IN SHORTS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 142, 18 June 1931, Page 7

IN SHORTS

LATEST TENNIS VOGUE

WOMAN CAUSES A STIR

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

SYDNEY, Bth June,

At a big tennis tournament in Brisbane on Saturday last a champion interstate player, Mrs. B. Molesworth, created a sensation when she appeared on the court in shorts —that is to say, she did not wear a skirt. A section of the public seemed horrified, though goodness knows why, for shorts are seen and admired on all the Australian beaches. Still, the public seemed to imagine that they were out of place on tho tennis court, and said so. Finally tho committea controlling the tournament approached Mrs. Molesworth and she agreed to change into the customary tennis costume —a short, wido skirt. Then, as if to give her somewhat startled critics something more to talk about, she said that in ten years' timo every woman tennis player would be wearing shorts, and no one would think any the worse of her for doing so. Perhaps she was a little ahead of tho times. She explained that when she was not actually on tho court she wore a detachable skirt, and sho could not understand why people objected. There are many people who support the viow of Mrs. Molesworth, but many more who do not. Mrs. Cozins, who was formerly Miss Dorothy Akhurst, Australian champion, did not beat about tho bush. "Unnecessary and silly," was her opinion on shorts for women players. "I am against them. The present-day dress with the full skirt'is quite suitable. Except when worn on tho beaches, shorts on women arc ugly. At the beaches they are nice, but I don't really think that the present costume can be improved upon." Another prominent player said: "I don't think I would like to wear them. A short dross is not a handicap and it is much nicer than shorts." Tho organismg1 secretary of the New South Wales Lawn Tennis Association (Mr. Henry Marsh) said that shorts for women were a little ahead of their time in Australia. In other parts of the world, of course, women had worn shorts, and he • thought that Australian women -would ultimately follow the fashion. Ho did not think, however, that tho association would permit women to appear on the courts in.shorts.

What of the effect on morals of shorts? The president of the Australian Council for Moral and Social Reform (Mrs. Edmond Gates) says she is quito in agreement with Mrs. Molesworth. Mrs. Gates said sho was liberal minded on the subject because sho had a largo family. Deportment, and the women who wore shorts, meant everything. Mrs. Molesworth's idea of having a detachable skirt appealed to her. It was; thought that shorts on the beaches would offend, but such was not the case, and she was convinced, that shorts on the tennis court would be just as harmless as far as public morals were concerned. Mrs. E. Goodisson, president of the Racial Hygiene Association of New South Wales, said that public morals, except 'in a few instances, were dead. She could see no reason against shorts. It was practically the same as wearing a swimming costume. Shorts should be comfortable, but she did not think that they were pretty.