Omaha daily bee., 1911-01-16
Danger Turks at Every Turn and
Girls Are Sadly Surprised.
LIVING COST HIGH IN PARIS
Girls Must Have Health, Education,
Strong Morals and Money.
AMERICANS IN PARIS INTERESTED
Mrs. Lewis nt Head Of Movement 20
Build Homes for American and
English Girls In French
Art Center.

NEW YORK. Jan. 15-Cspecial TeIe-
gram)-Mrs. Ida Leigh Lewis. founder Of
chain of homes I'm Paris for American
and English girl students and workers IL
In the city for the purpose of discussing
with several prominent American women
plans for the guidance and protection of
young American girls who 60 to Paris for
the purpose Of studying music and art
It is understood that Mrs Coils p Hunt
ington Princess De Sagan and number
Of other noted American women living in
Paris are actively interested in this work
and others here, including women like
Miss Helen Gould and Miss Anne Morgan.
are also disposed to give it assistance.
Mrs. Lewis said today: "a young girl
should be possessed Of health. a good edu-
cation, strong moral sense. and an as
sured income OF at least $50 a month IL
she wishes to study in Paris
Deficiency in any one of these re-
quisltes means inevitable failure and per-
hsps death
Cost of Living High.
ut costs more to live well, to live, that
is, as most English and American girls are
accustomed to living, in Paris than in New
York,
The girls there are very different physic-
ally and temperamentally, from ours.
They are content with dry bread and coffee
and a bit of meat from which all the
strength has been boiled all served in a
little dark, unventilated dining room. Such
living is in-eXpensive-but so 1t would be
here. Our vigorous healthy, hungry girls
will not accept it anywhere.
Another thing about which many girls
have an Illusion is the practical imposs-
bility of obtaining work in Paris in CON
nection with ones studies. No girl should
ever go to Paris alone unless she is ex-
ceptionally we'll and strong The French
know little about either ventilation or
sanitation. and the climate is damp and
unhealthy. Then there is always the shock
OF the change due to different food and
water served at different hours. It all
requires rugged constitution"
Moral Temptations severe.
And are the moral temptations really
so severeT'
They are, and the test comes in two
ways" explained Mrs. Lewis. There is
the outward and the inward thing.
What would seem the widest melo-
drama IN New York is of common oc-
currence in Paris. 1t is no exaggeration
to say that girl cannot enter a shop or
running the risk OF being drugged She
cannot safely accept a seat from a gentle
man In a public conveyance or the loan of
program from another woman at an art
exhibit.
1T is never safe for her alone on the
streets after dark and she must exercise
great care in her daytime walks. She can
not saunter along looking into shop
windows as the girls do here. She must
know where she's going and proceed there
directly and return. And she must never
permit herself to accept the smallest
civilty from a stranger.
LOneHomeness il Peril.
But even more subtle is the peril with
in herself One never knows what loneli-
ness really is until one is a stranger in
strange city And girls have such
natural, instructive passion for pleasure
and fun and happiness. They come to
Paris with all sorts OF brave resolves
about burying themselves in their work,
but the loneliness is bound to reach them
sooner or later and unless they find legal
diversion they must be strong indeed to
resist what offers.
That why l think the better aducatlon
a girl has the better her chances of keep
ing out OF danger, for her opportunities Of
proper enjoyment are so much wider She
Is particularly fortunate II she understands
and speaks French-even with an accent"