Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-29
American Women Must
Fight for Recognition
sr.cial CORRESPONDENCE of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
LONDON, May u, 1910.
RANY years ago, while he was yet
M Prince of Wales, King Edward made
IVA the American woman the fashion.
She owes him everything on this side of
the water, for not all her beauty, her
tact and her dollars would have got her
the position she holds in London today
had it not been for his favor. The late
king for nearly half a century was the
high priest Of society. He waved a magic
wand over it, and whatever he did was
right, and whatsoever he admired must be
beautiful and chic and everything else
that was desirable. The American wom-
an amused him, consequently she fas-
cinated hum. lever in my life nave L
met a dull American woman" he fire.
ouently remarked. If there was one
woman King Edward dislilled. it was she
who bored him. She might be as oeauu-
full as Venus, as brave as Joan or arc
but if she could not tell an amusing
story or keep him interested her beauty
and the rest were of no account
Another point about the American Won1-
An which appealed to his late majesty
was that she was never In awe or nm,
though she had tact enough TO reaiiZe
that she must always know precisely
where to draw the line, never permitting
herself to be familiar. At the same time
King Edward put up with certain niue
idiosyncrasies from Americans he would
not tolerate in q British woman: one
wealthy lady from Chicago heard this
and took it into her head that his majesty
would be amused at little joke at her
hands She was introduced to the KING
on the golf links at Marienbad a rev
years ago, having only just arrived in
Europe for the first time. Exauisitely
turned out and talkative she held the
kings attention, with the result that she
thought she could do as she liked. "A rev
DAYS later she was invited by some
friend to meet the king at tea. 1t oc-
cnrred to her it would be funny and
make the king laugh If she drew away
a. chair as he was in the act of sitting
down. She tried it, but fortunately ms
majesty neither slipped nor fell. Instinct
seemed to tell him what was oeihg ' ooi i'
He made no comment whatever. But he
cut the lady dead from that day Tor
ward, and society did likewise. That is
why she has never arrived. ana not
withstanding her great wealth. has 10
content herself with moving among the
outer fringe of the smart set She, how
ever is but the rarest exception among
the scores of her cOmpatriOts, the ma
iority of whom have never given the late
king anything but pleasure.
Were it not for the cachet of King
Edwards favor not one-ffth of the
American women who have married into
the houses OF the oldest nobility would
ever have done so. Until he smiled on
them society turned up its nose and spoke
OF them as forward and pushing, and
with voices that would split a deal
board.
Shortly before his death the king re-
marked to a friend that he missed more
| than any one who had died for long
| time his old chum. Consuelo, Duchess OF
| Manchester And he added but none OF
us is getting young, and one of these days
| il NAV be our turn" 1t is an odd con-
| incidence that the last lady to act as
| hostess TO the king was Lady Paget, an
| American.
| And what Will be the position of Amerl'
can women in British society hencefortf
is q question which is being asked. on al
| sides. It is well known fact that
Queen Mary has on her visiting list the
| names of but two American women
| namely the Duchess of RoXburghe, Of
whom she is very fond, and Lady Paget
By chance or accident no American. save
| the two mentioned. is ever invited tc
| meet her or the new king at country
house, for it is quite an open secret tina
| she feels the early Victorian prejudice
against the daughters of Cousin iona
| than.
i But this cannot continue, or at least j.
| it does, her new majesty will be sure t.
be the first to realize that she has tt
/ conceal her feelings No doubt wher
! Queen Mary comes more into touch witt
The American women who have married