The San Francisco call., 1910-06-12

and can not be forgotten with inn
punity 1t seems a sad phase of Amer
lean social life that strains itself for
foreign approval and sits notoriously
uneasy until the uncertain future is
decided. However, the speculations are
amusing at least, and come from every
abroad. Here is one of the most il
Eliminating letters on the subject that
has come from abroad, and although
some of the conclusions are a bit hard
on the American hostess, the resume
Of the situation gives a new point of
view to those who are watching the
trend of social affairs in the English
city: Many years ago, while he was
yet prince Of Wales. King Edward made
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 century was
the high priest of society. He waved
magic wand over it, and whatever he
did was right and whosoever he ad-
mired must be beautiful and chic and
everything else that was desirable. The
American woman amused him. conse-
quently she fascinated him. Never in
my life have l met a dull American
woman he frequently remarked If
there was one woman King Edward
disliked, it was she who bored him.
She might be as beautiful as Venus.
as brave as Joan of 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
woman that appealed to his late ma
jesty was that she was never in awe
of him, though she had tact enough
to realize that she must know al
ways precisely where to draw the line.
never permitting herself to be familiar.
At the same time King Edward put
up with certain little idiosyncrasies
from Americans he would not tolerate
in a British woman. One wealthy
lady from Chicago heard this and took
it into her head that his majesty would
be amused at a little joke at her
king on the golf links at Marienbad a
few years ago, having only just arrived
in Europe for the first time. Ex-
quisitely turned out and talkatfve, she
held the kings attention, with the re-
suit that she thought she could do as
1 she liked few days later she was
/ invited by some friend to meet the
king at tea. 1t occurred to her that 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 his majesty
neither slipped nor fell. Instinct
seemed to tell him what was being
done. He made no comment what
ever. But he cut that lady dead"
from that day forward, and society
did likewise. That is why she has
never arrived" and Notwithstanding
her great wealth, has to content her
self 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
jority of whom have never given the
late king anything but pleasure
Were it not for the cachet of King
Edwards favor not one-fifth 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
remarked to a friend that he missed
more than any one who had died for
a long time his old chum, Consuelo.
duchess of Manchester. And he added
but none of us is getting young, and
one of these days it may be our turn"
1t is an odd coincidence that the last
lady to act as hostess to the king was
Lady Paget, an American
And what will be the position Of
American women in British society
henceforth is a question which is being
asked on all sides. 1t is a 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 to meet her
or the new king at a country house.
for it is quite an open secret that she
feels the early Victorian prejudice
against the daughters of Cousin Jona-
than.
But this can not continue, or, at
least, if it does, her new majesty will
! be the first to realize that she has to
conceal her feelings. No doubt when
Queen Mary comes into touch with the
American women who have married
into the families of our nobility she will