Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-09-26
POSTWAR PARIS
IS GIVEN OVER TO
WIDEST REVELRY
French Blame Foreigners,
Especially Americans, for
Recrudescence.
STAGE REEKlNG WITH
FILTH OF THE HOUR
Correspondent Sounds a Note of
Warning Against the Pitfalls
for American Girls.
by e. +. BERTELLI.

''pttsdl S1Ole blspdlCH.I
PARIS. Sept. 25.-Paris. or rather
that portion Of it maintained for
tourists. has gone back to its pre-
war days and beyond.
The Montmartre restaurants by
night are ono wild rcvel OF weird
dancing and weirder exhibitions Iced
champagne that is almost priceless
flows as IL II costs nothing. The
nouveau richie of the world, and es-
pecially of America. are here and
they have thrown aside restraint.
Tho revel goes on in a sybaritic
setting. The music Is languorous and
seductive. The combinations OF coll
ors from the carefully shaded lights
and from the decorations by the
worlds ablcst decorators are a subtle
inspiration.
The lights CLEAN on the beautiful
white shoulders and arms OF the wo-
men CARRIED in daring decollete. Rich
jewels CLEAN on bare throats. Subtle
perfumes help iun the restraints OF
up an atmosphere in which indul-
gence. gayety and sensation are the
only cares OF the participants.
f'tcu8uFed.
Then. as the capstone to the revels
OF the dancers and diners. come the
daring entertainments. Players i'm
personating slaves, bring in a
huge silver tray on their shoulders.
The music charms and the men at
the lights direct every eye to the
central scene. Then, as il rising
from sleep, 4 beautiful woman bursts
through the bower of flowers on the
tray and stretches In d eamy poses
Reused b. the music, she shakes of
her seeming lethargy and glides into
dances of ever more alluring motion.
II was into such an atmosphere that
Olive Thomas plunged the Saturday
night that preceded her swallowing
the bichloride OF mercury solution,
from which she died. The circurn-
stances surrounding her end remain
tragically mysterious despite the of
f}cial verdict OF accidental death. This
has stirred n tremendous wave OF
continent for the closing down or
tanning OF the gay resorts. 1t Is
unQuestionable that the sights seen
are such that clean-bred Americans
at home cannot believe that they
exist
One June night In 1918 another
newspaper man and i were taking a
prominent American official on what
Is called "the grand dukes tour"-a
journey that every American seems
to want to make the moment he or
she reaches the shores Of the Seine.
He marveled that France should be
able to permit such things to go on
and continue in her full strength. 1t
was in the Royal Cabaret. 1 asked
him to look at the crowd. He did.
and carefully. Practically all were
foreigners. Nearly all were Amer
leans. The only Frenchmen in the
place were the walters and other en-
ployes. The Americans crowded the
dance floor. they occupied the red
cushioned seats around the walls, and
they were crowded around cham
pagne-laden tables.
And the condition Is worse there
today. The gayety goes on with In
creased pace.
French blame Foreigners.
Many OF the prominent persons OF
Paris insist that the city would be
one OF the most moral in tho world
IL 1t were not that foreigners. who
come here, Insist on making i. the
worlds show place for the coarser
instincts in man. The theater man.
ayers declare that their risaue playe
are put on to please the crowd from
the outside. A list of the shows now
running Is perhaps as indicative as
anything Of the conditions that pre-
vail. They should convince Ameri-
cans Of the incalculable risk they run
in bringing American girls to this
city.
The Historic Varieties Theater ia
showing THE School for Chickens"
But Men Will Not Know IT, is the
Offering at the Capuchins, the most
fashionable Of the boulevard theaters,
My Wife's Friend" is produced at
vaudeville. Some OF the other plays
and the theaters at which they are
produced: MY Love-" at the Rennais.
sance. Il Tell You She winked at
Me-" at tho. Paliais Royal. -sayse.s
Lover" at Theater Michel. "Pouchin.
ette, "a ight-C Clad oparatta," 1t tho
A6er. Theater. .-Ths Hot n stun
Queer, = at tho Abri, .sSicnuss,s Ssths
MAa yssx!n. st sbe Il q 6 All WA