The Washington herald., 1918-06-23

sion nercF-ano met Otner members
Of the mission. She would at the
first opportunity call upon Lord
Reading, and map out her campaign
with him. Receive her? OF course
he'd receive her. Times have chang
ed!
No use saying. as one man said
to me Il don't think INbelieve very
much in your reformed suffra gist."
The point is-not that Mrs. Pank-
hurst has reformed-she hasn't She
is still q suffragist-still ardently
militant. It's the British govern
ment that has reformed! And that
Is worth meditating upon.
Mrs. Pankhurst had to wait several
days for the opportunity to talk things
over with Lord Reading He and
Lady Reading were out of town
went up to Princeton last week. that
that university might bestow a degree
upon His Excellency. stopped on In
New York over the week end. and then
on up to New Haven where Yale
gave him another degere. Verify ITO
him that hath shall be given" For
the last few weeks Lord Reading has
been travelling around gathering up
fresh degrees from various American
Institutions Of learning. And Lady
Reading has gone with him.
-
Lady Reading is really a great asset
to the British embassy here. She en-
ters into things, with a most un-
British enthusiasm. She manages to
come into personal contact with a
great many people-and they all seem
TO like her. 1t Is pleasant to watch
her arrive or depart from any place
of general assemblage-theatero or war
benefit, private reception or public
function. Her manner Is charming
and her progress slow. There are so
many people who want to greet her.
and for each one she seems. to have a
word and q smile, or a cordial hand
clasp.
And whatever's doing: she's In II.
For instance she contributed a hand
some gown-of black and white lace,
and tulle-and for all / know other
things, to Mrs. Lansing's "bandbox"
war shop. when 1t was open for two
days last week, a gown that was prac-
teal as well as handsome. not so Inn
possibly the costume Of a great lady
for a great function that an ordinary
mortal would find no use for II, but a
suitable sort of a gown, quite fresh
quite modern, and OF a style that al
most any one would have occasion for.
Moreover the beautiful lace which
went into its makeup would have made
it a bargain at double the price asked.
Those are amusing sales that Mrs.
Lansing has once in while for the
State Departments war relief FUND.
And they would be even more inter-
esting il the history OF each article
went with 1t. Everybody in the official
and diplomatic set is more or less in
terested. 1t is such a splendid outlet
for the perfectly good things We all
buy. and then somehow don't take
kindly to, for some reason. One
couldn't conscientiously throw them
away-but one can with conscience
not only clear but actually approving,
give them to a Red Cross sale.
Mrs. Lansing told me later that they
had cleared about $500 on that two
days sale-which was a very welcome
addition to their department war
chest.>
Speaking of Lord Readings degrees
few minutes ago suggested that
there are others, Mrs. Larz Anderson
for instance. She Is just back in
Washington-she went first up to her
mother in Brookline-after several
months OF very active hospital service
in Belgium. one Of the very few
women who was permitted to enter
the frontline trenches right under the
German guns. And on the strength of
IL George Washington University here
in Washington conferred upon her at
its recent commencement the honorary
degree of Doctor of Letters-the first
time in its history-extending over 1OC
yeaTs-that it has bestowed an honor
ary degree on a woman.
She has had a perfectly thrilling
experience. and done splendid work
She has slept in her clothes because
she needed them for warmth. slept
the sleep of exhaustion amid the
roaring of hostile guns. And she
has cooked for herself the simple
food that she needed to sustain life
where missiles which meant death
were falling. and where Teuton hor-
rors were constantly threatening
Suffering and death have been her
&. "-and-niI I tompaniops
OF course u ese things would not
in Themselves have served as an eX-
tuse for a doctor of Ietters degree;
hat Mrs. A nderson has also written
She has half a dozen Gharmin;;
travel books to her credit. And
she is writing series of sketches
of her experience, which. though as
vet unwrittcn, have already been
sold-the proceeds to 20 to the Red
Cross. OF course all her Washing
ton friends are waiting for a chance
to entertain her. A humble sug-
gestion to the lady; when she has
finished the series contracted for
she might top off with one From
the Firing Line to the Dining Line"
And that dining line i: no joke
in Washington. Every notable new
arrival goes down it. The Readings
could have something to tell on
that subject. Though the fury OF
the first attack is over with them
and they are actiS ely returning fire
still it must be some comfort to
who have been here something more
than fifteen years, still survive, and
seem fairly fit.
The japanese Ambassador and
Viscountess Ishii are now in the
thick of the fray-two or three din
ners a week for them, and one or
two by them.
These japanese dinners have been
not far from parties. There has been
no attempt at all to balance the sexes
at them. The wife OF the honor
guest. and the wives of one or two OF
the embassy-there are only two, I
believe. who have wives with them
were the only ones included to keen
Viscountess Ishif in countenance al
one party-three or four women in a
party Of a dozen, or more.
II has been rather noticeable Of late
that the French embassy is rather
coming out of its shell. 1t went fun
ther in than any of the mat the be-