The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-13
Congressional Leaders Declare
They Wrote Letter About 1t.
DIDN'T TELL THE NEWSPAPERS
Public Given to Understand
fastener Was on Trip.
RumOr That 1t Was Feared
"Fedso Would Be Gamers.

Some mysterious person put one
over on members of the State FEEDER
alton of Women's Clubs and the To-
peka newspapers when they adver-
tised the coming of Mrs. o. H. P. Bel
mont of New York and Mrs. Inez Mil
holland Boissevain. Neither of the
stars in the flying squadron was ex-
pected. Mrs. Belmont had written
week in advance that she did not ex-
pect to come. But the public was not
taken in on the secret. 1t would have
spoiled the show and might have re-
suited in a stampede to the opposite
dinner for Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait.
All during the luncheon for the
Congressional Union Wednesday after
noon, Kansas club women strained
their necks and eyes that they might
get a glimpse of the famous New York
suffrage leader. Some of them ac-
tually thought they saw her, too.
"Oh. that's she over there-that
trim one in the picture hat" one wo-
man explained to a mere man escort.
The man nearly upset a table in his
efforts to view the invading easterner.
stunning, amt she?" he replied.
Have you seen Inez Milholland ?"
was &he most common question during
the luncheon. Kansas insisted on call
ing her Inez Milholland- Wasn't she
a guest of Kansas suffrage workers?
Besides, a reasonable amount of IA
miliarity makes one feel more COM
Portable and at home. By all means
Kansas wanted Inez to feel just like
she was at her own home and fireSide.
Then Came the Shock.
Then came the shocking news. II
was the secret the reporters at the in
vading car had learned two hours ear
lier-neither Mrs. Belmont nor Mrs.
Boissevain was present. The women
were Mortified. Even the leaders in
the movement sighed deeply in ex-
pressing their regrets.
I'VE had planned so much on their
coming" one Topeka leader in the
union cause explained. There was an
emphasis on the $50 and women in
fashionable gowns wondered if they
had really missed anything in declin-
ing invitations to the Gait luncheon
especially when Mrs. Belmont didn't
come.
II don't believe / would have come
to the meeting at all if it hadn't been
for the opportunity of meeting Mrs.
Belmont and Mrs. BoiSsevain,'' sighed
a woman who had made a 200-mile
trip to the luncheon. All through the
crowd were signs. of regret. n,T The
crowd was disappointed--,,It was not
that the invading suffragists were not
bright, clever, even good looking.
They were-many of them. But the
spotlight stars and they had endan-
gered their standing with the fedora
ton to come to the show where Mrs.
Belmont was to be the attraction.
Was Not Expected.
Then came the report that is almost
right from headquarters and is au-
thoritative. Mrs. Belmont was not
expected.
A week or more ago. it is asserted,
a letter was received in Topeka.
The letter came from Mrs. Belmont.
She thanked the Kansas women for
their kind invitations to come to To-
peka, for the consideration they had
shown. She knew she would have a
perfectly lovely time but-there was
sickness in the family. For that rea-
son she didn't expect to make the trip.
It was an awful shock. Reports are
to the effect that the women cried
Then they took stock of he situation
An announcement that Mrs Belmont
would not come would spoil every
thing. By all means the news must
be suppressed. 1t meant the success
or defeat of the fight to triumph over
the Gait luncheon.
Thought They Saw Her.
Wednesday morning Topeka news
papers printed pictures of Mrs. Bel
mont and Mrs. Boissevain with as
surances that they would be big at
fractions in an all star cast of eastern
suffrage workers. More than 100
women who attended the luncheon
were also led to believe that the east
ern pilgrims would be present When