The Washington herald., 1912-03-15
TAFT TO RECEIVE
ENGLISH COUNTESS
President and Lady Warwick Will
Probably Talk international
Peace and Suffrage.

President Taft viii receive the Countess
of Warwick at 10 O'Clock this morning,
according to arrangements made yester-
day by the representative OF the noble
English woman. The countess beIng
deeply interested in the subject of inter-
national peace and equal suffrage, 1t is
most likely that the conversation between
the President and Lady Warwick will be
along those lines.
President Taft has expressed himself
repeatedly that the electorate will give
women the right of ballot as soon as
they convince mankind that they are
ready to take advantage thereof.
Noted Wit and Beauty.
When Miss Frances Evelyn Maynard
for that was the countess maiden name
''eame out" her beauty and wit created
a furor. and society dubbed her Daisy
Maynard. SShe had innumerable suitors.
but finally chose Lord Brooke, the heir
to one of the most desirable titles in
England; that of the Earldom of War
wick, the heritage OF the kingmaker Of
the wars of the roses.
Lord and Lady Warwick at once be-
came the smartest members OF the
Prince Of Wales set IN 1891 she re-
ceived her sobriquet OF "Babbling
Brooke" At Tranby Croft, during a
game of cards with the Prince OF Wales,
later King Edward. and other guests.
Sir William Gordon Cummings was. 50
the story went. discovered cheating al
cards. To prevent a horrible scandal
all the players were sworn to secrecy,
and Sir William was required to write a
confession.
Lady Brooke, who had been invited to
visit Cranky Croft at the express wish
of nd "a
go. met his highness later, and later
still. during a reception. she made one
or two cutting remarks that instantly
set all England agog and provided an
Unending amount of scandal In high
circles.
Eventually the matter got into the
courts. and the prince was required TO
take the stand and tell what he knew
about the baccarat game. In the mean
time an anonymous manuscript. said TO
have been written by Lady Beresford,
was circulated from one end of Eng
land to the other. and in this manu-
script Lady Brooke was thinly disguised
under the name OF "Babbling Brooke -
This clung conspicuousIy to her as long
as she bore the name Of Lady Brooke.
Hit Back Vigorously.
Still, this unusual Englishwoman rode
ONtI Alt
They said many harsh things about her,
but she gave them tit for tat She hit
back vigorously, and delivered many
telling blows to social aspirations.
For many years she was one OF the
gayost social leaders in all England, and
liz print was referred to with a host of
ADJ ectives many of which she thoroughly
deserved. She was really beautiful. no
BODY could DENY that asset Of "Babbling
RtO0ke:" she was wonderfully dressed,
wonderfully interesting. a linguist of rare
ability. necessarily active, a daring cross
country rider, as independent as an Amer
ican woman, and. withal, one OF the most
charming women in the upper set OF Eng
lIsh society. She gave immense parties,
and IN her drdwing-room Congregated the
literary, artistic, political and social
lights not only Of England but also of
France aud OF the rest OF Europe. Her
town house was for a decade the nearest
approach TO a salon in London.
Tie social world has laughed at her
ALLEGED fads. buI with the development
OF any splendid results therefrom Lady
Warwick enjoys her revenge. From this
kind Cf philanthropy 10 a consideration
of larger economic problems the versatile
countess stepped easily. and became an
out-and-out Soc ialist. So the paragraph
ers added a new superlative 10 their al
ready loI:g list of attributes, THE most
ardent woman Socialist OF all England" a"