The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-03-18
RUENOS AIRES IS THE
SOUTH AMERICAN PARIS

<AiICSs 1cDs 1O.-NSO
pondence of the Associated Press. y
Buenos Aires, which once had the rep
utation of being "wide open" city
and "gayer than Paris" is mot what
it used to be" in the opinion of many
travellers who were here before the
war and have returned recently
Tn gayety is still here, they say,
the lid has been clamped upon many
resorts in which the worst sort of
license was wont to flourish openly.
Public gambling places have also been
banner, dissolute women have been
driven off the streets, and beginning
this year the police have begun the
suppression of houses of i'll fame. The
claim is made that Buenos Aires is to-
DAY cleaner morally than ever before
in its history, due to the reform"
regulation of a recent city administra-
ton and continued by the present
one.
The city council also a few days ago
passed an ordinance imposing taA
of 10000 pesos annually on cabarets,
which is expected to put some of the
lower class places out of business. La
Epoca, the government organ. in ap-
proving the measure. refers to the
Buenos Aires cabarets as Establish
ments of corruption" and demands
that minors be prohibited from enter
ing them. What are termed "cab-
arets" in Buenos Aires are merely
dance halls with an orchestra, and,
with one or two exceptions. are poor,
ly furnished. Drinks are served, but
there are none of the entertainment
features which made the cabaret sue.
cessful in the United States. Here
and in the restaurants, both of which
are open all night, is where most of
Buenos Aires "gayety" centers.
Theaters and moving picture houses
do not close until IL or 1890 o'clock.
As late as two o'clock numerous res.
taurants and cafes are still filled with
men, and some women, with orches-
tras or electric pianos going full blast
Streets in the "gay life" district are
still brilliantly lighted, taxicabs fiji
about and the sidewalks have many
st2ollers. What is called "revelling'
in the restaurants, is. however, hot n.
evidence. The patrons sit and listen
to the music, eat or sip their wine or
other drinks, but, as an American OBJ
serves put it, "there are no high
| jinks."
| 1t is considered that a prohibition
movement in Argentina would find q
very strong sentiment to overcome
Recent dispatches from the United
States telling of the intention OF
North American prohibitionists to in,
wade South America did not appear to
cause much concern here where indul-
gence in some sort of alcoholic liquor
is almost universal. The newspapers
| ignored the dispatches editorially. One
entire province, Mendoza, is devoted
to the wine industry, and just as L.
the Latin-American countries of Eu-
rope, the drinking of wine seems to be
regarded almost as natural as the
drinking of water. There are probab.
| ly as many bars in Buenos Aires ir
proportion to population as there
were in New York in re-prohibitior
days. In these bars, thirsty Ameri
cans just arrived from the United
States find familiar drinks. THIS
Manhattan" Bronx" and "Clovel
Club" cocktails are as well known by
same names as in New York. The
Martini" however is here called &
"San Martin" which is the name Of
one of the patriots of Argentine his
i tory