the americanization of edward bok-第70部分

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　editors　to　the　West　to　get　first…hand　motifs　from　Indian　costumes　and　adapt　them　as　decorative　themes　for　dress　embroideries。　Three　designers　searched　the　Metropolitan　Museum　for　new　and　artistic　ideas；　and　he　induced　his　company　to　install　a　battery　of　four…color　presses　in　order　that　the　designs　might　be　given　in　all　the　beauty　of　their　original　colors。　For　months　designers　and　artists　worked；　he　had　the　designs　passed　upon　by　a　board　of　judges　composed　of　New　York　women　who　knew　good　clothes；　and　then　he　began　their　publication。

The　editor　of　The　New　York　Times　asked　Bok　to　conduct　for　that　newspaper　a　prize　contest　for　the　best　American…designed　dresses　and　hats；　and　edit　a　special　supplement　presenting　them　in　full　colors；　the　prizes　to　be　awarded　by　a　jury　of　six　of　the　leading　New　York　women　best　versed　in　matters　of　dress。　Hundreds　of　designs　were　submitted；　the　best　were　selected；　and　the　supplement　issued　under　the　most　successful　auspices。

In　his　own　magazine；　Bok　published　pages　of　American…designed　fashions：　their　presence　in　the　magazine　was　advertised　far　and　wide；　conventions　of　dressmakers　were　called　to　consider　the　salability　of　domestic…designed　fashions；　and　a　campaign　with　the　slogan　〃American　Fashions　for　American　Women〃　was　soon　in　full　swing。

But　there　it　ended。　The　women　looked　the　designs　over　with　interest；　as　they　did　all　designs　of　new　clothes；　and　paid　no　further　attention　to　them。　The　very　fact　that　they　were　of　American　design　prejudiced　the　women　against　them。　America　never　had　designed　good　clothes；　they　argued：　she　never　would。　Argument　availed　naught。　The　Paris　germ　was　deep…rooted　in　the　feminine　mind　of　America：　the　women　acknowledged　that　they　were；　perhaps；　being　hoodwinked　by　spurious　French　dresses　and　hats；　that　the　case　presented　by　Bok　seemed　convincing　enough；　but　the　temptation　to　throw　a　coat　over　a　sofa　or　a　chair　to　expose　a　Parisian　label　to　the　eyes　of　some　other　woman　was　too　great；　there　was　always　a　gambling　chance　that　her　particular　gown；　coat；　or　hat　was　an　actual　Paris　creation。

Bok　called　upon　the　American　woman　to　come　out　from　under　the　yoke　of　the　French　couturiers；　show　her　patriotism；　and　encourage　American　design。　But　it　was　of　no　use。　He　talked　with　women　on　every　hand；　his　mail　was　full　of　letters　commending　him　for　his　stand；　but　as　for　actual　results；　there　were　none。　One　of　his　most　intelligent　woman…friends　finally　summed　up　the　situation　for　him：

〃You　can　rail　against　the　Paris　domination　all　you　like；　you　can　expose　it　for　the　fraud　that　it　is；　and　we　know　that　it　is；　but　it　is　all　to　no　purpose；　take　my　word。　When　it　comes　to　the　question　of　her　personal　adornment；　a　woman　employs　no　reason；　she　knows　no　logic。　She　knows　that　the　adornment　of　her　body　is　all　that　she　has　to　match　the　other　woman　and　outdo　her；　and　to　attract　the　male；　and　nothing　that　you　can　say　will　influence　her　a　particle。　I　know　this　all　seems　incomprehensible　to　you　as　a　man；　but　that　is　the　feminine　nature。　You　are　trying　to　fight　something　that　is　unfightable。〃

〃Has　the　American　woman　no　instinct　of　patriotism；　then？〃　asked　Bok。

〃Not　the　least；〃　was　the　answer；　〃when　it　comes　to　her　adornment。　What　Paris　says；　she　will　do；　blindly　and　unintelligently　if　you　will；　but　she　will　do　it。　She　will　sacrifice　her　patriotism；　she　will　even　justify　a　possible　disregard　of　the　decencies。　Look　at　the　present　Parisian　styles。　They　are　absolutely　indecent。　Women　know　it；　but　they　follow　them　just　the　same；　and　they　will。　It　is　all　very　unpleasant　to　say　this；　but　it　is　the　truth　and　you　will　find　it　out。　Your　effort；　fine　as　it　is；　will　bear　no　fruit。〃

