El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-11-20
StNdyHer Eye,
Son; It's The
SU7reSt Sign
Don't Gage Morals by
Length of Skirts, Says
Society Woman.
III HARoLD <. PHILLIPs.

New York, Nov. 20.-Modesty is not
10 be measured by the length Of
skirt. nor the quantity Of soft. dinplec
cuticle that IS displayed It's the
pirl who can roll a wicked eye our
budding manhood must relisiously
avoid II goth century morals, or per
baps the lack Of them, are TO be i'm
proved
So SAYS Mrs. James Lees Laidlaw,
pillar Of the 900 suffragist and now
champion Of modern styles which &C
cording to the dsacons and elders, are
striving more than ever to conserve
cloth and boost prices
"A girl may have skirts that sweep
the ground and still be menace IRON ~
ne look in her eye" says MIS- Ls-lu-
law "AIodesty and gooo manners ~ ~ e
innate. This cutlery against lne
women. young and old, Of our geileId-
ffon - exploiters OF immodest dress
Is unfair and preposterols-
For Instance, Mrs. LzidlaW points
out. the peasant girls OF l-4rope NJ (
been wearing knee length skiEJs 10
generations and no one mas tnou5n NJ
: Of accusing them OF immooesty, PC %
cause they are demure ana make thelr
ewes behave II the mOralists OF the
United States are going TO extremes.
why don't they 90 the whole as
lance and make IL a crime Lot a
woman to uncover her face in pubic
Mrs. Laidlaw suggests
Don't Bother About Clothes
Some men are everlastingly dc
tatinE what woman's dress snall De,
she continues. Il want TO say TO
them that no man who has anything
important TO think about bothers his
head over women's clothes
The only disturbing thing MS
@
clothes. In these days Of soaring
prices and profiteering, she su5Eest 5
that American women wear their old
clothes. whether they are knee length
or ankle length"
Il say again, good manners have
nothing TO do with clothes, and ]
resent any criticism Of our frank ana
modest American girls The short
skirt has its best argument on the
score Of health, with convenience
Miss Adeline Sterling. correspond
ing secretary Of the New York city
League for Women voters. emphatic
ally supports what Mrs. Laidlaw said,
There IS nothing TO worry the
clergy or women's clubs about the
dress OF women today And II. as u
is so freely charged. II Is difficult 70
distinguish a member Of a resnecta BE
congress ton from another kind Of
dicates that the observer IS guilty OF
one Of two things-profound inno-
cence or profound sophistication-
Girls and CnmOuflaEe.
IF the girls skewer up their hair
and camouGage their ears. lift their
skirts OF bare their threats 70 wintry
blasts. these are only the extrsva-
Eances Of fantastic tastes that have
always been the coucomitant OF the
great struggles OF history Excess IN
one direction IS sure to bring its re-
action The suggestion that all
women are Delilahs because OF the
! present day silk stockings narades is
an absurd reflection on a slightly pro
/ cessiou-"
/ Mrs Grace s Forsythe. district
I superintendent OF schools in New
{ York. is not half as much disturbed
I over the STYLES as she Is over rouge
I and lip sticks. Girls between the age.
/ Of "a and 90. she SAYS, NAV be seer
/ calmly displaying their paint boxes
and red pencils in crowded subways
The fault IS with the mothers.
she explains Il have great praise fol
those schools that have adopted dres.
! restrictions"