The Washington times., 1917-09-20
MRS.FARLING CALLS
FOR LAW TO. FORCE
.MODESTY IN DRESS
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CONTINUED from First Page.I
are taken home the mother cries:
''why, I told you not to go any
where but to the pictures"
The mother should have known
where her daughter went and have
made sure that it was a proper place
for her.
Whole Makeup a Lure.
at is not so much the short skirts
and flmy waists that cause the harm
but the whole makeup and appear
ance OF the women nowadays that
creates the lure for young men.
"A girl dressed modestly and quiet
ly as she should be on the street
periences. 1t is only when she gets
herself up like a show that she at
tracts undesirable attention.
"Of course some men will ogle any
woman, but the average man of
twenty-five or more does not thrust
himself on girls whose ladylike ap-
pearance shows them to be what they
are.
"Just what law, or regulation
should be drawn l ON not prepared
to say, but l am strongly in favor
OF some such measure. Such q law
could be enforced. and would result
in great good TO the city. The trou-
Bile arising from street flirtations
would be lessened because there
would be less 'pick-ups' were the
women modestly clothed.
Would Compel MOdesty In Dress.
"of course as 1 said these things
should lie attended TO by the parents
and families OF the girls, but they
must be attended to and where the
proper persons fail there Is nothing
left for the law to do but take the
necessary precauuon to safeguard
young womanhood.
81 am sorry to say that these things
are true, out l see such conditions
every day, and so does everyone else
when they go out on the streets OF
Washington.
81 repeat that I am heartily In
favor of some law that will compel
women to clothe themselves In public
with becoming modesty."
CrItIcIse Frederick FIndIngS-
Two widely known Washington
women, one the wife Of a high Of
ficer of the army, and the other a
member Of the Board of Education,
took exception today to the report
of the Frederick, Nd, grand jury
condemning the style of feminine /.
dress
Mrs. Hugh L. Scott, wife of the |
chief OF staff Of the army, and Mrs. |
Susie Root Rhodes, educator and /
supervisor OF public Fairgrounds, |
came out with statements denying the l
right Of any body OF men to pass I
judgment upon women's dress or die 1
tate what the styles should be.
Mrs. Scott approved the style OF /
present day dress, and Mrs. Rhodes /
said the mind Of women and girls is I
less on style and fnery today than |
ii has been in the past twenty years.
@NOt the Fault of Styles"
Mrs. Scott today gave her opinion |
10 The Times on the report % tie
Frederick grand jury concerning the
styles Of vOmen's wearing apparel.
81; Is not the fault Of the styles"
said Mrs. Scott. Il can see nothing the 4
matter with the present-day styles.
Il believe that the ladies OF Fred 4
eTick dress the same as do ladies else
where, and do not believe that a jury
of men anywhere should dictate to
American women as to the clothes
that they wear.
'It Is not a matter OF the styles
that should be condemned, 1t is the
individuals that abuse the styles.
Il will admit that styles are very
often abused and always have been.
Some girls and women like to exag-
gerate the present-day styles, but that
does not prove that there Is anything
the matter with the way women in
this country dress.
Clothes should be properly worn.
Dresses too short, waists too low,
sometimes justify such comment. Pub
lie opinion should decide whether
styles are becoming or nOt.
81 Will say again that there is I
nothing the matter with styles in .
America. When style is objection
able public opinion soon rules II out |
Of fashion.
- don't believe that dress has be /
come immodest gradually, Is the re
port suggests, and a. dong as public .
opinion is the authority in matters
Of becoming dress, l am satisfied 10
go on record as approving the styles
OF the day"
Mrs Rhodes Defends.
I can see no reason for such a
statement as was made by the Mary
land grand jury that ruled present
day styles as immOdsst." said Mrs.
Rhodes. member Of the Board Of Edu-
cation and supervisor OF Washing
toms Fairgrounds. today in a state
ment to The Times.
Il believe that girls are paying less
attention t. fashions than they have
in the last twenty years. The ex-
tremes Of fashion are absent in Wash
iugtpn and the girls that J have come
in contact with here are not troubling
themselves about styles and fashions
at this time.
Most OF WashinGton's girls and
women and most Ct the women in the