New-York tribune., 1920-04-19
Straton Assails
Dance Halls as
Breeding Vice
Baptist Pastor Also Turns
Fire on Hirshfield, The
aters, Movies. Rent Prof.
teers and Women's Dress
Takes Politicians to Task
Reads LettersFr Pulpit At
lacking Modern Fashions
as Increasing Social Evil

Commissioner of Accounts Hirshtield,
tss sheaters. movies, women's dress,
rent profiteers. novels, magazines and
ne modern dance came under the fire
ot the Rev. DR.. John Roach Straton's
orseory last night in his sermon at
Calvary Baptist Church. in West Fifty
seventh Street. The clerg lyman also
taok occasion to hurl defiance at the
snouymous letter writer's who. he said,
had threatened him with death unless
he stopped his vice Investigations.
As prelude to the sermon. which
vas entitled THE Economic and So
eial Responsibility for Vice in New
York City" DR.. Straton said he desired
70 make a statement concerning the
personal assault" that had been made
upon him by certain politicians since
his vice exposure began.
The statement was repetition of
that which he gave to the newspapers
last week, in which he accused Com
missioner Hrshfield of attempting to
use him to stir the "whitewash bucket"
The minister branded as "fake facts"
the details concerning his alleged apol-
oy for and retraction of charges he
had made against 0. L. Shackleford,
District Attorney Of Norfolk, Va, which
we're made public by Mr.. Hirshheld.
Dr.. Straton charged that "harvest
Of hell" is being reaped in the dance
halls Of New York, and that these
places furnish the principal supply Of
fallen girls. ''The modern dance" he
said. sis an expression of the degenera-
ton or human society"
Sees All Clothes Eliminated
In speaking of women's dress the
minister said: 1T present tendencies
continue and we go q little further
with the process OF elimination, then I
suppose that in the not distant future
we will have both men and women in
state Of complete freedom from all
clothing, which will fnish the circle
and bring US back to the point from
which the savages started out"
Shifting his attack to the theaters.
DR.. Straton declared that the theater-
going public and the people Of the
stage owe it to themselves to stand
together against the awful abuses that
are not only destroying dramatic art,
but are wrecking multitudes of young
lives and feeding the ranks of vice
and shame in our city and in our
nation"
Asserting he would not be a foe Of
the theater il it were a decent institu-
ton, Dr.. Straton said:
The legitimate drama has place
IN the scheme Of human life, culture
and entertainment. But to-day the the
aters have been almost completely
commerciaEzed, and one of their main
stocks IN trade to get larger door re-
eeipts is to cater to the lower instincts
Of the race By the indecent exposure
OF girls and women"
Declaring that rent profteers are in
. measure responsible for vice condi-
lions N New York, the clergyman read
letter he said ne had received from
a woman, who declared that increased
rents had forced many women into
but that they might be able to keep
their homes together little longer.
Blame Modern Dress Fashions
Several letters were read by DR..
Straton which blamed vice conditions
on modern fashions in dress. One of
these named three prominent hotels
where, the writer said, the clergyman
ccoald see the shameless dress of
-ashlonable women"
7 have statements from an earnest
souled young college man" said DR..
s'raton. He says the greatest temp
'atIons and trials that come to him
and his roommate are because of the
suggestive way in which their girl
-rends dress and the reckless way in
wnicn they allow themselves to be
handled in the dance.
The greatest evil in modern styles
Is the fact that the present tendencv
soWard und-ess is obviously for the
purpose Of directing attention to the
sex idea. This idea Is tremendously
Gver-em hasized in our modern life.
u Is fred at us from the magazines,
octh in pictures and stories. It is
literally rubbed all over US in the
'aeater and the moving picture show.