New-York tribune., 1910-05-09
LONDON NOTES
Society and PoIitics-Women-
Modern Masters,

Il y
view Of their own functions as hostssz.,
or onloOkers. A writer for the new nun.
Der Of THE Quarterly Review binds To
gether a sheaf OF social memoirs h, n.
Countess of westmorland, the Duchess.
| de Dino and Lady st. Heller. and meas
ures the influence OF women in politics,
during successive periods. There 4,
CHEEKY optimism in the article. and that
Is exceedingly rare IN these pessimistlo
days. when the faith Of educated peopI.
| in representative government. at Isas.
England. has been sadly impaired. and
the vagaries Of feminine activities ara
depIored as essentially unwonanly.
If the starting point had been nls-,
remote this cheerfulnes5 would has.
been less remarkable. for the Contras.
would have been sharp between TIA
rnedd1esonne royal nistresses Of Charlsz
II. and some OF the Georges. and tina
great ladies Of the Victorian reign. who
( Influenced public men in country horsAz
and London drawing-rOons. The CON-
parison becomes less encouraging vnen
the aristocTatic. stately and conservatives
society with which the Countess OF
Westmorlsnd and the DUchesse de Dfno
were familiar is set against the bustliux.
| restless and democratic society Of which
Lady st. Heller has been a DISTINGUISHED
ornament.
The countess was the Duke OF WeIIiuS-
toms niece, "a great lady after the Old
! manner" who held a high position in
politics and diplomacy. but did not en-
tertain artists. actors. authors and jour
naIfsts. The duchesse was TaIIeyrand's
niece, who acted as his hostess while
he was in England. and talked politics
in country houses with the leading men
IN public life. Each looked on while
old fashioned society was taking IFS dig
nified course during period Of unen-
terprising sedateness and reposs. Lady
st. Heller vas also intensely interested
IN politics. but she followed the example
Of Lady Waldegrave and Lady Do
rothy NevilI in broadening her ideas
of tolerance and hospitality until her
drawing room in Harley street BE-
came a salon where royalties. ambas-
sadors. field n1arshals. cabinet ministers.
leaders OF all parties and factions.
actors. authors, painters. editors. ex-
plorers. judges. miI1ionaires and celebrf-
ties of every water met on equal terms
without being what is known as
political hostess. she helped society TO
become more charitable and open minded.
and was Indifferent whether her guests
were titled or rich so long as they had
force. influence and individuality. She
perceived that the times had changed
and that society would be improved b.
having mere cosmopolitan elements and
more varied interests. and SIZE adapted
herself to new conditions. and working
effectively in her own way enlarged the
influence of her seq.
A belated review OF these we'll known
books is not perhaps OF special moment;
but the optimism. which survives COM
parsons between the statelier and more
exclusive society of the countess and
more democratic society OF Lady ST.
Heller. is consolatory. The reviewer ad-
n1its that there is now more bitterness
in party rivalries than there was. and
that private friendships are more likely
to be disturbed by political prejudice;
vet he contends that PdrIiamen retains
it's high estate. that there IS no lack OF
young m in training for public life
and that success in politics IS still the
highest possible Recommendation in SOS
ciety. He is not in sympathy with the
woman suffrage cause. from which he
expects neither happiness for the home
life nor advantage for the public service:
and yet he is not seriously alarmed by
the evidence that the range Of action
claimed by the sex is growing wider and
that women workers are a force TO be
reckoned with at election time.
Even the militant suffragettes are less
dangerous than the oldtime court favor
ties. whose power was notorious The
relation between society and politics re-
mains close, even if the House Of Lords
be one-sided assembly Of privileged
wives and sisters remains wholesoms.
furious as may be the struggles OF over
heated partisanship- Thrice welcome fs
the staid Tory reviewer. who does not
look for the end Of all things in these
days of radical finance. socialist vapo--
ing and sufrragette agitation.
Certainly women nave become the
chreniclers Of society. even il they have
not yet secured the privilege OF voting
in national elections and representing
boroughs. county divisions and univer-
stiles in Parliament. Not only are the
best books of "reminiscences written by
women, but the daily records OF social
life are compiled by them. The social
column is the best paid work done for
the press. and it is supplied by enter
prising women. who go to the great
houses, are in the confidence of the
political hostesses. attend courts at the
palace. and know everybody who IS
ANYBODY"
Men cannot compete with them as pur-
veyors of social intelligence. Even the
social calendars are now made up by
keen observers like Mrs Hugh Adams
and Miss Edith y. Browne. who have
as intimate an acquaintance with stately
functions, popular engagements. the
scale OF general precedence and the
regulations for courts and Ievees as as
tronomers have with the picturesque
consultations. AS for the fiction OF cur
rent society. four if not five out Of the
seven novels published every weekday