The Washington herald., 1918-09-07
By DWIc

New York. Sept. e.-S. Leighton
Frooks-Collarless Frooks. genial, tai
ented and urbane leader OF the Col
larless League of America, has for
saken Fame for Fashion. He has put
on his collar and the league has been
busted high and wide.
1t was Frooks, who, a few weeks
ago. toosed off his collar and startled
New York with the announcement
that the neck OF man must be made
safe for democracy, He declared that
a collar was of as much use on the
neck as a bunion on the leading toe.
From his law offices he issued
statements inquiring why a man
should so around like a turtle. with
his neck sticking out of shell. There
were better shell games, he declared,
so why fall for the collar?
And just as everybody was getting
interested. and the league was receiv-
ing the endorsement of prominent
men. including fifty Paterson anar-
chists and ten poets from Greenwich
Village, what happens?
Well, this is what happened: A re-
porter, with nothing on his mind hut
his hat, strolled Unexpectedly into the
law office of the High Priest and
leading exponent OF decollete. ard
there sat Frooks with his neck en-
circled by a starchcd strip of linen.
offset by an Elbert Hubbard tie.
Outside, the birds twittered about
the base of the Columbus monument.
Over in Central Park members of the
Swan Feeders Union were getting
came the sound of purring. snarling
IL
the sky.
Il am sorry" said TrOoks.
80 am l." said the scribe, who
writes at space rates.
Seen around the town: A lahorer
wearing a red shirt and with a pick
over his shoulder gazing into a win
dow of Chinese pottery of ancient
lineage on Fifth avenue. A thin, pale
young man with a beak like an ibis
defying a policeman to make him
move off Broadway curb. Two
young lovers, hand i'm hand. asleep on
the top Of a moving bus A rich and
famous mining engineer lunChinE at
the automatic restaurant. Jack Pick
ford and Olive Thomas. his VIE,
splashing each other in the surf A.
Long Beach while the crowds cheer
ed. woman. who brought her par
rot with her in a tiny cage, dining on
a roof garden.
They were choosing heautioe for a
Broadway chorus ard a woW-known
beauty picker happened in Ilo mod
estly announced himself rs the great
est connoisseur OF beauty in the
world.
81 can pick 'em in the dark" was
his boast.
They put ten girls in a dark room
with him. He asked each 70 sing.
Each did and he easily IioE'd the
most beautiful girl. Her vo.re was
by far the worst of the lot.
A great change has come over Madi-
son Square Park. At night it used to
be filled with a motley assortment
beery buns. soiled doves Of the
streets. professional hcGcarS and
other dregs Of the jinklc-iumble Of
the underworld. The great wars
backfre has burned out th" human
rubbish The work or fight order
gathered in many and the others Just
deserted out of sheer humiliation
when the stalwart soldiers and SAIL
ors. waiting to go across, made the
park their rendezvous. Now the
square looks like a small army camp
officers and men OF both army and
navy congregate there and ill the
benches. Instead Of obscene muttcr-
ings against fate and coarse stories
that polluted the very night air, there
are now patriotic songs. clean con-
versation and an air Of ultra rcspec-
liability. Even the soap-boN Dacifist
who used to make his stand under
the gasoline torches has moved to
other parts.