The Washington times., 1922-07-31
GE|SHA GIRL IS
FLAPPER NOW,
MOURNS WADA
Bobs Hair and Exposes Knees
and Tries to Rule
Land.
BY WINIFRED VAN DUZER.
Universal Service.


NEW YORK, July 31.-The
Geisha girl has turned flapper.
Daughters Of the Samurai are bob
bing their hair and rolling down
their, stockings.
Today with a resigned movement
of his thin, brown hand Mr.. A.
Wada, gentleman OF Japan and
guest on these shores, waved away
the porcelain daintiness Of his
country's womanhood in this gen
Grafton.
A something, however, fleeted
across his eyes that were like the
surface of very deep, very dark
water asIhe sat in a shaded corner
of his suite in the Pennsylvania
Hotel.
1t was a something Of patience
which bides it's time, Of terrific
calmness and of Joy in an In
evitable reckoning. ! gathered from
that instant Of revelation that per
haps japanese women have gotten
out of hand, as II were: stirring a
disagreeable dust that centuries has
strewn on the high shelf to which
they have been assigned by a mans
nation in a mans world.
What q Surprise
What a surprise it must be to
find that the puppet can move OF
itself even IL only to outrage ma
tional decency with bare knees!
Not that the ultra-courteous Mr..
Wada indicated any of this situa.
ton. He smiled at me with the
same pleasure in smiling that any
ot our own American thirty-year-old
millionaires might feel and handed
his compliments to the flappers OF
Dai.Nippon.
rShe Is much like the species
that is found in the United States.
She has the same viewpoint-you
call IL slant on life, don't your
that the 'flapper' has in this
country.
She believes herself very modern.
She thinks because her ideals are un'
restrained they are advanced. She
has thrown off traditions and Is
choosing her own road. not only In
her beliefs but in her dress, manner
and appearance. Her walk Is the
'flapper shuttle as l am told II Is
called in New York. Her talk is
made up of verbal bombs which she
throws about regardless Of time or
place.
81 doubt II the young women Of
any country have made such radi'
cal changes as have those OF my own
nationality. Once they were quiet
submissive and gentle.
Those were the days when Japan
ese men exerted full authority in all
things. Now the women are becom
ing unofficial rulers OF my land"
Fancy the exquisite little Japanese
lady, such a delicate figure as you
see painted on gauze fans. rushing
through the streets with kimono hem
Tapping above her rouged knees and
a cigarette hanging from her top
lip"
And her ebon hair cut short
Yes, they all bob their hair" con
tinued Mr.. Wada, and II Is a Gus
tom do not like either in my coun
try or in yours.
Il notice that IL is more popular
among your Southern women thon
anywhere else in America, even in
New York. Why, / saw old women
of forty with their hair short IN
your Southern cities"
Now age is, as ii Is. share the
national pride in the ability Of ouI
women to sidestep ii and ] know
more chits of sixty or thereabouts
who are playing ring ng.around-the-rosS
with life when they can spare thC
time from their high. .salaried jobs
Accordingly l informed the gentle
man from Japan that there is nc
such thing as old women OF forty ir
America. He was all contrition. .
"Ah' MY mind mingles with the
old order Of femininity! In Japar
a woman of forty is still old!
Wife Is Modernist.
With his wife, whom he admits IL
modernist. Mr.. Wads, who is q
cotton importer. came from Osako
eight months ago to study industrial
conditions here.
While Mrs. Wada is not an ex
I tremist. she has adopted many west
| ern costums, including the westerr
| style Of dress. And these meet will
the approval Of her somewhat stand
pat husband and the class he repre-
| sents. He explained:
Many Of your customs introduced
into my country would mean al
vancement. The younger men o
Japan like to see the women aCcep
the best that comes from the West
because we are trying to acquire
those things ourselves.
The flapper. however, as she ex
lists with us today is temporar.
circumstance
went away wondering what viii
be the fate Of TIE bobbed. haired
peisha when the ruthless hand n