Omaha daily bee., 1921-05-29
France Warned
She Will Fall as
Empire Of Rome
French Senator Decries
Growing Lack of Morals in
Paris, Particularly in
Stage Exhibitions.
BY NEWTON c. PARKE.

Paris, May 28.--The French re-
public will fall as the Roman empire
fell unless the government begins an
active campaign against immortality
on the stage, in the literature OF the
day and in styles OF womens cloth
ing, Senator dc Lamarzelle warned
the French senate during debate on
public morals that lasted more than
two hours.
Even Frances great art museums
are becoming infected. the senator
charged. He alleged that rooms for
merly given over to the display OF
priceless tapestries are now filled
with modern paintings in the nude.
Senator de Lamarzelle's outburst
came in the midst Of discussion OF
a law to prevent the distribution OF
birth-control propaganda He de-
clared the government might take Tar
more effective steps to prevent de-
moral displays by under-dressed
morals.
Il want to ask what the govern
nlent has done TO prevent the sale OF
licentious literature" said the sena-
tor. Il want to know what steps
have been taken to prevent the pro-
duction on the stage of immoral
spectacles and plays that are running
> the youth of France, and what the
government has done to prevent i'm
moral displays by under dressed
women i'll the very streets, the sub,
SraNc and ha cfvnnt rars W
Nudity Is Theme.
LET me cite one revue now ap-
pearng at the biggest Paris music
hall, I'Amour en- Folie.' Here is
the program as it is advertised i'll
large posters all over Paris: 'Compe-
tition Of Nude Backs The Beauti-
ful Crucihed Girls The Fan Of
Women's Bodies, Pushing to the
Uttermost Limit Audaeity in Pro-
duction.'
Here is a second example, piece
CALLED 'Mais les hommes men saur-
net rien,' so scandalous that one
Newspaper critic declared that it was
Impossible for him to review it and
another wrote for his newspaper that
the text was so bad that he must
describe it in Greek. had transla-
tion made from the Greek and found
it to be description of monstrous
vices.
Another filthy piece played 200
consecutive nights in Paris, and
when the mayor OF town in the
provinces was asked to stop it, he
replied that he could not see his way
fit to act. since the Paris police had
permitted the performance. This
same mayor permitted 1ewd pic
lures, advertising the play to be
posted all over town. even on the
walls OF young girls school.
Return to Paris. Before my door,
on column across the street, is an
other theater advertisement, repre-
senting woman nearly nude. The
title OF the piece is unspeakable. All
over Paris | sec another poster of a
:. show entitled: oh, No--Not Entire
~ Nude, with life-sized picture of
woman wearing only a pair of
stockings. It appears that a nude
woman may appear on the stage in
Paris without shocking public sense
of shame so long as she wears a sim
gle fragment OF cloth or jewel.
"But it is not necessary to go to
the theater. Certain things may be
seen in public places, in the streets,
in the subway, in the autobuses that
the police regard with complacent
eyes. There is the danger Of the
theater, the exploitation of vice de-
scends into the streets and finds its
way into public morals. Young boys
and young girls see these things and
you can readily understand the les
son they draw from them"