The Rome correspondent of the "Observer," writing on August 5, vs The Pope's crusade against mod-fern fashions has been taken up the Church with great promptitude, In every diocese printed notices of warning nature are affixed to the church doors, so that women have fne excuse for not knowing what is expected of them. The Cardinal Archbishop of Florence is parti cularly explicit. "He announces that xo woman will be admitted to. the Sacraments, to Confession, or the nuptial benediction, nor may she fact us godmother at baptisms and Confirmations, unless her dress con forms to the following rules:—(a) Dresses for adults—must descend to. just above the feet children and young girls must have their knees covered. The material niust, in-no ease, be transparent, (b}. "Round the neck not more than two fingerbreaths may remain uncovered.
Sleeves must reach to below the elbow.
'A. note urges Christian dressmakers and milliners to stand firm the dictates of fashion.
Heaven work from good families."
The Bishop of Citta di Costello a believer in vicarious punishment. His notice says that me who allow their young daughters to follow immodest fashions will be refused the Sacraments, even though their own attire ig not such as to bring them under the ban, At Viareggio, Italy's most fashionable seaside resort, members of Catholic Association, wearing a Dodge of office, are stationed at the ch doors, and Indies whose aprance meets with their disap-fave firmly refused admit.
Heated arguments. marked this novel procedure for one or two Sunday mornings, but it would soam that the Church is getting the dest of it, for summer visitors to Viareggio are now seen coming to Mass with a light coat or weep, which they slip on before entering. "They make up for it, though, on the euch," said my informant. Indeed, inadequate bathing costumes will shortly, I expect, form the subject of a separate crusade, though the greatest offenders here are, it is id, not Italians but Americans.
At Florence last Sunday the consorship of female dress wae tashly entrusted to some youths of the joventu Cattolica," whose zeal seems to have been all that could be wished, though not their discretion, Two ladies having managed to enter the cathedral wearing sleeve-he said youths retral them out as Mass but they refused to allow them to approach the altar. They hustled their victims into a corner and made a cordon round them, only releasing them at the conclusion of the service. The indignant ladies made haste to leave, but were hissed on the Cathedral steps before they could finally obtain the shelter of a cab.
'There is no doubt that a genuine reaction against extreme fashions taking place in Italy, as these incidents, which have a decided element of the grotesque, are not attracting public ridicule as they' once might have done. A covert sympathy with the Pope's views rideed noticeable in the Press, and approval is expressed of a movement among some ladies of the Roman aristocracy for a return to modest fashions. It is recalled that a simi-far movement was started last century by Princess Altieri and Princes Borghese (nee Lady Gwendoline Talbot), who never appeared in low Aresses even in the evening. One paper says that Italian women should refuse any longer to be dictated to by Paris, and should assert their national dignity by returning to a style of their own.
Tue, American Consutate-General is interested in securing information as to the whereabouts of Mr. Louis Wallace, who is reported to have come to Shanghai in recent months from Honolulu, T. H. Any particalars concerning his present whereabouts will be appreciated.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.