of hope from Iowa A mys-
terious woman not long ago invaded the
Statehouse at Des Moines and, beginning
with the State auditor. kissed that off,
cial and then passed 10 each Of his dozen
.subordinates and gave similar salute.
The woman visited several OF the other
Offices and repeated the performance. IN
I'll it IS believed that fifty men were
kissed IN all. The woman remarked 10
some OF those upon whom she bestowed
this favor that her divorce matters must
be in harmony with the wishes OF the
government.
A man In the Federal court at Kansas
City. Mo, recently pleaded guilty 20 a
charge OF signing his wife's name 20 love
letters which he wrote 10 a wealthy man
OF AtchiSon. Kans., and he was sentenced
TO year IN jail. The Post-ofice Depart
ment could have made no objection 20
the love letters II the dealer IN his wlfe's
paper kisses had not been mercenary in.
his motives. please send SO by return
mall Here are million kisses for you"
That was the objectionable part OF the
letters The correspondence lasted six
months. and the Atchison man was
mulcted Of nearly $500 before he became
aware Of the deception.
PerspirinE.
Frnm TIE Rartirt C-r-r,1c,rrnal.r