Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-05
BELLIES DANCE
WITHPRIVATES;
SNUBS RESULT
officers Now Cold to Half of
"Nice" Girls Of Della
ware City
FURORE AT DU POINT
Young Women Trying to Do Bit
for Democracy Find
Path Thorny
By M'LISS

hsautifll and popular girls of this town
went to an enlisted mems ball at Fort
du Pont
Thereby hangs a tale which has set
this hamlet and neighboring hamlets seeth-
ing and frothing as only hamlets adjacent
10 an army post can seethe and froth and ,
becluse they feel the climax OF the tale has
not vet been reached, Delaware City gos-
sips can do little else but talk about this
matter. The four girls are:
Mise Ruth Clark daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs Harry G. Clark. Mr. Clark Is the
contractor who constructed most of the
buildings at the fort He is regarded as
the towns wealthiest and most prominent
citizen and is president of the Board of
Trade Mrs Clark is the acknowledged
social leader. but she doesn't work hard
stit. II is said because she and her daugh-
ctr Ruth spend most Of the winter at
Palm Beach,
Misses, Margaret and Emma Muligan.
strking brunette beauties, the daughters OF
p. ], Mulgan. former president OF the
Delaware City Bank and member OF the
Board of Trade.
Miss Bessie O'Neill, one of the prettiest
oolleens It has ever been given mortal man
10 see and friend Of the three other girls
According 20 these girls and other resi-
dents, there are in the whole town about
: eight mice" girls. These four are big
half of the eight Ever since they have
been old enough TO peep coyly from behind
fan and make a mans heart go pit-a-pat
they have been attending the Thursday
night officers dances at the fort.
Then the war came, and great strapping
Westerners, who threw down their Jobs in
order to enlist, were sent to the fort, and
Jersey militiamen, culled from the best
families in the "skeeter" State, were also
Rarrisoned there. These boys, even as the
officers themselves, had been used to nice
girls. Indeed, contrary to statistics gath
cred by long-nosed investigators of some
camps, these boys actually showed de-
cdhd and emphatic preference for nice
Eirls They didn't see why Just because
they couldn't wear leather legglns and
hadn't bars on their shoulders they should
shun the nice girls
-Four of the probable eight nice girls
. were sweet to these lonely, homesck boys,
retaining their friendship with the officers
meanwhile.
I'VE observed what we thought were the
army ethics in this matter" Miss Ruth
Clark told me, land think 1 know ethics
BECAUSE / have been raised at the post
never looked at an enlisted man before this
war, Because they did not interest me-a
man whose ambition was no higher than
SIS month wouldn't interest any girl.
But these men, many of them college
graduates--I know who was the prin-
eipal of q school-who have given up their
careers and comfortable homes to fight for
us, are different We invited them TO our
homes but never when We had invited Of
1cers. We knew that army discipline was
such that an enlisted man was not sup
posed to meet his superior socially, and we
observed all that. not wanting to suplect
tither Of them to any humiliation, but 1t
,vHs no use.''
We ENLISTED MEN FORM CLUB
t*Oh Friday, October 8, about seventy-hve
1t the enlisted men, "the pick of the post,
according to the four girls, formed club
which they called the dupont Coterie CLUB
and gave a ball at the fort II was given
for the benefit of the Red Cross and the
eight nice girls who are members OF the
BED Cross were invited, together with
suitable patronesses and chaperones. -Four
!of the nice girls, chaperoned by Mrs.
William Reybod, prominent in the Red
Cross went and had the time of their
lives s
The bali was an unprecedented success,
the four nice girls, who are expert judges
Of balls by this time declared. 1t had
more snap and vim and style" than any
officers ball. they said, for In this day
when all kinds of boys have taken up arms
70 make the world safe for democracy,
many enlisted men use their $50 a month
emoument to have their shoes shined or
10 buy magazines with. Therefore the dec
orations and favors and refreshments were
all that they should have been. The ball
had tone.
But here the plot thckens.
Mrs. Charles jefferson, chairman of the
War Council Of Delaware City, and as such
ordained 10 be the friend Nin need of the
enlisted men, and her daughter Louise, and
The other nice girls, whom have not
named. ignored their invitations to the en-
listed mems ball o.
THREE SNUBBED BY OFFICERS
On the following Thursday the officers
ban was held. Three of the four nice
tlrls who had attended the enlisted mems
han did not receive their customary inyi.
tations. Miss Ruth Clark, daughter or the
. WoaltlV papaiNad hNrg
Tongues began 70 wag.
me rumor that petticoat politics had
oesn played gained ground. The girls ant
e.ners were convinced, they said, that they
AheW whose petticoats had interfered
ana then Miss Clark did fine thing
she Is lovely blonde and as hne-spiritet
- sne Is pretty. She threw her lot in will
We tnree girls who had pot been asked tc
y, sne officers bail. She declined her invltI
WOULDN'T BE sNoBBIsH
had done exactly the same thing as
.ney, she told me, her eyes shooting fire
mad entertained enlisted men. 1 an
~ saying anything against the officers
Spme OF them are sweet boys. too, but tn
es.s'ed men are preparing to lay dow
asr nVes' also. do not see why w
-noud be snobbish in this matter.
-, Az OF us have gone to the officers bal
~ Of our lives" she continued, "but whei
ny three friends were snubbed after tn
hVHb Dalls 10 Wnlcn nau hBOn
- ! couldn't see why ] was not ais
ruoDed ltdoesn't make very much differ
snes 70 mel am going South in a fev
eNs-but it's the sort of thing i hate 4
creep into our community. It's the sor
mlng that has never been here before
~ payday this town Is filled with cheal
sSSnsn' she said earnestly Nov suppos
-s,ee NICE girls refuse 10 go with the mic
sed boys; suppose we were so snobbisl
20 unfriendly as 20 stop inviting then
~, sl homes would II be very womanly o
sy patriotic OF, US? We have no bar
W shoulders. and so long as the boy
rss eome here are gentlemen there is M
why we should not receive them
nt,"s Siark home Is a great, homy, baro
ana sIt soIt Of place. with yawning fireplace
ri,h hth ceilings. The huge drawlng-roon
h,,,,..h ~ "aNed floor, it's grand plano an
i.4'uoe OF comfy" chairs, has been tn
lres ot many good time. was told
1.I. shleh the enlisted men and the ofiicer
~" sse--on different occasions as arm
Nspt 70 the homo Of the woman who /
LOT the trouble. She received ~
|1afe unction.
You nFA dear nenapaper fifl.
'|| me- when had stated my mia