FLAPPERDOM

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 89, 14 April 1923, Page 12

FLAPPERDOM

THE RESULT OF CLIMATE,

The American "flapper" is suffering "from" ay dry cliniate, according to Mrs. Beatrice. .Forbes-Robertson Hale,; the writer and former actress, who is visiting America on a lecture tour, 'says the ."New..:. York Times.',', .Her, first, lecture was "entitled "The Girls of To-day//and the. Women of To-morrow." y; ;; "Essentially of the finest material, -the American girl is really a victim of 'defective; ■'environment and training," ;.iard ...Mrs., Hale. "The bad qualities attributed, to her are only superficial, but: she is exhibiting a physical and mental precocity that the parents, especially the mothers, can do much to remote. •'■,'"■ "'■ .:'-..' "The dry, stimulating climate of -Ame-. Rica keys people up tremendously, makes them go into things with a rush. That is all. right- for adolescents, and it's a I'fine thing for the progress of the country, but for the young person it is very bad. Give the girl .more privacy at home," let her have a room where she can be by herself—with a door to it (there aren't half enough doors jn American homes). See that she Has 'fine* books to read, books that-will give her an insight into the spiritual life of ,her time. ■■'■■', i "So much" of the painting and whiskydrinking and-hip-flask carrying and late night life comes from the girl's wanting -to do as-the-rest do. Everyone thinks -it is sporting to escape prohibition, so she drinks : because it's naughty. It would be an excellent thing if the mothers, especially in suburban communities, would ■ get together-' (American women .understand co-operation) and agree that the girFwho drinks shall not'be invited to their homes.

"We .don't want to go back to the | old regime of too strict chaperonage, which was in itself, a bad thing, but let there' be chaperons in moderation. If the girls- are going"to a.'road house party in a machine after ''midnight, see that Some married woman' goes along. Another thing the jnoth'ers should do is to keep their girls '■' children until they are eighteen or so." Now'ada-ys, by the time a girl is 14. or 15*: years old she is wearing expensive, fur coats and trying to carry on like the grown-ups. That is not a good thing ,fpr..them, now or later. '" Hold them back a bit, and they will make better citizens, later on."

Mrs. Hale said-that she regretted that the family home of the old days, where "grandmother and grandfather sit by the fireplace," was passing away in the rapid, shifting of modern population. She urged that more be done to establish neighbourhood houses of a, simple, cosy ..sort, for the . girls. whose homes are too small and so cramp their selfexpression- -and • prevent relaxation. Freer circulatiou of good second-hand books by co-operation between women's club and • community centres, she pointed out, would Kelp, to meet a present shortage of libraries and bookstores in rural and.suburban communities, and would thus aid in raising the level of modern flapperdom.