The
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C Wright, ltl 1. by Amertean-Examtnsr,
Orsat Britain Rights ItMsrvsO.
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First of a Series of Practical Lessons
Especially Prepared for American Women by
Miss F. Christian
Miller, the
English Expert.
in Health,
A'
"Fancy yourself lifting a heavy
weight and you'll feel a though
heary hand were pressing on
the' abdominal muscles."
"Stretch and ' yawn and notice
how the muscles of the abdomen
tighten."
ISS F. CHRISTIAN MILLER
one of the staff of the
Conn Institute in London.
She was first a pupil, then a teacher, '
and was finally placed on the staff
of advisers of that well-known
school for smart women who de
sire to Improve their health and
appearance, and for the training; of
young girls to become beautiful
women.
8b has been sect by the Conn
Institute to this country to teach
PoIma and grace, while teaching
health. Already she has become
the fad In New York, as tbo Conn
Institute Is in London. Smart
women desiring to Improve them
selves have gone to her for Instruc
tion. Morning lectures at the Wal
dorf and ber drawing-room talks In
homes have become features of the
fashionable season In New York.
Miss Millar, who Is a Fellow of the
Conn Institute and entitled to the
letters of her degree, has been en
gaged to write a series of articles
for this newspaper.
By F.Christian Miller, F.C.I.
ANOBLH Englishman, who had
grown from a weakling boy
into a sturdy man. who lived to be -eighty,
believed that the human
race could be made strong and
beautiful through right care and
exercUe of the body, lie believed
that the future of the race depend
ent upon the women, because they
are its bearers. His slogan
throughout the British Empire was
"Give us strong, beautiful women."
He founded an Institute to teach
women how to make themselves
strong and beautiful. It waa hU
bequest to the world. When Sir
Frederick McCoy passed from this
world Mrs. Joseph Conn took up
his work. The Conn Institute has
.become a household word in Lon
don. 1 have . come to this country to
spread the principles of that insti
tute. American women I find at
tractive. Indeed charming, but the
r
T-
Note the body that is held in place by
the
figure and carriage of many show
serious errors, it is my purpose in
these articles to point out those
faults. We are seeking perfection
on both sides of the witter, and to
point out faults Is to bring about
perfection.
Many Americarr figures I have
seen have three serious faults. The
abdomen s balloooy. The hips are
too large. And the body Is so laced
that the flenh, which has to go
somewhere, is pushed up toward
the chin, giving the hunched" look,
which is bo disfiguring.
Now, bh to tho first point, the
balloony abdomen. No woman an
ever bo beautiful, nor elegant, who
has that paunchy look. If she looks
a though a pillow were strapped
about her circumference, she is, no
matter whut her other attractive
ness, a sorry sight. And bo with
what some one of you clever Amer
icans have aptly termed the sign
of the spreading hips. No woman,
no matter how babyfaced, looks
young If she as disproportionately
large hips, Both of these unsightly
appearances must be banished.
The third point the pushed-up,
hunched look. Is most unbecoming.
That, too, must go. Handsome
women I see on your streets look
us stiff as a soldier on parade.
Their shoulders are too high. And
they move as though walking were
not the tine, free excrclue it is, but
an effort that must be, somehow,
gotten through.
What is the causo'of all this?
Corsets. And I plead for their
banishment I should like to see
tbem banished from the young
girl's wardrobe. If a woman over
thirty has worn corset since she
'was a young girl, she must keep
on wearing them. But If the young
girl be trained la time, beginning.
natural
corset
1 and
the
one
dwarfed
by
artificial
stays."
1
' pMiimml J Pill
m mil ml mi
W iwi ilimk h..
r. 1 iuSlL I across
WkVi M if A' abdomen
i fi '.''if ir., are firm,
' MflVlS ,arge
V'" - -Y I !'''V muscles,
toSf? fjr y ?" whose
IP" hold
I -"K:. " r"T$ '.- and keep
h ! " - it fine
V I w- and - -
Y '' ., , . fj ..'; ;V' jv'
ay, when the Is fourteen, there wUl
be absolutely no need of her ever
wearing them.
For nature has given every worn
f J corset It she takes care of
that she never needs any other.
