The Washington times., 1921-12-11

too. Public meetings of INDICATION
were held and preachers denounced,
the wave of immortality from the
pulpits. Business men. who had al
ways been Johnnie on the Spot" for
dinner began telephonins anxious
and suspicious wives they were do
tanned downtown on business. Young
women got in the habit of standing
in open doorways and wondering
why Willie and George and Eddie
didn't como around to see them any
moro. Delegations of women began
to besiege Major Sylvester's head
quarters, and 1t was at this point
in his brilliant career, that his
masses of dark curly hair. turned to
a silver gray. He looked around to
find some good-natured official to
share his troubles. Inspector SWIM
dell was noted. throughout the de-
partment, for his sunny disposition
and 30 he became the goat
Upon his broad shoulders descend.
cd tho title Of Official Censor and as
such 1t was up to him to see that
this new element in local theatricals
was checked. Meantime the pro-
ducers became holder. The adver-
Using matter Of the shows kept
pace and in many instances exceed
Cd. IN daring the performances them
selves. The fronts of the theaters,
billboards and even q few store win
dows actually displayed pictures
and posters of young women in
tights. Something had to be done
about tho matter, so a regulation
was passed. declaring that upon
the female form. the form had to te
draped from the neck to one inch
below the knee. Doubtless this reg,,r
lation applied to all young women
themselves also. but this was hard
ly necessary, because even the most
daring theatrical girl Of those days
refused to display more than an inch
or 30 Of ankle when on the street
even In stormy weather.
PAPERED EVERY LEG.
The regulation caused dismay in
the hearts of the theatrical man.
ayers. Florenz Ziegfield, the fam
GUS producer was among the first
to feel the weight Of 1t. One of his
big "girlie" shows was booked to
appear at a local theater and one
week in advance Of the date of its
appearance, the billboards Of the
city were covered from end
to end with beautiful twenty-four
feet posters, depicting female love-
illness in many poses. Each and
every maiden was pictured wear
ing brilliant colored tights, with well
shaped limbs shooting sideways,
front ways and skyways.
A nameless sleuth discovered one
OF these boards early one Monday
morning while hurrying home from
a night trick at headquarters. After
he had been revived at the corner
bar-room (yes they were open them
he burned UP the wire to headQuart-
ers. About a half hour later, a
large force Of men were reluctantly
engaged In FASTING long strips of
white paper over every dainty leg
in view.
Every board in the city received a
dose Of the same medicine. Censor
Swindell was on the Job. A few days
later Mr.. Ziegfeld and his bunch dis
embarked from a Baltimore and
Ohio train at the old station at New
Jersey avenue and c street north
west. Just across the way a large
billboard held one Of the posters,
the original Of which had kept a
corps of artists busy for weeks in
the paintings. The producer gave
one look and It took four porters.
seven comedians and three chorus
girls to hold him down. The crea-
ton Of his brain had been put
through Inspector Swindells censor
ing process and now it greatly re-
sembled one of Sam Lloyd's picture
puzzles. Here and there a winsome
face. supported by a neck and a
small portion of waist, peeped de-
murely out from behind an over.
coat of white paper strips. From the
waist up they were physically per-
feet. but from the waist down. there