San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-09

HARlo, naughty 1sfis, 10 W NC iN
formed. All the immoral shows are
4 to be closed and actresses and chorus
girls to wear at least as much covering
as is found in an ordinary American one
piece bathing suit.
This startling reform is not to be done
by having new laws passed nor by get
ting the police to enforce old ones. These
methods have been tried in Paris and have
failed even worse than in America.
This time the reformers are simply 60
ing to give each of the scantily clad ladies
one quart of castor oil. If this does not
cure them, the dose will be repeated as
often as necessary.
Castor oil is an idea the French reform
ers, who call themselves "The Fifth
League for the Raising of Public Moral
ity," have borrowed from Italy, where it
worked beautifully. The Italians were not
suffering from morals, at least not enough
\ to cause them any inconvenience. Their
disease was socialism, and they were fol-
lowing rapidly along Russia's path. Then
came Mussoloni, his black-shirted Fascist
and his celebrated bottle of castor oil
and Italy recovered.
The treatment is still going on as few
sporadic cases appear from time to time
If you are fortunate, you may witness
the cure applied on the streets OF any
Italian city.
1t happens in this way:
A black-shirted Fascist sees a man
whose shirt is not black, so he raises his
right arm and says, Fascist" This is
a salute and if the stranger raises his
right arm and makes the same reply all
is we'll If he ignores it, the Fascist re-
peats the word and gesture. This time it
is challenge, and if the other still does
not respond, the black-shirted man shouts
Fascist Fascist"
This is now a rallying cry, black shirts
come running from all directions, and with
them comes the castor oil bottle.
The stranger is captured and invited
to drink one quart of castor oil to the
health of Italy and Mussolini This treat
is, of course, declined. The black shirts
do not argue with the man. They simply
get out a tube and funnel-then they
pinch his nose.
In a moment the prisoner opens his
mouth to breathe and yell for help. But
there is no help, not in all Italy, and the
tube is slipped into his mouth, not to come
out again until a quart or more of the
good old household remedy has gone down
his proletarian throat.
The oil never kills these unwilling "pa-
TENTS" but it does make them very, very
sick and uncomfortable for a while, and
the moral effect is tremendous, much
greater than prison or even hanging or
shooting.
Many people will go to prison, or even
to death, for a cause because these things
are heroic, but almost nobody will face
1e
too unheroic. After one such dosing the
rabidist Boshevist is so thoroughly cured
that if he hears even sneeze, up will go
his right hand, and he will frantically
sneeze back, "Fascsti Fascistir'
II is contrary to the law to force castor
oil on any one in France, but so it is in
Italy, and vet far from interfering, every
one stands by and laughs. The reformers
count on the same attitude by the popu-
lace of the French capital, but they are
taking great pains that there shall be no
ill-advised rescue of their victims. The
league knows it must first be very power
full in numbers and have the nation be-
hind it as the Fascist have.
To make sure of this, they are delay
ing action until their numbers are at least
as great as the garrison of Paris. Then
they will begin prescribing" for their
patients The Partisan theatres and con-
cert halls marked for the leagues atten-
ton are the very ones attended by Ameri-
cans. At the head of the list stand the
Folies Bergere, the Casino de Paris, the
Ambassador Theatre, the Moulin Rouge
the Palace, and the Concert Mayol.
In these places girls appear on the stage
in what has been described as postage
stamp costumes" and, occasionally, il
there is any clothing at all, it is so con-
cealed as to give the appearance of total
nudity.
One scene that has especially aroused
the wrath of the reformers is the noto.
rious "Rotisserie" act. The stage sci
shows O gigantic roasting fire, such as is
used on a smaller scale to roast fowls.
Men dressed as chefs enter, carrying
a great spit upon which two apparently
nude girls are seemingly impaled. The
"chefs" place the spit on the fire, and the