Round about the abdomen, lying
diagonally across it are firm, large
muscles whose work is to hold In
the abdomen and keep It fine and
straight
But few women know about this
corset, and some ignore it What.
Is the result of this? The abdom
inal muscles are not trained to do
their work. The muscles that' are
not used weaken. Fat' forms in the
weakest parts. Therefore,' the un
pleasantly protruding abdomen and
the ever-widening hips.
Now, how to prevent this? I was
once the victim of such accumula
tion of flesh. I weighed two hun
dred and twenty-four pounds. In
six months of training down, by ex
ercise alone, I reduced my weight'
to one hundred and fifty-tour, where
it has remained for three years. It
is as low as I wish It to be, because
I believe that a woman should have
curving hips. In other words, a
man's ground plan is the pyramid
An American Girl's War on the Foreign Grand Opera Trust
A 01
I
y American girl, a prima donna
native training, ha declared
tear on foreign domination oj
Utra i America, tihe has tuti Henry
W. Savage, producer of Pucclni'i open,
"iho Uirl of Ifte QoU-n Wett," tor
forty-one thousand dollar for alleged
breath of contract, but fte aert$
friendship - for the famou manager
and tag that the euit i really a battle
againtt the Milan dictator of music
matter in this country. ilia Slio
writer' proclamation of war follow'.
By Edna Blanche Showalter
HAVC instituted a lawsuit against Henry W.
Ravage, not only to recover damages for the
loss I have sustained la being dismissed
fter two performances of "The Girl of the
Oolden West" but to thoroughly air the abuses
ttiatexl8t because In this land of the so-called
fiee. America tamely submit in all niattors of
music to the domination of other countries.
We are free and yet we allow alien rousto
publishers, acting under contract with a clique
of managers and composers In Milan to control
the operas of this country.
We are free yet we permit alien managers
and conductors to say to American singers: lio
tj the rear of the stage. King In the second
rate cities. Take the skim milk of achievement
and leave the cream to us.
We are free and yet we penult a despotism
on the operatic stage as great as that which
raused patriots to dump a cargo of tea Into
Boston Harbor and bring about a seven years'
war..
We vaunt our freedom, and yet we never for
a moment really assert it.
My story told now and later, more fully, In
court, will prove all I have said. All my music
training has been In this country. I neither
Tit abroad tor Instruction nor did I sing In
Milan to ask the endorsement of tho over-sea
rltics upn my vole and my methods. Therein
! vrote my doom, or so the Milan music clique
thought they had decieed. But I, aa American
liirl. mean to give them a taste of American
spirit, aud I preuirt that the taste will be bltti-r.
Kt-Wiiiald DrKoven baa lately shown how the
in flu.' n re of this Milan opera trust has stlffled
tu liiwarud tho American comjwser. Charles
Henry MclUer. the critic, liaa told but Intel
how the Milan Influence reaches far, even to the
extent of dictating to the managers and directors
of grand opera productions all over Europe what
singers shall bo enguged for certain operas
and the favored artists must bo those who are
in favor at Milan.
My experience as a prima donna In Mr. Sav
age's English production of Fucclul's opera, "The
(Mil of the Golden West." Is both Interesting
and Important to the American musical world. I
think that all American singers, and all who
aspire to careers In grand opera, should know
exactly what chance an American has la a Meld
virtually controlled by a clique of Milan mana
gera and producers.
Last Kpriug I Blgned a contract to sing ninety
performances of the role of Minnie lu this opera,
having been assured by Mr. Savage and hia gen
eral manager, Mr. Madison Corey, that aa possi
bly the only American prima donna among their
principals. I would naturally be featured to the
fullest extent, and that every condition would
be made pleasant for me, so that I could give a
great performance of the part of the American
girl.
I expressed to bo mo of Mr. Savage's office
managers eorae apprehension as to w hat chance
an American prima donna would bave with a
foreign conductor who would be pretty sure to
have the traditional contempt for everything
American except money. 1 was told not to
worry that this was to be a production In Eng
lish, and that at the first sign of discrimination
against me the Italian conductor would be
ahlpped back to Italy forthwith that, as a mat
ter of fact, they fully expected st the Savage
offices that this very thing would happen, and
that they were ready for thern.
