100 years ago in Spokane: Editorial raises specter of ‘enemy aliens’ as threat to U.S.

An editorial in The Spokesman-Review was headlined, “Enemy Aliens are a Growing Menace.”

The editorial said that increasing reports of fires, explosions and other sabotage on the New York waterfront made it imperative that restrictions be tightened on enemy aliens.

The definition of an “enemy alien” was too loose, said the paper. The U.S. declaration of war was against Germany alone, not against Germany’s many allies.

“That failure left a great host of Austrians, Hungarians, Bulgarians and Turks in this country in the status of friendly aliens, and therefore not subject to the restrictions raised against Germany subjects. They are free to come and go without hindrance. Until that mistake shall be corrected, the government must depend on vigilant guarding of waterfronts, munitions factories and food warehouses.”

From the beauty beat: Lina Cavalieri, “the most famous living beauty” offered more beauty tips in her syndicated Sunday column.

She said that “eye strain” was a great menace to a woman’s looks. In fact, she said that eye strain “will produce wrinkles between the eyebrows, inflame the lids, and cause the eye-lashes to fall out.” She suggested closing one’s eyes for a few seconds at at time, several times a day.

A letter-writer whose “abdomen is very large” asked Madam Cavalieri what she could do to reduce.

Here’s her reply: “Rolling is a good method to reduce a large abdomen and hips. Put a sheet on the floor and roll for ten minutes every night, no matter how tired you feel.”