There is nothing wrong with the short skirt; girls are no more immoral now than years ago; if anything, they are more moral, because they have more sense; jazz music is the cause of suggestive, indecent dancing.
And that's that, coming from no less a personage than Miss Jane Addams, of Chicago, of Hull House and of political, religious and philanthropic fame, who arrived last night to attend the Pan-American Conference for Women as a delegate from the Illinois League of Women Voters. She also comes in the interest of the Women's International League. Her hostess will be Mrs. Edwin B. Niver, 1014 St. Paul street.
As a woman actively interested in social work Miss Addams' opinion regarding present moral conditions appears most optimistic, although when this was suggested to her she was firm in her denial of optimism.
"I am not an optimistic person," she declared. "I believe those are the conditions, and if they are optimistic it is because they are true not because I have tried to paint them so."
And one immediately feels that the subject is closed to further discussion, for Miss Addams knows what she knows, says what she thinks and in not too many words.
A woman so completely wrapped in her work that her other side of life is forgotten, a trifle hardened by the nature of her work, which has brought her in contact with every kind of suffering, are the first impressions gained of Miss Addams, but as talk progresses the softness coming from a big heart [page 2] creeps into her eyes, about her [mouth] and a charming, elderly woman is revealed.
"I do not object to short skirts at all," Miss Addams said. "A woman is better off wearing clothes permitting freedom of movement. Of course, there are those who carry the shortness to extremes, but that has always been the case in fashion. As far as the general run of clothes go, though, I think they are very sensible."
"Then you don't think present styles of women's dress are demoralizing, as it is often said?" she was asked.
"No, clothes have nothing to do with it. And besides, I do not think moral conditions are worse now than in the past. In fact, they are better. Since so many girls are working they are becoming more independent and are less apt to fall prey to men. Bring them both up together in the schools, in business, let them consider it natural to be together and you will have less immorality.
"The trouble is, there is too much talk about the way women dress and act. The talk suggests ideas which otherwise would not have been conceived, just as jazz music with its barbaric sounds suggests movements and motions in the dance which ordinarily would not be present.
"I am greatly in favor of dancing, but not this awful jazz. We have been dancing at Hull House all the time, but the weird sounds are eliminated. This, we have found, restrains the dancers more than all the talk in the world."
Miss Addams is not scheduled to give a talk, because it was doubtful if she would be present at the conference, owing to a recent illness. However, she probably will be called upon to give a brief address when her presence is made known at the gathering today.
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