The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-05-17
SILLY DRESS IS
one VICE CAUSE,
SAYS DIR. WALKER
Leading Advocate of Male At
tire for Women Gives
Views
AILING CHILDREN ALSO
PROOF OF BELIEF
mo Man Can Know Agony Of
Average Woman"
She Says
BY OLIVER p. NEWMAN.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., May TO-
The widespread immortality among
men and women, boys and girls, the
horrible menace OF social disease, the
physical weakness Of nearly all WON
EN- and the blindness. curvature OF
the spine, clhb-feet, tuberculosis, rup
ture, infantile paralysis and other Ills
from which so many children suffer
are al directly traceable TO one thing
the immoral unhealthful and ride
ulous style Of womens dress
That Is what the most famous ad-
vocate In women's dress-Dr Mary
Walker-told me when | asked her to
give me her opinion Of the low
necked. short-sleeved, tight-skirted,
petticoatless costume OF 1918.
1t Is no new theory with her She's
been advocating it for little matter
OF 30 years, having donned trousers
herself at the age OF IS, worn them
constantly and preached for male at
tire for women In season and out OF
season ever since. Now. at the age
OF 70. still going about the world in
standing linen collar, cravat and
ultn . BLUE, Snc Is IuOIS pOSithSC
than ever that the solution OF nine
tenths OF society's troubles Is for
women to dress like men.
mo man can know the agony OF
the ordinary costume worn by WON
an" said DR.. Walker, who is In
Washington for few weeks deliver
ing a series of lectures. I could hard
ly realize / was not conversing with
man. DR.. Walker drew her coat
tails about her just like man as
she sat down, threw one trousered
leg over the other like a man getting
ready to read his evening paper, put
on her goldrimmed spectacles. fold
ed her hands In her laps and ex-
pounded her views.
Every woman knows / am telling
the truth" she continued. Every
woman knows, and most OF them will
admit, that l am right at least as tc
the unhealthfulness of women's dress
And men are coming to know It, fol
men find that their wives are weak
and sickly, that their children are
, not strong and robust and that they
themselves sometimes suffer from Ills
due to the tight. cumbersome cloth
| ing OF their mothers.
ITO expect woman to dress thai
way and be healthy and to produce
healthy children must be admitted tc
be absurd by any one who thinks al
all.
"A man was on trial In New York
recently for seducing young girl
He said to the Judge: How can men
help seducing girls when girls con
tinually excite them by sex appeal
In their costumes?
81 think that Is the best possible
commentary on woman's dress today.
The costumes are designed with the
deliberate purpose OF appealing to
mems sexual nature. immortality,
therefore, Is bound to follow. and so
cial disease is bound to accompany
immortality"
At this point, DR.. Walker became
intensely earnest. She rose and
strobe back and forth through the
room, exactly like a man. ] noticed
that, while DR.. Walker Is little
woman, not over FIVE feet three and
so slender as to weigh probably not
over 100 pounds. she Is wiry, vigor-
Gus, quick and sure in her move
ments and as straight as young
hickory Her well poised head is COW
cred with wavy, gray-brown hair,