The New York herald., 1922-03-07
PERFORMERS BORE
WOMAN MINISTER
Miss Ulrich Doesn't Approve
Of Attacks on Stage,
Screen and Books.

Miss Helene ulrich. Manhattan's only
woman minister. disagrees with the re.
cent pulpit attacks upon the stage and
current agitation as TO the morals OF
stage people. Speaking yesterday in her
Office at the Church OF the Divine
Paternity. Central Park West and
Seventy-sixth street. where she was
ordained as a Universalist minister
last Friday. Miss Ulrich, now The
Reverend said:
II am certainly not in sympathy with
attacks upon the stage and It's people.
! believe absolutely in the stage as one
OF the greatest possible mediums for
widespread good, and think the present
condemnation OF IL Is greatly overdone.
There are undeniably number OF plays
In New York right now that are not
helpful 70 people. but I don't think this
cen 20 blame1 on public taste. When
people are fed lot on a certain food
they get to depend on Il. We need a
general inner reform that must come
from individuals themselves and am
tired OF so-called reformers' / don't
believe in the specific condemnation OF
any one thing. Of the stage, the
movies or current literature.
"As TO 'nappers.' their virtues or
deficiencies, the whole subject Is a mat
ter more of talk than anything else.
More attention Is called to 1t than Ii is
worth. ! have been asked so often since
I came TO New York month and half
ago. what | thought OF fappers and
whether / approved or disapproved OF
them. that the questions and the word
itself are getting really tiresome. and
the flapper herself lcel know nothing
for 7
State had never heard the word, and
even now It Is hard for me to grasp just
what a fiapper Is. or supposed to be.
and I can't give any clear idea of what
it means to me. unless general term
for n young thing A minister OF our
church recently in New York on a visit
kept getting after me to point out
iapper TO him, and 1t was a long time
before I saw any girl who I thought
m 'ght fit.''
Turning TO the subject OF birth control.
Miss Ulrich said;
~ emnhatioaliv believe in II. and
arnrove Of birth control propaganda.
feel strongly that knowledge upon any
and all subjects affecting society is de-
sirable, and thing not to be feared
but welcomed. ] not only disbelieve
that the exercise of birth control would
tend toward race suicide. brt believe It
would produce a better race. And quite
aside from all that I feel this way
abou. ": II there are people a man
and wife both. let rs say. who do not
want to have children. and do want TO
have dogs, by Ill means let them have
dogs!
Il believe it quite possible that there
will some time be a union of churches,
but not for very long while. and then
gy11, hav toll
for one another's differing views greater
than any tolerance that now exists. NY
own pet ambition in my ministerial
work Is 10 bring about Just such under
starding In my own church between
strongly contrasted classes OF people.
between the rich and the poor. for in
stance. and between the educated and
the uneducated. That is hardest of all
in n great city. look forward to my
work at our Divine Paternity Mission
at 247 East Fifty-third street, for there
! can preach to grown-ups. while my
work here at the church IS mainly with
the children"