Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-03
QUITE A SURPRISE
IN MATTER OF EYES
Registration Day Proved That Ameri-
cans From Seventeen to FOrty-Six
Cannot he Accused Of Vanity.
by n, II, DADCOC,I(.

Bf n. II. DADCOCK.
IL having been my privilege to serve
month. helped to tabulate Uncle Sans
most maHn tan AL
average American male between the
vain.
Among other statistics which regis
trars were required TO record concern
his hair and OF his eyes. Rather than
rely upon ones own discrimination be-
tween cen. battling tints; it was natural for
In fact, without inviting the applicant
dow and requesting him TO face the
light. independent pronunciamento. in
many cases, seemed we'll nigh impos-
Never had ] supposed there could be
SO so many nonassertiye eyes as are
eyes Which, instead a % saying hH ~S cant
you see I am bluc?" or Can't YOU see
IL l am na,I brown have nothing, positive
when questioned by your own eyes sae
proceed to camounasc themselves, with
color at all" surely IL any one could
know how TO label them. II should be
the hne, person "iIaH, In whose head they have
five years has been their owner and
Neverthcless. i can testify that from
more than one-half Of the males to
Mho Possos IT, tho
Color OF your eyes, piease?" came the
assertion that they didn't know, and at
eyes 10 their widest capacity in order
that the questioner might see for him.
That these replies We're not in strict
accordance with truth. If. OF course.
possible. but it is, difiicuit to see what
1t is surely no more disgraceful for a
man TO know the, color Of his own eyes
on his hand. 1t is. however. much less
important. which is. 1 presume. AN ex-
planati1 10, Of the ma mater, -
the color of ones eyes proves either
6hn 1oasd man is lacking in that degree
mate ASSOCIATION with "a bookings lass.
to total stranger; snd after day
Had the task OF draft registration
would be quite Understanding why
reEistrants might deny knowledge OF
the shade of their eyes: not only would
masculine nature crave freedom from
any suspicion Of vanity. but might
welcome the intimate search which the
make with her eyes to discover the hue
of his. But no such motive could exist
WESTON n AND mas ease w6ch see
vincing proof that when male says
he doesn't know the color OF his eyes,
May we not through this assurance
perceive one lingering trait that will
continue to distinguish poor struggling
masculinity in the great ocean Of
modern fcmninity that is cnsulfng the
world?
Do you suppose. II September IL had
called for the registration of all the
females in the United States between
the ages Of eighteen and forty-five. in
elusive. there woul have been a soli-
tary registrant who to the question.
What is the color of your eyes?" could
truthfully have answered. Il don't
know? Many of them would perhaps
have aG let eE,es speak for 9th ,hemselves
closer and see?" but none Of them.
venture to assert, would have claimed
ignorance on the subject. 1t would
have been too utterly, prcposterous. 1t
would have had a tendency to lay them
open to suspicion as German spies. 1t
would have invalidated the accuracy Of
their responses TO all other questions
on the official blanks. a trifing mac
curacy In their replies to some Of these
other official questions-as. for exam
pie; What "a. was your age on your last
looked. but denial that they knew the