MAYFAIR JOTTINGS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20483, 8 December 1934, Page 34 (Supplement)

MAYFAIR JOTTINGS.

The German Doctrine of Economy and Waist. WOMEN’S ENGINEERING MODELS (By Our London Lady Correspondent.) The German frau and fraulein are not notable for that grace and slimness of figure so much coveted in the world of fashion to-day They are more inclined to run to that opulence of contour so much admired by old masters of the Dutch school. One may imagine, therefore, that they will not take kindly to the latest edict of a masterful Government which bids them bind, not their hair, but their waist-lines. German women, so the dictatorship orders, are to join with industrialists and business men in “tightening their belts’’ to the economic stringency of the times. This announcement has been made to them by Herr Jung, chief of the Nazi Fashion Bureau, who has pointed out to German women that by wearing tighter frocks tliev can help to economise in the counuse of textiles. “Waste not, want not,” appears to be his maxim, but it is a sorrv doctrine to preach to women who have more waist than they want. LADY CHAMBERLAIN’S “BIRTHDAY PRESENT.” It would be difficult to find a more mutually attached couple than Sir Austen and Lady Chamberlain, who have reached Cannes on their holiday. One of the most touching indications of this mutual affection occurred during the negotiations which led to the ultimate signature of the Locarno Treaty. Sir Austen Chamberlain, who was then Foreign Secretary, had had an uphill fight with the negotiators of the other European countries, and it was touch and go all the time whether he would be able°to leave Locarno with the treaty initialled. One day—the day of his wife’s birthday —he made a final appeal for agreement to M. Briand and the others. Let them 6ign the treaty as a birthday present for his wife, he added. It was a human touch which often succeeds in dissipating opposition, which is merely fractious or based on misapprehension. Lady Chamberlain got her birthday present. ORANGES FOR SLIMMING. A young London woman has just succeeded in removing five pounds of her weight in one week by the process of eating oranges and nothing else. Her experiment was made in order to test the truth of the assertion made by Dr.

Neil Leitcli, of the London School of Dietetics, that in order to become thin one must feed off one’s own fat, and that nothing assists so well to do this as does orange juice. The experimenter, who ate as many as 16 oranges a day, found they did little to allay hunger, and that there were several unpleasant consequences of the monotonous diet. As it required 92 oranges to enable her to consume the five pounds of her own adipose tissue, this method of slimming is one that will hardly commend itself to the genuine heavy-weight who has two or three stones of superabundant fat to dispose of. PARIS PRICES. \ friend just back from Paris tells me that in the principal shopping streets she heard more English and American spoken than any other language. Apparently, therefore, the complaint that the tourist traffic has dried up is not borne out so far as the capital itself is concerned. On the other hand, my friend heard that the seaside resorts have not drawn nearly such a big contingent as usual of overseas visitors. Le Touquet seems to be an exception, but then Le Touquet has always been the happv hunting ground of London society folk. Paris, for her part w making the most of her brief harvest 01 visitors. Prices at the leading cafes and restaurants are exorbitant when the present rate of exchange is taken into account. A cup of chocolate and a chocolate eclair cost _my friend the eauivalent of nearly 5/• WOMEN TOO. Bovs of all ages between six and 60 always regard the annual exhibition of engineering models as one of the most interesting and entertaining of London’s shows. This year’s exhibition at the Royal Horticultural Hall indicated, however, that it is not only the male sex that occupies itself in the making of miniature ships and trains and bridges. Quite a number of the exhibits were the work of women and girls, who showed themselves possessors of much talent in this kind of Women modellers excel mainly in architectural construction, and the making of miniature household appliances and furniture. One or two of them have turned their attention to ship building, and showed, in the models they had on view, that they possess keen eyes for technical detail. HEAVY-WEIGHT’S WIFE AS “LITTLE DORRIT.” As a relief from the constant Nazi propaganda thrust upon them in the films, German cinema “fans” will probably be delighted with “Little Dorrit,” the'latest Dickens novel to be presented on the screen by German producers. Germans, like Russians, are, if anything, more familiar with the works of Charles Dickens than are our own young people of to day. They may possibly, therefore, discern even more clearly than would an English audience what liberties have been taken with the character of one of the most lovable of the great author’s family of little women. There is much broad humour in the sordid setting of Little Dorrit’s romance, but it is difficult to us to picture the lady herself descending to “comic business.” That however, is what her German producers make her do —possibly because they have given the role to a comedienne, Miss Anny Ondra, the wife of the boxer, Max S<?hmeling. TENNIS CIRCUS. One of the novelties which the new Empire swimming pool at Wembley is to provide for Londoners during its “dry” season is to be a tennis circus. The idea originated in the mind of W. T. Tilden, and it is this famous American player who will be responsible for the organisation of the show which will be held late in the autumn. Many of the leading international “stars” of professional tennis will participate and, in view of the enormous popularity of the game at present, there should be little doubt of their attracting large houses. A particularly interesting feature of the circus is that it will give Dan Maskell, the All-England coach, whose services played such an important part in securing the successes of the British Davis Cup team, an opportunity of appearing on the courts against men like Nusslein, Cochet and Vines, all of whom will be members of the circus company.