The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
BELLHOPS ARE LURED AWAY
 FROM WEIRD CALL
Former Cornell Professor Teaching Page Boys
 Proper Paging

LONDON, July 13.-(By Associated Press. )-The weird and unintelligible cries of London's page boys-an hon. ored tradition of the Metropolitan hos telries which everybody has accepted and never before thought of correcting are about to pass. One of the largest hotels has just established a school of articulation in which the bellhops are being fought ,elocution so they can pro- nounce the names of guests in a man. ner distinguishable to the owners of the names.
 Dr. Ralph Sims. former professor of English at Cornell university, is the director of the page boys school He uses small arrangement of mirrors so the pupils can see the positions of their tongues while shouting-voices growing daily more musical under the influence of scientific cultivation-a long list of names ranging from the comparatively simple Jones' to such tongue twisters as "Riabouschinsky" "Gregorieffpoodoff
 The results of the training are al- reay becoming apparent to guests, one of whom reported that he actually heard has own name called three times in an afternoon and recognized it ev- cry time.
 Change In Bridge Styles
 English and American bridge players have come to q parting of the ways over the manner. in which the game should be played in the opinion of experts. Those who play bridge in England, wish the game to continue as it is without the fancy bidding conventions so popular across the water. They in sist on keeping their own bidding values while the Americans, it appears, are exhibiting strong desire continual ly to add new conventions to the par ent game.
 Both sides have no disposition to com promise so that future will probably know of bridge after the manner of the English school and the American school. Florence Irwin, American expert, who is in London, looks with diSfavor on the new bidding conventions, she told an English reporter although she finds some shaky points about the game King George plays.
 There have been many attempts in recent years through the exchange of players between the leading clubs of both countris to get to know each others game, but the rank and file, of there is such, evidently think their own way is better.
 Princess Dies In Poverty
 Amidst the sQualOr and dirt of a room in back alley of Mayfair for the last 15 years has lived real Rus sian princess, whose family-that of Orloff-was entwined with the Roman offs in the days of imperial Russian. An inquest after the death of Mrs. Sylvia Pearson, by which name the princess was known here, brought out the strange facts in her life.
 Although there is still much mystery regarding her career before she moved into the Mayfair alley, the evidence showed that she married poor old-age pensioner, an Englishman many years senior to her 62, and they came to live in Mayfair. The husband rarely stirred from the room and they existed largely on the charity of the landlady and three pounds sterling which was sent to them each month in envelope addressed: Fl. H. Princess Orloff' Lying beside her when she died was a piece of hard bread. part of which had been her highness' last meal.
 English Producers Fall
 The growth of England's infant mo- ton picture industry has been Stunted by the blow given it during the last six months by the mature products of the United States. A bankruptcy suit has been filed in the courts by the Hepworth Films, pioneers in the Eng fish field, and other companies are re- ducing their programs.
 The English fibus thus far have ad- mittedly been inferior. and their produc- tiOn unsatisfactory financially. but there has been hope that it would be to devel- Op into successfully rivalry with the American enterprises.
 Probably the curtniment of the Eng fish productions will not leave a great gap in the lives of the pitcure fans, but it has been serious setback to the English desire for internal con- mcrcial independence in this field.
 Cecil Hepworth. head of the finn, ] suing for bankrup:"y, said, in explain