The Washington herald., 1914-04-05
PURITAN PARIS
AWAITS QUEEN
Lid to Be On During the Wis
it of the English Mon
archs.
SLIT SKIRTS SEWED UP
But They'll Be Unripped Again as
Soon as Royal Pair Go Back
- Th.,r Isl,nJ
SLIT SKIRTS SEWED UP
l1l Cahle To The washington Herald

Special Oabae to The Washington Herald.
Paris, April 4-The lid is to be put or
Paris for the visit OF King George AND
Queen Mary 10 the French capital the
last week in April. Society women will
wear long, unslashed skirts, decolletege
will shrink. exotic dances will be banned.
and theaters and musical halls will in
dulge in an orgy of propriety.
Paris is 20 make this unprecedented ef-
fort in order that Queen Mary shall
net carry out her threat to give II the
cold shoulder on the occasion of King
Georges official visit. Last February
the Queen decided that as she could not
meet society women with skinny gowns.
decollete calves and sandaled feet: she
would have 10 contract a diplomatic ILL.,
ness for the occasion. Now it is learned,
however, that she has been induced to
change her mind by the vigorous purity
campaign carried out here in the month
Of March. Orders for this campaign
were given out in the inner circles OF
Paris society, with that special object.
Get Quiet Tip"
A number Of prominent society lead
ers received word that a change in
fashions was desirable. A committee
Immediately was formed. and within a
few days Paria was startled by fierce
denunciations of slashed skirts and
other indecent symptoms of modern
fashions. This led dressmakers to
turn out models calculated to satisfy
Queen Mary's well-known ideas on
dress. AT the same time Prefect of
Police Hennion began to purify the
theaters and music halls by issuing a
decree threatening prosecution OF the
management of any house giving
shows in which undraped women were
the principal attraction. He also
raided 1,7oo hotels and arrested 300
habitues of Montmartre night resorts.
And it is understood that proceedings
against them will last long enough to
keep them incarcerated until after the
royal visit.
Queen Is Much Pleased.
The Queen was much pleased when she
read the reports of these measures In the
English press. and now there is no doubt
that she will consent to estab the
record of being the first English Queen
officially to visit Paris during the third
republic. She and King George will stay
at the foreign office. living in the same
apartments recently occupied by King
Alfonso and previously by Manuel when
he was still monarch of Portugal
In recent years this apartment has had
special interest for all sovereigns be-
cause II was there that the scandal be-
gan which linked Manuels name with
that Of Gaby Deslys. which ultimately
led to his dethronement. 1t is not to be
expected however. that any one will tell
Queen Mary she is occupying the rooms
in which the Parisienne danced TO the
boy King.
1t was planned originally that the royal
guests should stay in the British En-
hassy building. but although Ambassador
Sir Francis BERTHE had the place thor
oughly overhauled for this purpose, it Is
still unsuitable. II is not anything like
so handsome a place as the American
Embassy building, while II is furnished
in the uncomfortable. stiff. early Vic
torian style, its only recommendation be-
ing that it possesses one of the finest
private gardens in Paris.