The San Francisco call., 1906-07-02

Sisowath, King of Cambodia, is in
Paris, the honored guest of the French
nation. This monarch with the comic
opera name and court to match Is find
ing great deal which astonishes him
in the gay capital. With much DIM
Guilty he is attempting 20 adapt himself
to the European brand of civilization
At first he found French cooking very
different from Cambodian cuisine, but
finally managed to resign himself to
the dishes prepared by his Partisan
chef.
But it is the women, the women from
asl over the world, that one meets in
Paris that are astonishing Sisowath the
most
This monarch from Cambodia is un-
usually observant and equally frank.
Here is what he said to Commandant
Lannes of the Elysee Palace: your
women wear too many clothes. They
should wear no more than two gar
ments, one fitting close TO the skin,
the other covering the first. Besides,
your women harness themselves SC
tightly that none of their motions are
free. They squeeze their bodies SO
tight that they have all sorts of nerve
diseases that were never heard of in
Cambodia''
What pity that the King of Cambo-
dia is not a mighty and powerful
King What pity that his court, in
stead of consisting of numberless wives
and favorites and the women of this
royal corps of damsels does not consist
of the finest women in Europe and
America. If las were the only case
what a boon to all womankind would
this Sisowath be. His name would be-
come household word. There would
be Sisowath breakfast food, and nat
urally Sisowath cigarettes. But, great
est honor of all, '.Sisowath" would be
adopted in all languages as the syno-
nym for feminine beauty. For, If Siso-
wath were a mighty King. the women
OF his court would dress according to
his ideas. And If these women were
the finest women of Europe and Amer
lea all the other women of Europe and
America would follow their lead. And
ali these women would be beautiful,
because all these women would be
healthy.
Every time l see woman looking all
tagged out and hear her complaining
that her back aches l Immediately con-
clude that that poor woman's only com
plant is too much clothes If any wo-
man were asked to take six-pound
weight. tie 1T around her waist and go
about, say for two hours each day car
rying the same. she would appeal to
the Society for the Prevention of Cruel
ty to Women. l do not know but what
she would take more serious steps and
possibly have the heartless person who
suggested the weight arrested. Yet
there is hardly a woman who does not
go round, day in and day out, carrying
six pounds or more of clothing fastened
snugly round her waist. And as If
that was not bad enough, half the time
these clothes or skirts, which is their
proper name, are too narrow to allow
of free movement and are of that ag-
gravating length that tangles the poor
wearer all up. no wonder the vaude-
vile entertainer makes fun of us and
wins a laugh every time he initiates
our walk. Only he ought not to ridi-
cult but pity
There is a large bunch of pity COM
ing to women. They have so much to
endure, and they endure so bravely,
always looking their best and their
prettiest and smiling all the time. That
they are martyrs to what the world
calls fashion is not their fault. To