Wherever　Bok　went；　women　upon　whose　judgment　he　felt　he　could　rely；　told　him；　in　effect；　the　same　thing。　They　were　all　regretful；　in　some　cases　ashamed　of　their　sex；　universally　apologetic；　but　one　and　all　declared　that　such　is　〃the　feminine　nature；〃　and　Bok　would　only　have　his　trouble　for　nothing。

And　so　it　proved。　For　a　period；　the　retail　shops　were　more　careful　in　the　number　of　genuine　French　models　of　gowns　and　hats　which　they　exhibited；　and　the　label　firm　confessed　that　its　trade　had　fallen　off。　But　this　was　only　temporary。　Within　a　year　after　The　Journal　stopped　the　campaign；　baffled　and　beaten；　the　trade　in　French　labels　was　greater　than　ever；　hundreds　of　French　models　were　sold　that　had　never　crossed　the　ocean；　the　American　woman　was　being　hoodwinked　on　every　hand；　and　the　reign　of　the　French　couturier　was　once　more　supreme。

There　was　no　disguising　the　fact　that　the　case　was　hopeless；　and　Bok　recognized　and　accepted　the　inevitable。　He　had；　at　least；　the　satisfaction　of　having　made　an　intelligent　effort　to　awaken　the　American　woman　to　her　unintelligent　submission。　But　she　refused　to　be　awakened。　She　preferred　to　be　a　tool：　to　be　made　a　fool　of。

Bok's　probe　into　the　feminine　nature　had　been　keenly　disappointing。　He　had　earnestly　tried　to　serve　the　American　woman；　and　he　had　failed。　But　he　was　destined　to　receive　a　still　greater　and　deeper　disappointment　on　his　next　excursion　into　the　feminine　nature；　although；　this　time；　he　was　to　win。

During　his　investigations　into　women's　fashions；　he　had　unearthed　the　origin　of　the　fashionable　aigrette；　the　most　desired　of　all　the　feathered　possessions　of　womankind。　He　had　been　told　of　the　cruel　torture　of　the　mother…heron；　who　produced　the　beautiful　aigrette　only　in　her　period　of　maternity　and　who　was　cruelly　slaughtered；　usually　left　to　die　slowly　rather　than　killed；　leaving　her　whole　nest　of　baby…birds　to　starve　while　they　awaited　the　return　of　the　mother…bird。

Bok　was　shown　the　most　heart…rending　photographs　portraying　the　butchery　of　the　mother　and　the　starvation　of　her　little　ones。　He　collected　all　the　photographs　that　he　could　secure；　had　the　most　graphic　text　written　to　them；　and　began　their　publication。　He　felt　certain　that　the　mere　publication　of　the　frightfully　convincing　photographs　would　be　enough　to　arouse　the　mother…instinct　in　every　woman　and　stop　the　wearing　of　the　so…highly　prized　feather。　But　for　the　second　time　in　his　attempt　to　reform　the　feminine　nature　he　reckoned　beside　the　mark。

He　published　a　succession　of　pages　showing　the　frightful　cost　at　which　the　aigrette　was　secured。　There　was　no　challenging　the　actual　facts　as　shown　by　the　photographic　lens：　the　slaughter　of　the　mother…bird；　and　the　starving　baby…birds；　and　the　importers　of　the　feather　wisely　remained　quiet；　not　attempting　to　answer　Bok's　accusations。　Letters　poured　in　upon　the　editor　from　Audubon　Society　workers；　from　lovers　of　birds；　and　from　women　filled　with　the　humanitarian　instinct。　But　Bok　knew　that　the　answer　was　not　with　those　few：　the　solution　lay　with　the　larger　circle　of　American　womanhood　from　which　he　did　not　hear。

He　waited　for　results。　They　came。　But　they　were　not　those　for　which　he　had　striven。　After　four　months　of　his　campaign；　he　learned　from　the　inside　of　the　importing…houses　which　dealt　in　the　largest　stocks　of　aigrettes　in　the　United　States　that　the　demand　for　the　feather　had　more　than　quadrupled！　Bok　was　dumbfounded！　He　made　inquiries　in　certain　channels　from　which　he　knew　he　could　secure　the　most　reliable　information；　and　after　all　the　importers　had　been