As the rehearsals went on, I was compelled to
sit for long hours and listen to the mlbtakea of
others, and to the near riots In which the re
hearsals sometimes degenerated. But when I
asked for my share of the rehearsals, I was re
peatedly assured that I did not need themthat
I waa perfect In the role that the others needed
end must have the rehearsals.
I was then sent to small halls In different parts
of the city to rtbearso without sceuery and
"props," .while the other principals were under
Mr. I'ulacco's ertoual ulin-tiou at the Manhat
tan Opera llouso. A dally schedule of the hours
aud plana of the rruearkals would be made out
in Mr. Savage's othce; and according to these
schedules, I should bave had my share in the
latter weeks of the rehearsals at the Manhattan.
As a matter of fact, when I would report for my
rehearsala I would have to sit for the rest of the
day and usually evening and listen to the re
hearsala of the foreign prima donnas.
My debut was arranged for a matinee at
Bridgeport. I was given a conductor with whom
I had never rehearsed The newspapers in
Bridgeport had been given tleketa for the night
performance and supposed thatmy debut would
be made at night . .
However, my debut In the role at the matinee
was a success. A small audience showed real
and unmistakable enthusiasm and approval. I
was personally congratulated by Mr. Savage after
tho performance.
"You got every word, every syllable over." he
said. "I could hear you perfectly." Mr. Polacco
between the acts came back to congratulate me.
I was finally on the following Thursday night
given another performance this time at Syra
cuse. Mr. Polacco conducted, but I was given a
cast of principals with whom I had never re
hearsed. Again I succeeded. I gave a better
performance of the part than at my dobut of
course, and sang the music of Minnie as I had
planned to do, making it real music, aa I believe
I'ucclnl Intended it' to be. rather than mere sound
and screaming, as it is so often rendered. I
sgaln won my audience unmistakably. Several
times during the performance Mr. Polacco sent
me messages of congratulation, by Mr. Pughlia,
the general stage manager. Yet on going to my
dreesiug room, flushed with t. genuine ope ratio
triumph. I was given a message by two shame
faced and embarrassed business managers for
the Savage Company, telling me that frcm that
moment my engagement (which had been for
ninety performances), terminated.
When I asked why, I was stammerlngly told
that they believed that it was said that 1 was a
lyric soprano. Of course, everybody concerned
in ray engagement knew that I was a lyric so
prano. But It would not be permitted that an Ameri
can artiBt, wholly independent of this clique,
should really make an instant success in an
Italian production.
And I predict that Mr. Savage has discovered
this domination and will, with American spirit,
oon resist it. IJke me. I believe he will soon
cry America for the Americans, even the Ameri
can operatic stage.
h - -
6 )
x
Miss F. Christian Miller, F. C. I.'
or wedge, while a woman's is a suc
cession of soft curves.
One of the exercises that rapidly
lessens most figures that are of
too generous size about' the middle
is that of pushing. Fancy yourself
lifting a piano, if that were possi
ble. Or Imagine yourself pulling a
tight cork from a bottle. What
would you do? Lean forward and
pull with all your might, would you
not? Suppose you are doing either.
Use your strength and what hap
pens? You will feel the muscles of
the abdomen tighten, as though,
strong hands were pressing down
upon it
At the same time that you are
trying to lift the imaginary piano
or pulling the cork from the bottle
of your fancy, you will Und your
self drawing deep breaths from the
very pit of your abdomen. That
too, contracts the balloony abdomen.
In a word, it tightens the laces and
hardens the whalebones, of nature's
corset.
Rolling has the same effect, but
do not roll until you have had
your physician's consent For It
your heart is weak rolling might be
most dangerous.
Walking is of dubious value in
rnducing the paunchy outline. It' is
of value in the sense that fast walk
ing causes you to breathe more
deeply, and so take more oxygen
into tho body. Tho more oxygen
there is taken into the body the
more quickly the fat vanishes.
Much walking produces an appe
tite that makes one desire and
consume more food.
Stretching and kicking are each
most valuable for bringing the mid
dle of the figure back to its original
girlish outlines. You know how,
when you are tired, you yawn aud
stretch, and how delightful is the
sensation. Stretch and yawn and
notice how the muscles of the ab
domen tighten. Again' nature's cor
set Is being drawn up and tight
ened. Kicking in any way you like has
the same effect. While you are
sitting on a couch or lying In bed.
or resting in a rocking chair, or
standing, kick with little spite
ful motions, or with a long, swing
ing movement, or with wagglBh
little side motions but kick.
