The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
BARRIE ADVISES YOUTH ID REVOLT
 AGAINST ELDERS
Noted English Novelist Tells Students They Should Doubt All Persons in
 High Places
BY NORMAN WATSON Special Corr espondent of The Ase-Hernld Copyright, 1s22. by The ARe-Hersld)


 (CopyrtEht, 1893. by The Aae-Hersld)
 London, May 2o.-when Sir James Barrie was installed as rector of St. Andrews university. he made a speech that could be characterized justly only as indictment to rebellion-he deliberately urged mutiny by youth against the elders, and he added that If he were arrested upon leaving the hall. he would feel that at last he had earned the right to be their instruc- tor But 1t wasn't all scdition.
 My special difficulty" he told the students. lis that. though you have had literary rectors here before, they were the big guns the historians, the philosophers. You have had none who followed my more humble branch, which may be described as playing hide-and- with angels.
 My puppets seem moro real to me than myself. IL Is McConnachie who has brought me to this pass. Mc- Connachie is the name I give to the unruly half of myseif-the writing half. We arc complement and sup plement I am the half that is dour and practical and canny; he Is the fancifui half; my desire Is to be the family solicitor. standing firm on the hearth rug among the harsh realities of the office furniture. while he pre- fers to fly around on one wing. l shouldn't mind him doing that but he drags me with him"
 And from that characteristic be- ginning the great writer turned to his propaganda. He told them to doub, their elders.
 Begin by doubting all in high places-except. of course, your pro- fessors. But doubt all other profes- sors. Your betters have done a big thing. We have taken spring out of the year. And having done that, our leading people are amazed to find that the other seasons are not con ducting themselves as usual. The spring of the year lies buried in the fields of Flanders and elsewhers By the time the next eruption comes il may be you who are responsible for 1t. and your sons who are Tn the lava. All perhaps because this year you let things slide.
 Look around and see how much share youth has now that the war Is over. You got a handsome share while 1t lasted I expect we shall doubly girded by a desire to send a
 
 who fell. You have more in common with the youth of other lands than youth and age can have with each other; even the hostile countries sent out many a son very like ours, from the same sort of homes. the same sort Of universities, with the same sort of hearts, who had as little to do as our youth had with tho organ of the great adventure. Can we doubt that many of those on both sides who have gone over. and were once op- ponents, are now friends? You ought to have league of youth as your great practical beginning"
 War of the Skirts
 London for weeks now has been torn by the war of the skirts. It is not a very real war though ths big gest guns of the worlds of arts and science are making defending racket. A sort of pantomime. Chin csc war, the end of which anybody can fortell. The loudest noise is be- ing made by the short -skirt-die- hards Now everybody knows. Of course, that inasmuch as Paris has said long skirts, long skirts 1t is go- ing to be; and already Is, for that matter.
 But" shout men and women. "let us never, never permit the wearing of sport suits with long trains"
 This 1 stoo dismodest for comment; nobody said the sport skirt was go- ing to trail. It reminds one Of that very clever and very French cartoon of M. Poincairo as the breaker-in Of open doors, saying, If you insist that we walk, we won't go to Genoa There Is not, however, any unreal or real dispute as to what men are to wear; and London knows all about this question. Firstly. the sack cont is to be longer, considerably longer. They are to follow the waist line. and will have only one button--or, In place of the button. decorative link. The jacket being thus more open. will give even greater scope for taste in fancy waistcoats and neckties, hut 1t is decreed that tho we'll dressed man shall wear a waistcoat of tho same shade and material as his suit. Tho trousers will be slight ly--but very slishtly-tighter. As for colors. take it from me they are to he light greys and light browns, Tin new art shades"
 If you are really elegant this sum- mer you will wear a light grey morn ing coat and silk hat. or, better still. grey topper" While zephyr weight derbies in light grey and soft hats are to be the favorites of young men. the ordinary silk hat is not to be displaced. so don't throw your silk is both have light grey uppers asd the ultra smart are patent feathers with white dots.
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