The Washington times., 1937-07-09
NOW
N. Y. Midway
Censored
NO VULGARITY.
BY HELEN ESSARY

Governor Whalen has said there
will be no vulgar Midway in his
Worlds Fair. Light-hearted shows
of the New York Exposition of
1899 will be grouped in a noble
Amusement Center. Not a Mid
way.
Here will be no risque wrigglerS
mo fan dancers, no bubble dan
GERS. Not even a Little Egypt.
It was Representative Sol Bloom
Of New York, you remember, who
created the first mellifluouS Mid
way of the World for the Chicago
Fair of 1898. Before Sol became
O patriot, came to Congress, pub,
hcized George Washington for the
George Washington Bicentennlal
and the Constitution for the COM
ing Susquicentennial, he was az
ardent theatrical man. Maude
Adams was a child actor in one Of
his companies.
Soils choicest discovery for the
Chicago Midway was Syrian
girl, Mrs. Frieda SpyropolouS,
known to the millions who over
looked the Educational exhibits in
her honor, as Little Egypt.
Sol probably is annoyed by
Grover Whalen's slur on the Mid
Way and his Syrian star.
Not long ago I was discussing
Little Egypt's character with MIR.
Bloom.
"LoOk here" said Sol indig-
Mantly, Little Egypt" wasn't
vulgar! She was as nice girl
rs you ever knew. People nova
days have the wrong idea about
her. Sure she was novelty.
She was the first of her kind in
this country. But her dance
wasn't iEnmodeSt. It was mus
Gle dance. Muscles aren't indie
cent, are they?"
"NOt always"
"Well, Little Egypt'S muscles
were beautiful. A lot Of nasty
1naitatOrs gprang up after her
success. They got some extra
twists In their dance. Certainly
the critics complained. But
Little Egypt herself was lady.
She was an artist and as pure
as-aS pure AS
"The driven snow"
Certainly" said Sol. ct
makes me tired TO hear people
talk about her. Why, Little
Egypt was miles ahead Of Sally
Rand, Gypsy Rose Lee and all
the rest
It probably was Little Egypt or
maybe DR.. Mary Walker, OF the
gentlemen'S trousers, who inspired
the women of the later and gayer
nineties to take off their stays,
their bustles, their rats and their
1luted petticoats.
But even Little Egypt might lift
an arched eyebrow at the sports
garments Of modern young males
and females. You need only ride
around the speedway any summer
day to see a lady cyclist non
chalant in a quarter Of yard OF
eingham, toeless sandals, with
yards of pink epidermis exposed
to the Potomac breezeS, a ribbon
In her bobbed hair, and a very
shiny light in her eye.
The inhibited gentleman by her
side is smothered in wooden or
heavy linen down to his ankles.
There wooden socks and heavy
al1oes hide toes and shins.
On the golf course the same
masculine and feminine attitude
toward dress and undress shows
itself.
I remarked about this to young
lady who lives in my family.
Don't you think?" I said, "it's
funny the way men wrap them
selves up to their chins and
women feel completely at ease in
10 square inches of shorts
What Is funny about it?" said
the young lady coldly. " I don't
see why, just because mems legs
are ugly and need to be hid, that
girls should hide their legs, too.
{: I think the girls look cute. What
Is funny about their clothes?"
had no spoken answer for this.
But ! thought that "the only
thing that is funny is your
mothers decaying mind"
Even in statuary the female
form is regared with particular
approval by the purist.
In Kankakee, ILL.,, recently, the
city school board ordered plaster
pants. for a group of statues pre-.
Sented to the school by an alumnuS
sculptor, George Gray Barnard,
of New York.
The female figures, the school
board art censor said, might re.
main as they were. But a plaster
tailor was called in Immediately
to make genteel covering for the
males.
Now am writing seriously
What a beautiful piece of statuary
could be cast in the likeness Of
Amelia Earhart!
I remember or the last time
7 saw her at a luncheon at the
National Geographic Society. She
was standing little apart from
the crowd, with her back against
one of the columns of the entrance