Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-08-07

r Asst week In these columns the
reviewer wrote little on
youth" Is seen through the
IL eyes of American Mercury's
contributor. Harold Lord Varney. Mr..
Varney was writing for his part.
about the section Of the countrys
young people to whom unemployment
is likely to mean something serious,
those whose parents are Of limited
means. in other words.
Now, in q jittery little sheet called
Madmoiselle, the reviewer finds lit
erature their word which is sup
posedly addressed to young women
Of means. The reviewer says sup
posedly" because she suspects that the
appeal Is really to working girls who
want to look as II they were not
working girls. The current issue Is
full of patter about "the campus"
and sorority row" and abounds with
photographs Of young women from all
the big schools used to advertise styles
and that well-known care-free college
spirit. Most Of these young women
are shown laughing very hard. their
mouths wide open and q good view
Of their molars included. All Of them
are attractive.
The cover of Madmoiselle an
nounces that the magazine is for
smart young women" What does 1t
mean by smart? 1t means smart
looking. That Is all. So here the
college girls are professionalizing their
smart looks, at what appears to be
rather early age, for the sake Of help
ing manufacturers sell models Of their
clothes to girls who will never get
chance to 60 to any college. The re-
viewer is an old meanie. but that Is
the way Madmoiselle looks to her.
The magazine has a lot Of chatter
in it about sophistication. Is 1t So
phisticated of youth to professionaize
its youthfulness? 1t would seem to
the reviewer both crude and cheap.
Mr.. Varney, in the Mercury, wrote OF q
group Of young people who are band
ing. together to demand Government
subsidies-on the ground of their
youth alone. That is PROFESSIONALS
ing with a vengeance. If 1t is cheap in
young people who have no economic
backing in the world. how does the
Same sort of thing look coming from
girls Of means?
Not that the reviewer Is concerned
with whether or not the girls in Mad
moiselle,s pictures have been paid for
their photographs. She does not know
if they have or not None the less
the spirit is professional rather than
natural and spontaneous. 1t Is hard
to blame any individual girl, too. 1t is
so easy to understand the thrill OF
being asked for photograph for pub
LEGATION and the state of mind induced
by the reflection that "the other girls
are doing it, too" But the result,
in the pages of Madmoiselle. when
dozens of these pictures are used over
admonitions to select gay cottons" or
saddle shoes" or "demure tweeds" is
not as pretty as the pictures them
selves. Too many young women grim
ming joyously for the public are Just
CUO yUulS ginning IVY
ously for the public. Dozens? The re-
viewer counted IS and gave out.
A sign Of the times? The reviewer
is an old fogey, out Of date? Well.
somewhat amusingly, this issue OF
Madmoiselle contains an article which
comments caustically on the manners
Of the generation Of the 20s. contrast
ing their crudity to the "smoothness"
Of the 30s. Maybe the answer is that.
since we got over it. they will too.
WASHINGTON. Of course. knows all
w about DR.. Lauretta Kress who
lives in Takoma Park and holds one
Of the highest records In medicine, but
apparently Coronet thinks that the
Nation as a whole. has not heard OF
her, for Coronet. in its August issue,
publishes her picture and brief ac-
count of her career in its feature,
Portfolio of Personalities" Others in