Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-01

X X
1t is not only the Constitution that
follows the flag: it is womens apparel
that follows 1t for years after the flag
has ceased to be symbol of battle
and remains only a symbol of patriot
ism. All the great wars have definitely
changed the course of women's
clothes, although they may not have
left upon them the lasting impress
sions that wars have left upon mems
clothes. The male portion of the world
rarely thinks of this fact-that every
garment he wears Is almost directly
responsible to some explosion OF man
kind.
What has been done for protection
has often remained for the sake OF
fashion. What was done for comfort
and convenience and what was caused
by necessity has been inaugurated
into the conventional scheme of ap-
parel.
1t was after the wars Of the direc-
tory that men wore long trousers The
very insignificant, fiat bow on. the
worn on the left side because war
rior king found that the plumes on
the right side of his helmet seriously
interfered with the appraised sword In
to the left. and in memory of that
men have worn on the left side what
ever touch Of ornamentation there
was on their hats. This has become
remain as fixture. but the origin of
the bow on the left side began in that
forgotten battle.
The straight shirt waist which wor-
en- have worn came from Garibaldi;
the straight, outside shirts worn by
peasants came from the cuirass Of
Dagobert, that early fighting king Of
France; and the loose stitchery which
women have worn over their costumes
for three centuries Is remnant OF the
wore when they went forth to fight.
And so it goes. Books could be writ
ten on changes that war has brought
to civilized apparel.
And what will this great war bring?
We do not know. 1t is too early to
say. Those who remain alive IN the
midst of an explosion have no time to
think how far flung is the resounding
roar of the thing.
tain, because 1t is brought home to
each house tand each shop-the neces-
sity for ingenuity due to lack Of ma
terials.
X
1t is no simple thing to saunter down
and buy any kind of galloon. braid,
embroidery or other ornamentation
for gowns. One finds that manufac-
tured articles are becoming more and
more limited. The War Industries
Board has gone into the situation
with such thoroughness that manu-
facturers have been requested to lop
of several thousand items that are
considered as non-essentials.
Once upon a time this world. which
dearly loves a phrase, twisted and
turned the words "irreducible mini
mum" in fantastic ways to suit va
sister in popularity to President
Cleveland's famous "innocuous desue-
tude" Today the expression that has
superseded all others Is the eiimina-
thousands of women who will tell you
that that means both "irreducible
minimum" and "innocuous desuetude."
1t is we'll for an extravagant continent
that the irreducible minimum can be
arrived at through compulsion.
The development of ingenuity is one
of the most powerful factors in the
growth Of any nation. We became
great on that basis. We have become
feet were lifted from that basic foun-
dation. Things have come too easy for
us. But the glorious thing that this
war has brought about in the soul of
America Is the fundamental truth that
layer Of moral fat, and that the mo-
ment the soul was called above that
1t rose and acted according to its best
traditions.
There are no complaints. There is
no moaning because of sacrifices.
There is no whimpering because shat
we considered essentials have been
relocated to the rear as non-essen-
tails. No woman is so utterly worth
less that she Is petulant because she
cannot get everything she wants. 1t
is a strange, strang thing, this sur
vival Of national soul. Over mil
lion women have gone back to pioneer
days in spirit and in privation with
the same serenity of courage that
their ancestors showed in other days.
In a letter of French officer to his
brother in this country he expresses
the astounding experience of the
French army in finding that the
civilian Americans fight like Daniel
Boone. Being a Frenchman, he grtpped
the essential and put 1t into a phrase
If our men are "throwback" to
Daniel Boone, then our women are
also "throwback" to those times.
X
The only way to find out how blessed
we are in these days is to compare our
lot with the women of Daniel Boone's
day. If we do that constantly, by read
ing history and recurring to the past,
we Htil fintJ ourselves M u esprit Of
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