The Scheme of Things By M.N.G.

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 82, 3 October 1931, Page 9

The Scheme of Things By M.N.G.

Vr'Ohe of the many puzzling things in the .world at present is the craze for . nudity;—of the "female form divine" only, .be it, noted. There is little sign • tHat inenkind are striving after less and,less. :clothing, nor are they pictured .more<or less "in puris naturalibus" on every hoarding. Inside every picture .theatre,, or in would-be "art" shops which seem to have the craze for showing dargely developed feminine forms elotjiesless, and in all sorts of attitudes. It is a; difficult question to decide whojthey people; womenkiud in particular, "aro .training, themselves up to endurtittce point, in tho way,of scantiness of attire, perhaps with a view to economy, '■•when1 clothing will have como to the !,Taniglung sipoiiit, and a great deal of expense-saved. With the "love for change of fashion" with which they "are" credited, 'this last seems unlikely, for even if they return to the woad of. the ancient Britons, there will np't be much variety possible, except in the way. of patternsl/News comes from Germany and other places'of nudo1 bathing parties, and rumour says that these are not^unknown even in this country. Pictures are shown in the "best" magazines of all .kinds of entertainments where the same lack of female clothing is]a fact. The styles of the present j where clothing has become more evx- j dent .in one direction, show.that it is . r^jSuced tp' the minimum in others. The th'iiin'est -possible underwear, and as little as may-be, is the vogue, while the outer garmon.ts are as diaphanous as pohsiblo. , * A question asked.in all sorioußiiess in a.good English journal is this: "Would ' real nudity. be;as suggestive as the present half-ind-half- dressing?" It is ' pbisible; to vision. the "altogether," as Trilby called it "(weather and-the law poimitting), being, in the . course _of time,- regarded as loss harmful to "the "Woaker brethren" than the half-and-half suggestiveriess which is quite oftep : sc«jn-;: 'A modern woman writer makes .' mocking -mention, that' "there is ho -false '■ modesty nowadays," .and the question - ariW "What 'is modesty?" The oldfashioned' person had- somewhat exaggerated ideas on the subject, and found 3.;nmn[ber of things shocking, or. at least not permissible, which are absolutely 'common, .and regarded as harmless. • nowadays. :. This' looking for trouble iis ;iot;af;-all admirable in many ways, - for ; prurierice is a thing-to be avoided, . and tKe loqkiiig for indecency is one of tjirf niost jam'ontable failings of the ■mill Mind. The weakspot in presentday "bod'y-Woiship" is -that it-is almost entirely- the woman's body which 'is b.eijngl exploited in plays, revues, pic-, tures, statuary,, and other ways. The fine .and'virile development of men does not appeal to the' 'artists or to the jee^plo, apparently, and therefore women :. can hardly .flatter; themselves that the , adtyir'asQn.;e'xpressed is without any s?x ..bias whatever. :. /; A, point .which, cannot eseapo: the notice* :!of those who deal. with social serf ice: of-almost any -kind is that this - •n^jestiveness, or. plain nudity, is a

menace to.a certain kind of mind, and leads to crimes of the most painful and dreadful kinds. The world is full of tragic stories (judging from cabled and other reports); all traceable to sex, and ifr is well known that the subnormal •and other minds need care and influencing in clean.directions. While the opinions and actions of the world aro as at present, it looks as, if th« suggestive iv dress (or want of dress) is a wrong inflicted on humanity. There is no doubt that great care, is needed in dealing with this-subject, as no reasonable person would be willing for the clean, to be made unclean, by over-imagiiiativo persons, nor can the opinion ,of the world be regulated to ruit the smallest minds.. A cabled message about the prospective f'New Zealand House" showed the opinion held (which may be taken to be general) of the statuary which ,is part of the building bought for the High Commissioner and his staff and now to be re-sold, as the staff is much smaller and the present premises- are sufficient. The expression used in the cable was that the-building with '.'Epstein's indecencies" was not to be used as New Zealand House. Many will give a sigh of relief,' "Thank Heaven for that,"' for anything more depressing than, Epstein's representations, of "disease" and "famine," and other "cheerful" subjects, can hardly be; imagined. When' shown a photograph Of Epstein's "Genesis" recently one of the younger artists was of opinion that there was no indecency about it, as it was "Epstein's idea of early motherhood"' and .'therefore was not faulty.*' However, the fact remains that the thing is loathsome to many, and 'to - them one • word is as good as the bttier. It is pleasing to think that future visitors to "New Zealand Houso" will, not'have to walk under such ~por'tais. It-surely should' be the mission of those in; authority to make the "home" of anyI'country situated in the great centre of London as cheerful and attractive as possible. ;»..- ,The, summing up: of the whole matter seems to be that; at present there is in thfeworld'a, definite "cult of the nude." ■It is widespread; it takes all kinds of forms; it-is; written: about very widely, and.: pictured:.more widely.. •, It permeates every class,- it is sbown in the' women's1 styles, of . dress of tho day—but—the exception is in regard to 'menkindi' who rigorously keep to their cloth and tweed clothing, their high collars, and' their plain form of garments ■ which are for comfort and convenience. The excoption. to the word ''convenience^'comes in the summer time, ■rthien'coinmpnsense,might dictate the same form of garments but in niuch lighter! material. However, if New Zealand does have a real "summer time," other than that denoted by having to rise half -an hour earlier than usual, perhaps the lighter garments may be'v brought fprward and. beconle the fashion, The ''hikers" of both sexes have evolved^a,garb of their own, while the-sports people may be said to have found "the" "irreducible minimum," but thdae.garments 'aro only for occasions, not' for 'fkee'ps." It is to be hoped that this wilLremain the case.