The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-25

| in Hertford street, Mayfair-in other words in the very center of swelldom- the other day. was an event of real inn
 portance and considerable significance.
 It means several things. Up to now, in spite of the prominent, one might almost
 say leading part which women from the | United States are playing in many branches of the national life of this country, not only in the great world of
 society, but in equally important if less lofty circles, they never until now have
 had a meeting place really identified
 with them as Americans.
 | Even the Society of American Women \ in London, an organization which has a history of upwards Of 20 years and which, lup to now, has been more representa- | tive, prob ably, of transatlantic fenlininity | in this metropolis than any other social body, has never had real home. The gatherings of it's members, previous to | the war, were practically confined to Dig combined luncheons and receptions. a Icouple of times year, with prominent guests of honor, and while the titled, and socially powerful American members \ of the uppertendom the Duchess of Marlborough, Lady Randolph Churchill viscountess Harcourt and the rest were | friendly to the society, they were not actually "of it'' The fact that these in- | fluential danes are now members of the Society of American Women is the re- suit of a recognition on their part of the splendid, philanthropic work which it has carried on ever since the war began, as well as, indeed before it.
 l It is the war, with it's. nun1berless ap- peals to humanity, that has federated \ the American women resident in Eng Hand with the result which is found in their new club in Hertford street It is ltruly representative. 1t affiliates the So- 1 of A and the w. erful American womens war relief com mittee which was formed by the social elect of the transatlantic danes at the beginning of the war and which re- suited, among other things, in the won tderful American hospital at Paignton. With it Is affiliated too, the American women's committee in connection with the United States embassy, which was formed in the historic August of 1914. l when London because of the bursting oi war out of clear sky, had some thou sands of stranded Americans within it's gates, and which continues to exist to assist women and children of American nationality who may be in distress owing to Armageddon.
 \ The new club brings into cooperation \ for the first time, too, various small American war and general philanthropic organizations which have existed sepa- rately heretofore. among them a num- I such as those carried on by the Hon. Mrs. John Ward, formerly Jean Reid only daughter of the late Whitelaw Reid, who married the Kings equerry; Mrs. lFrederick Guest, formerly Miss Amy Phipps, whose martial husband is a for 1 mer treasurer of his majestys house hold; Mrs. Robert Chapin, the wife of the l famous American engineer; Mrs. Chester Beatty and others
 The merging of all these social and philanthropic American interests in the l new American Women's club Is due in part to general desire to avoid overlapping" in war work and other \ kinds of philanthropy, in other words duplication of efforts to the same end | And in this connection it may be stated that as long as the war lasts l and the hand of charitableness finds so much for itself to do, the latest addition to the clubs of the, greatest
 clubland in the world will be sub ] stantially a center of helpful work
 No fun until afterward' is the unan- imous motto of it's 300-odd members How much the new club counts from
 a social standpoint the names of some of it's officers and chief members con- clusively show. It's honorary president | is Mrs. Walter Hines Page, the wife of the American ambassador, and the honorary vice president Mrs. Robert Skinner. the better half of the Amer ican consul general. The Duchess oi Marlborough is the chairman of the 1 clubs philanthropic committee. The president of the club is Mrs. Curtis | Brown, who is from Buffalo, N. Y. I whose husband, formerly one of the
 best known of American correspond- | ents here. is now the adviser and rep resentative of many of the most fa- nous writers of the day The vice ! ;r To merly Miss Burns of New York, and niece of the late Pierpont Morgan l whose husband has been colonial sec retary and held many other important posts. The second vice president is Mrs. H. c. Hoover, wife of the fla i nous American engineer who is the life and soul of the Belgian relief scheme. Among other well known American women closely identified | with the club who attended the formal opening of it's new home were:
 The Duchess of Marlborough, Wis I countess Harcourt, Lady Lister Kaye Mrs. Hoover. Lady Stanley, Lady Low
 ther, Lady Osler, Mrs. John Astor Lady Courtney, Lady Parker. Mrs. Gaynes
 Mrs Traill, Mrs Henry A. M. Me, I Bride, Mrs. Irwin Loughlin, Mrs. Ches- ter Fernald, Mrs. James Mitchell, Mrs Edward Bell. Mrs w R. Comings, Mrs Arthur Fay. Mrs. John Leckie. Mrs Gilman Brown. Miss Evangeline Flor ence, Mrs Thomasson, Mrs. Ralph Pea cock. Mnie. de Navarro, Mrs Wool 1 worth. Mrs. Clarence Carrigan, Mrs Stokes Waite, Mme Perez de Triana | Mrs Walter Burns, Mrs. Selfridge and Mrs Henry Marsh
 The American Women's new club 1 house, No. Al Hertford street, is a lux l urious mansion of five stories that formerly was a private residence and l which has now been completely and artistically renovated It is situated between Piccadilly and fashionable and historic Curzon street. where stands the Duchess of Marlborough's splen- did residence. Sunderland house, and where, according to Thackeray, Becky Sharp also dwelt at the height of her social career. The new clubhouse has spacious L-shaped drawing room, a l fine library, with old-fashioned oak panelline and a massive old-fashioned fireplace. dining and other social 1 rooms, and at the top large work l room containing every appliance for 1 turning out surgical supplies. band age making and the rest and also a fed bedrooms, the latter of which are
 it seemk to be at the disposal of American women students, and so forth. who happened to need quarters l in ondon
 After the war no doubt there will be gala doings at the new clubhouse but until then-strict business. The drawing room, for example, will be used to en- able the members to hear lectures by relief workers, nurses and others who have been living in war distressed lands. las we'll AS for repreSentat lives of such