The Washington times., 1922-02-22
JANET RICHARDS.
SAYS FLAPPERS.
MENACE YOUTH.
Declares Poor Boy Is Hounded
To His Downfall by
vamp.
BY WINIFRED VAN DUsER.


NEW YORK, Feb. 22.-Pity to.
days poor youth. bounded as he Is
to his downfall by the flapper Vamp!
For what with the young things
still in their teens revening round,
seeking out what masculine limo;
cence they may devour. what chance
has a young fellow these days to
preserve his fastidiousness, not to
say his sex unawareness till such
time as he il led before the altar,
there TO be safely yoked and hal
tered?
viewpoint of a much discussed con-
dition in modern society presented
before members of a girls protec-
tive society here by Miss Janet
Richards, lecturer, and student of
girls problems. who came up from
Washington for the purpose.
Youth in Danger.
According to Miss Richards the
problems besetting the young girl
OF today are as nothing compared
with those besettipg the young man,
for the girl, herself, with INCREDIBLE
mischievousness, is forcing him into
the paths he'd rather not tread.
Miss Richards said:
81 have been told by mothers Of
five sons of some of their diff.
culties. The most serious one of all
was the saving OF their boys from
the girl 'vamp."
According to Miss Richards, the
boys in giving their condolences TO
their mothers, say:
Mother, IL is so hard for me TO
be decent and live up to the stand
ards you have set me.
How can l do II with this terri.
BILE cheek dancing? How can ] al.
ways keep in mind the loveliness
and purity of girls when they are
not satisfied with what you have
taught me is the proper manner Of
taking them home? How can
stand being called slow and a
prude?"
Oppenheim's View.
In direct opposition to Miss Rich.
ards claims was the statement made
yesterday by a student Of human ma.
ture and social conditions generally
and an advocate of the American
girl, who, he declares, is the most at.
tractive thing in the world.
He is +. Phillips Oppenheim, the
novelist. and this is what he said
concerning alleged Romanesque
viciousness among our debutante ele.
ment:
81 never have seen anything in
England nor this country TO warrant
such charges. | do not believe there
is deterioration in the society OF
either nation TO furnish growth for
such type as the flapper described.
Il do believe that increasing sex
consciousness has produced disa-
greeable effect upon some of our
girls in the way OF causing them to
smoke too many cigarettes and to
apply rouge to their cheeks and car
mine TO their lips when they go upon
the street in a degree to create IN
favorable impression.
But. after all, there is no real
harm in such matters OF bad judg.
ment. And ii is by no means uni.
versal.
II never have seen them engage
in immodest dancing, and there were
thirty or forty girls, English and
American, on the Aquitania which
brought me to this country, and they
danced every evening"
Scores Cheek Dance.
Miss Richards. however, con.
tinued:
AT a big ball in Washington
saw several couples cheek dancing.
Afterward asked boy officer
about it. 1t isn't of my choosing
he said. When I asked him il he
didn't like it, he answered, 1 should
say not He went on TO say that he
couldn't get a partner any other
way; that the girls insist on it."