The Washington times., 1921-07-04
j. s. NEAR MORAL
BREAKDOWN. SAYS
MRS. VAN N|NKLE
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declared in a blase way that she
knew all about IT, She had seen
every crime In the calendar. includ-
ing the offrnses OF which she was
charged, portrayed in the moving
pictures and concluded that "it must
be all right. because so many people
did that way and were not punished
or even unhappy"
This child, talking glibly OF the
conditions OF the worst crime CEN
ters ever produced by an imaginative
movie director, somehow forms in
my mind one OF the worst indictments
OF the moral influence OF the moving
picture rs we have II today.
But the moral delinquency. the
extravagances and vulgarity in dress
OF the young woman OF today, are
squarely up to the men. II Is not
a nattering thing TO say OF my own
sex, but 1t Ia true that women ac-
cept the moral and social stand
tablished by men.
LAYS BLAME on MEN.
There is no use To talk about
women's clothes. their paint and
powder. or moral weakness and
physical inericiency when II is just
these qualities that men too often
encourage. Girls know how these
things are criticized. but they see
the painted little coquette getting
all the attention, and draw their
own conclusions as to what men ad-
mire and desire.
culiarly trying profession for young
MI n thar
her daughter to go into this pro-
fession unless she is willing TO trav-
el with her and look after her.
while there are shining excep-
tions. the moral standards of the
profession are sadly low | know of
one little girl who was discharged
from a company in Washington be-
cause she refused to submit to the
attentions Of the leading man.
The girl was a member OF the
Actors Equity Association, and took
the matter up with the American
Federation Of Labor. They investi-
gated the case and forced the COM
pany to pay the girls salary up 70
the expiration of her contract and
furnish her transportation back to
New York. 1t is only a few such
cases. however, that turn out so well
for the girl who protects her honor
NATION LOWER MORALLY.
wish I could speak more optimis-
tically. but ! cannot go through these
experiences day after day and raw
an easy conclusion that we are inn
proving morally as a nation. Our
statistics are not reliable, because
they are taken from the poor. II
the rich were also included the aver
age might be lower still.
The parole system, women's courts
with women judges and quiet, SYM
pathetic help and announcement are
the only salvation for the girl who
has gone astray. Institutions often
turn them out worse than when they
came, and II costs the State ABOUT
$500 a year to keep them in an In.
stitution. An effective parole system,
such as we have established here IN
Washington, la a tremendous saving
on the economic side alone.
] wish to pay small tribute TO
one OF the finest and most effective
policewomen we ever had with our
force. She Is Mrs. Carolyn Notaw, sis
ter Of President Harding. She has
saved literally hundreds OF girls who
have been placed in her charge as
parole officer. I remember that early
in her two yenrs Of service with us
she had charge OF 100 wayward girls.
OF these ll3 have made good, and in
many cases become happy wives and
mothers. due TO her care and sympa-
thy. The delicacy and difficulty Of the
duties OF parole officer can be
imagined better than described
Contrary TO general Impressions.
only a few delinquent girls are clearly
in the feeble minded class. Not many
cases are entirely attributable to pow
erty. The whole question comes back
to the kind Of standards that men up
hold in their own private lives