New-York tribune., 1920-08-30
Rye Beach wiz Adopt
Standard Bathing Suit
V-Shaped Backs, Bare Legs, One-Piece Clingers,
and Baby-Blue Socks Ordered Off Strand
by Shocked Board of Town Commissioners

1t was the CLINT and sparkle of the
sun in the great mass of blond hair
piled high on top of her head that first
caught the sharp and puckered eye of
the Town Constable. He stopped short.
shifted his tobacco over to his port
cheek and stared. AS his squirting
gaze travelled slowly downward it took
III beautiful pair of shoulders of
pristine whiteness and quite bare ex-
.pt for two thin bands of black rib
bon. He gasped audibly as his eyes
followed the black lines.
Far down white and unprotected
back the ribbons ran and finally made
connection with a black V-shaped bod
ice of surf satin, against which were
silhoueted embroidered yellow panses.
The Town Constable stopped his me-
chanical chewing as his gaze continued
its downward course. Attached to the
bodice was an abbreviated skirt, snug
about the hips and f1aring slightly into
broad hem, where it ended, some
/ twelve inches below the waist.
Baby Blue Socks
Below that the Constable's narrow
ing eyes encountered two legs. plump
and bare and white. Then came two
dlmpled knees and after that a pair
inches above the ankles and supported
By invisible elastic bands. The dainty
feet were encased in white bathing
slippers, partly buried in the yellow
ish sands of Rye Beach. Forming a
gorgeous background for this vision
was America S Mediterranean the
shimmering blue surface of Long ISL
and Sound.
The Town Constable steadied him
self against the rugg I'd sea wall lining
Rye Beach Avenue. Then he blew
polished it quickly with the under part
of his sleeve, and throwing his shoul-
ders back in resolute fashion started in
pursuit of the vision.
Young lady" he said, tapping her
lightly on one of her bare shoulders,
do you think this here is burlesque
show, or a comic opry?"
II can't recall ever having been in
troduced to YOU" she replied coldly.
Nope" said the constable, 1--WE amt
never been introduced, but we're gonna
get blame we'll acquainted up to the
police station if you don't 60 and get
some clothes onto you in less than five
minutes"
In the course of his constabulary
duties the officer reported this incl
dent to the Town Park Commission of
Rye, of which George J. Werner is the
head. In addition to being chairman
of the Park Commission, Mr.. Werner
is the Republican candidate for Sheriff
of Westchester County and is chair
man of the Westchester Board of Su
pervisors, having been twice elected
from the town of Rye.
Hit Upon New Scheme
His duties are varied and manifold,
but none has proved so perplexing as
administering the affairs of Rye's new
S5OO,0O bathing park. The incident
of the lightly clad lady and the town
constable typifies the problem with
which Mr.. Werner and his associates
on the Park Commission have been
wrestling all summer.
They think now that they have found
very ingenious solution to it, and in
a short time they will put into effect
plan which they believe will elm
mate one-piece bathing suits, V-shaped
bodices and stockingless legs.
The commission, of which Theodore
Friend, president of the village Of Rye;
John Schick, president of the village
of Port Chester, and Henry c. Weeks,
Of Rye Neck, are the other members,
expects TO nave Its new scheme per-
fected this week. Considerable oppo-
sition is being raised to putting the
new idea into operation this year, as
it is pointed out that changing the
styles of bathing suits SO late in the
season would result in all sorts of con-
fusion.
Nevertheless, the Park Commission
ers are determined that their beach on
busy days shall no longer resemble
that we'll known oil painting entitled
"The Woodland Nymphs." If the wonl-
en- really must go in swimming there
they will have to put something on.
And that "something" must cover the
shoulders and stretch in -peekaboo
style all the way down to the knees,
where the hem of the skirt must meet
stockings of the full length variety.
Standardized Suit
With this idea in view the Commits
sioners will get busy this week and
design standardized municipal bathing
suits for both men .and women, and an
ordinance providing for their use at
Rye Beach will be adopted by the Board
of Trustees of Rye Village at its next