And while you are sitting sit up
right Never lounge. The moment
you lop in your chair tne abdomen
is thrust forward. The muscles
sag. Nature's corset strings are
loosened, and you have started on
the way to what you Americans
forcibly, if not elegantly, describf
as a "sloppy figure."
Lest you may not quite accep.
what I, a stranger, tell you, may I
quote to you what W. Arbuthnot
Lane, the famous British surgeon,
says of nature's corset?
"The most effectual means of
keeping the viscera in the right
place and properly packed Is to ex
ercise a sufficient pressure, exerted
appropriately on the lower abdo
men. The English corset is disas
trous, for it exaggerates the down
ward displacement of the viscera."
War's Latest Terror
Bomb-Dropping Aeroplanes
T
Mi. Shwaltr as the Skcp
brd Boy in "The Children
at kiiU."
rillS problem of dropping
bombs accurately' from aero
planes in motion has been
solved at last The value of the
airship In war was greatly limited
by the fact that it was quite impos
sible to drop explosives from a
great height with any certainty
that they would hit the target
aimed at.
The speed of the aeroplane, Its
altitude, the acceleration of the
missile due to gravity, the wind
drift, tho atmospheric conditions
were all important factors to be
considered and the need of some
scientific method, based upon the
laws of mechanics Involved and al
lowing for the other influences
affecting the flight of the prcjec
tlle has long been felt.
Such a method has
been evolved by an'
American. Lieutenant
Itlley E. Scott a grad
uate of West Point
Lieutenant Scott lias
Invented a device con
sisting of a nnmber of
rings, so mounted that
the inner riug Is al
ways horizontal, like a
ship's compass. At the
centre of this inner
ring a telescope Is so
mounted that it 1h al
ways aima at right
angles to Hi rfeig. The
projectile are carried
in this ring, se that hey are always
In a fixed position with relation to
the ground.
It Is well known that a pro
jectile, when falling from the mov
ing air craft describes a para
bola, determined by the height and
speed of the aeroplane.
The operator looks through the
telescope, which Is so arranged
that, when it has the target In full
view, the projectile will 'fall at
that point.
The whole secret then lies In
setting tho telescope right and this
Is done very alniply by the aid
or some diagrams and tables which
lieutenant Scott has worked out for
. all heights and speeds of aero
planes. By a very simple mathematical
calculation the operator ascertains
both the speed at which he la trav
eling and the helyht from the
ground; when consulting bis Utiles
he sets his telescope, and as that
eights the object to be bit by the
bomb he drops his projectile, and it
cannot fall to fait precisely as It la
aimed.
By using this device the man la
the aeroplane need no longer shoot
by guess, but can aim as surely as
a , gunner on terra . Anna with
range-finder.
That thia device Is Invaluable as
an adjunct to the aeroplane in war
needs no lengthy explanation. It
becomes essential to the war aero
plane and Increases its efficiency as
an Implement of war manifold. The
aeroplane will be used, not merely
to spy on the enemy, but to drop a
bomb In the camp or on the deck
of a warship, for it can be UBed
with absolute accuracy.
The peculiar aerial bombs which
will be used with Lieutenant Scott's
device are carried in canvas slings
and the guides used are rather sug
gestive of arrow heads.
V
'
! v
x
u.tram Showing How the night of the Bomb
Is Calculated with the Aid of a Telescope.
Lieutenant Scott's device has
been thoroughly tested by the
tnlted States Government and will
undoubtedly be adopted by the mil
itary authorities. The Inventor is
now abroad trying to interest Euro
pean governments.
In time of peace, as well aa in
time of war. this device may be
round useful. Aeroplanes have al
ready been used for carrying mail
and when aerial transportation of
small parcels becomes more gen
eral some method of delivery with
out stopping the machine would
save considerable time and labor.
With the aid of the new device it
will be quite practicable to provide
receiving stations for such pack
ages Into which the aerial express
man or mail carrier may shoot his
packages in transit without tear ct
njurlng their contents or of strik
ing any one.
Thee receiving stations would
naturally be mounted on springs or
some other elastic device having the
give necessary to eliminate ghock.
