Omaha daily bee., 1914-08-09

y whose tortured and jaded
nerves are stimulated by the
sight Of two human brutes beating
one another black and bloody, you
are a menace to our race!
Spoiled daughters of society, who
combine the .cruelty-loving instincts
OF the savage with an inordinate love
of the costliest Injuries and display,
YOU are a peril to our womankind!
Three recent prize fights in Europe
have been made remarkable by the
attendance Of a large number of
women of the aristocracy, many of
them young and attractive, wearing
jewels and modish evening dress.
They made a coarse and brutal con-
test the excuse for brilliant social
gathering.
The prize fights thus distinguished
were those between the negro, Jack
Johnson, and Frank Moran, in Paris;
between Freddie Welsh and
willie" Ritchey, in London, and be-
tween "Gunboat" Smith and Georges
Carpenter, also in London.
In this unblushing patronage of
be the most gentle and refined ele-
ment Of society, We see not merely
a display of bad taste, but an unmis-
taxable indication of social corrup-
ton, warning that an upheaval Is
coming in the communities where
such degraded taste prevails. When
ever in history the women of the up
per classes have succumbed to the
fascination OF cruel and bloodthirsty
spectacles, the downfall of a ctviliza-
ton has been surely decreed. Thus
it was in ancient Rome, IL Babylon,
in Carthage, in Egypt, in Greece, In
Spain. The psychologist who studies
the news about the recent prizefghts
is forced to conclude that France and
England are doomed to pass through
an upheaval like those which befen
the earlier civilizations.
We in America are closely affected
by these occurrences, for a consider
able number of American women
were among those who witnessed the
prizefights. Moreover, the tendency
of our socially conspicuous class TO
initiate the society of England and
France is so strong that there is nee
essarily grave danger that the con-
tagion of such social customs will
spread here.
Listen to a newspaper report OF the
fight between the negro Jack Johnson
and Frank Moran in Paris:
1.-THE singular spectacle was pre-
scented of several hundred women in
beautiful gowns applauding the two
pugilists as they struggled up and
down the ring, feintlng and lodging
and punching each other.
Among the women were those
that bore such great names in society
as Baroness Henri de Rothschild, the
younger Duchess Dues, the Duchess
de Rohan, Countess Matthew de No
allies, the poetess Princess Morou'
zieff, and Countess de Proumiers.
"Johnson's white wife occupied a
prominent position, wearing many
diamonds"
Before the fight, we are told, the
loveliest women of the French aris-
tocracy bearing names that have
been famous since the crusades felt
the ripping muscles of the colored
gladiator Johnson and thrilled with
brutal joy in the contemplation of his
colossal development.
In a misplaced enthusiasm for the
triumph of the white race, the at
tractive Mrs. IT,-N-- y. T.'-rs :, of New
York, richly gowned, planted kiss
full on the lips of the Pittsburgh
pugilist Frank Moran. During the
encounter the women became fran
tically excited and applauded wildly
whenever the fighting seemed vicious.
Similar scenes occurred at the fight
between Welsh and Ritchey in Lon
GCn. The Earl of Lonsd2le, a lead
ing English sporting nobleman, was
there, and with him was his wife,
one OF the handsomest women in so
ciety, and many other women OF the
English aristocracy. Tall, fair-haired
maids and matrons, who should have
been attending to their duties in the
stately homes of England, sat by the
ringside and cheered the lighters,
Among them, tool regret to say was
prominent Anglican clergyman, the