The Washington herald., 1915-12-14
AS SEEN BY A WASHINGTON WOMAN
WE CAN HELP BY
WEARING LIGHT COL LORS

W6hNINO kIOul NOkVNS
Which is harder-to change the
policy of an administration or to per.
suade women to reverse the tendency
of fashion?
Manufacturers and dyers, who have
had no too satisfactory results in
their visits to Washington with the
view of gaining Federal action to re-
licvc the present dye shortage, say
that nothing could be much harder
than the first mentioned undertaking.
Drcssmakers who have been called
upon by the dycrs to make 1916 a
light-goods season, when Dame
Fashion has already set her heart on
dark colors. insist that compared to
IN effort of theirs to reverse tho
tendency Of fashion the proverbial
task of getting a camel through the
eye Of a needle would be mere child's
play.
And then some men sit back in
their easy office chairs and mako re-
marks that arc not complimentary
about the stubbornncss of the fair
Sex, and about the lack Of public
spiritedness of women who will not
meet a really grave situation as they
might without the slightest injury.
And then women ask for the vote"
said one manufacturer of woolen
goods whose business is in tight
straits because of the shortage Of dye
materials due to the present war. "If
they want to do their share. let them
give up their slavclikc adherence to |
fashion. Let them wear light colors."
Now wait just minute, Mr.. Wool |
en-goods-manufacturer! Did it ever
occur 10 you that the men of tho
country might do just as much good |
in helping out this dye difficulty.
They, too, might wear light pink
business suits. and robins cgg blue
overcoats. Evening togs of inky hue
never looked very festive. Why not
have your tailor select some delicate
shade of yellow? OF course you don't
want it. Of course the man who
started the vogue would no doubt
land in the police station and stay
there till his patriotic mission WAS cx-
plaincd. But then it wouldn't do him
any injury. and perhaps even that
would be easier than reversing the
policy of an entire administration. |
More than ever before in Europe
the women arc holding the purse / 3
strings. Not only does the profit OF !
any business undertaking carried on =
by the women at home now go into c
the purse OF the woman who makes it, :
but the wage Of the soldier at the front a
is turned over to and expended by t
the wife and mother at home Women n
may have protested for hundred b
years for the privilege of an allow .
ance, and of economic independence. h
And all to no good. But with the h
grim necessity of war there is no al n
crnative. The responsibility and the ii
privilege is thrust upon them willy \,
lilly, whether they are good spenders $,
,r poor, whether or not they know a
he value OF economy. ii
We hear all sorts OF accounts OF the a
esult OF this present expenditure by :, q
And probably they arc all
more or less true OF certain cases n
rom Germany and France espc- 81
tally has come the gratifying news NJ
hat women prove TO be wiser spend -
rs than tho men and that now lit II
lc goes a longer way in the running W
# the household, that on d certain tn
ncomc families arc better nourishcd dr
nd better clothed. But this need not
&C due to the fact that women are dr
cttcr spcndcrs than men, so much as ii,
o the fact that in tho present crisis pa
he women at home are inspired to in
SC their best judgment and their sh
ecnest acumcn. SO
Then from England recently came m
nc less gratifying news that the re- tic
cnt alarming increase OF drunkenness tn
nong women in that country was sp
ue to the fact that the women had tn
nc purse strings for the first time to