Evening star., 1919-03-02

N''i edudI liulil OF Olnef treasures
when war gave one nations property
into another nations hands II is only
in recent times that the world holds
up its hands in horror and cries aloud
with disgust over the transformance
of national treasures from one flag to
another under might and force
The great treasures of the world are
often loot. Kings and generals have
taken what they wish from invaded
countries; what is proudly exploited as
the possession of a great nation was
ruthlessly snatched from another ma
tion in those epochs when to conquer
was to despoil.
X
Nothing so proves the colossal ad-
vance in idealism that the world has
made since the eighteenth century as
the mere fact that we cannot tolerate
such action today. If the kings and
generals of ancient eras could be
judged by the court of this year they
would be written into history in diff
now told. We would no longer glorify
the conQuerors. We would eNecrate
them. No nation would be safe from
our investigation and no nation free
from our modern idealistic censure. 1t
is this thing upon which we must fix
our minds firmly and ardently when
we are tempted to believe that the
world has dropped back into bar
barism.
When we hold firmly to the faith
that this war has instilled in us then
we see with what rapid strides we
have overthrown traditions that We're
never considered cruel until the light
of the twentieth century broke upon
them.
We are callous enough now, how
ever, TO make the best of the fashions
and art treasures, the raw materials
that once were loot, and today are
priceless national property.
Napoleon took all that he could to
make France glorious in fashionable
apparel, and we are going back to that
era as quickly and rapidly as though
we approved of the earlier methods of
warfare and conquerors. We might be
able to say to ourselves that we are
snatching at all the fashions of all the
countries that this war has brought
into activity. II our loot is no more
serious, then history win not have any
censure for US.
The milliners are the ones who have
a special chance this season to exploit
new and ornamental fashions. No law
or decree has been laid down for hats.
There are no limitations to shapes, nor
ornaments, nor colors. When this is
the case ingenuity has full sway, and
purses are quickly opened. We search
for novelty in vain, but we find
enough in the outpouring of new hats
to stimulate our desires and play upon
our imagination.
The significant features In millinery
are the introduction of the Napoleonic
turban which the women of Napoleons
day took from the ancient lands he
invaded, and the adoption of the Span
ish hat in ancient and modern guise.
Naturally, Spain and Napoleon were
very much mixed up, but there is no
record that France adopted Spanish
millinery or any type of Spanish fash
ions during the early part of the nine
teenth century.
X
Exactly why we have adopted them
today is not clear 1t could not be said
to have started overnight, for two or
three of the dominant French design
ers brought out decided Spanish fash
ions the first year of the war These
were followed by other gowns, hats
and wraps. Little by little the Spanish
type of dress crept into the social
phases of fashion.
This season, and especially this
spring, we will wear a number of
things that smack Of Seville and are
reminiscent of Madrid, The lace
fopnce viii return, and even the most
casual student Of the history Of dress
knows how Spanish that fashion Is.
The immense tortoise shell comb
placed outward from the side OF the
head is theatrically Spanish for In
stance, and II IS revived.
The long colored shawl which Is
thrown over the bare arms has re-
turned In certain modified form and
worn by women of this hour as 1t was
by those OF the directoire.
There Is a strong effort to bring back
the round-toed fiat slipper, and you
see smart women with fiesh-colored
silk stockings and black slippers In
the afternoon and evening when the
gown Is not excessively formal.
The placing of the rose on the shoul-
der, at the waist. or at the knee on o
net or lace tunic is another Spanish
fashion that has persisted In France
for two years. Callot and Lanvin are
both lovers of the Spanish styles and
have exploited the rose in so emphatic
a fashion that Americans have taken
it up. 1t was quite a natural sequence
of events, therefore, that the milliners
should see In this tendency toward
Spanish fashions chance to Introduce
the most picturesque of all hats.
This has the haring brim Of lace or
tulle with it's fullness Of lace at the
edge of the brim, its floating veil Of
lace and the inevitable red or pink