New-York tribune., 1910-12-25

shall American women smoke IN public
stirring boieldom. and the opening of a
neH hotel has brought about an Immediate
need for decision on the part of the man.
sEe-s CT the other New York hotels Eng
Hsn in every feature, the new Ritz-Carlton
has imported the Continental disregard OF
prhlfe- smoking By women VIII the other
hotels follow suit? The managers have
loen apporach on the subject, and, many
of them are noD-comnlittal Some very in
ter5stin- commentaries are given herewith
The most surprising thing cropped out
when Mt. Keller. manager OF the Rftz-
Carlton. was approached The start Of the
whole trouble was accidental. purely and
smpIv-a chance turn of affairs.
We have not made rule that women
may smoke in our public rooms" said he
We have merely failed TO insult their
taste and cosmopcita by making a
rule against it. The night of our opening a
maItre hotel came hurrying TO me, ex-
claiming
AIr Keller there is woman smoking
in the next dining room
i looked at the man in surprise, and
said. Why not?'
That was all there was or has been to It
Women smoke in all our other hotels, ano
i had not occurred 10 me that they would
not co the same in New York. Since then,
however. I have given the matter some
thought. and have evolved my OWN philoso-
phy % the situation First, il is admitted
That American women are the most beauti-
f1i. rae most charming, the cieverest, most
s.if-reliznt and resourceful women In the
world Second is il less than presumption
Ter a manager to dictate her public con-
5uct - her through the medium of ser
FsHtc Third since there are no sump-u-
sry laws against It. who is 10 deny the
Heenl American woman the right? Ger
isiaiv we do r7or ir-end to. She may smoke
or nof ~ she wishes Fourth, j can bear
PERSONAL testimony to the fact that women
o. the first aristocracy. of royalty, OF the
tistesf pla,es Of culture education and re-
sner7ent smoke II, Europe and that Amer
Ean women Of the equivalent classes smoke
sth Them L. II TO be merely a matter OF
when size Of the ocean one is on? thinh
not this being supposedly the freest Of all
lsnds
u Is really a tempest IN teapot Dol
j Is having a queer effect In the last Few
MaIlasers Of the two leading hotels in San
francisco and one in Boston, an exclusive
establishment announcing that they meant
10 follow the lead Of the Kitz-Caritoh- %
IL II nearly certain that all the DIG ho'eis
Elll come 10 il in a short time
From little things ] hear some oi iiieiii
are going TO put forward WY lace AoouI
IT. but j; will be hypocriticai If thss oo'
lear. for who is going to be offended VINO %
"erth while botherins aboufE WIN Aie
'Sn women stay away from the hi.z-
e'h because women smoke mere Ii '''
"sh. DO American women SHY ava
iT9ln Europe because the women shioAe
1efe ~ ali the hoteis2 Hardy INC
american women go there. are gao 10 pe
mere. and the greater portion OF tiieih
smoke with the ease OF accustonledfess'
The idea that the so-calied license eN
'ehoed wil invite an undesirable CLASS Vi
H"'nen l. ,oolishness, | believe oh"
sHsbe women do not attempt 10 go "heie
ms arc ret wanted. as a rule, and thes
s'e not wanted in the Ritz-Ceriton AhS
'F're than IN your hotels excluslfeiS ioi
enen Ne have noticed no inhuS oi
49, IL fact. an added number OF the ,