The Washington herald., 1920-04-05
BRITONS KNEEL
TO LADY ASTOR
House Of Commons Mem
bers Anxious to Offer
Homage.
WON BY HER SMILE
All Factions EMnce Eager
ness to Gain Coveted
Favor.
WON BY HER SMILE
CWashington Herald-Public Ledger
Service. Special Cable DispatcA.)
ny CARL w. ACKERMAN.

CWashington Herald-Plblic Ledger
Service. Special Cable Dispatch.)
~ CARL w. ACKERMAN.
London. April At 10 not true, Of
course. that the house Of commons
Is Lady Astor's court, but to watch
her from the foreign press gallery
during the debate on the Irish bin.
one certainly would obtain an i'm
preston that to aIf intents and pur-
poses she is queen Of the house.
With her smiles and her simplicity
she Is always the center Of attrac-
tion, both among the members and
men and women spectators.
The difference. however. fs that
those who are members have not
only the opportunity of sitting by
her side, exchanging remarks with
her. but also receive the benediction
of her smileswhich incidentally
appear to be coveted by numerous
distinguished and gallant members
throughout even the long debate on
Ireland.
was a silent spectator Of Lady
Astor's court" In the Irish debates.
The first thing one notices about
Lady Astor Is her smile, the second
Is the company surrounding her. the
third the plainness of her dress.
Gallants Attentive.
When she enters the House each
day, gallant members bow and greet
her much more Informally and
pleasantly than they do the white
bearded, white-wigged speaker. As
Lady Astor takes her seat in the
second row OF the opposition side.
Sir Harry Britain, who has a seat
on the same bench beside her. ap-
proaches heroically with a smile
and greeting, which the gracious
lady ever joyfully returns.
Then comes 7. p. OConnor. wear
ing a high silk hat, who takes his
seat behind her but never lifts his
hat except to dry the perspiration
on his brow. To OConnor's left sits
Joseph Devlin, the fighting Irish
Nationalist. and other Irish leaders,
whose frequent heckling OF Lloyd
George or other ministers Invariably
is rewarded by Lady Astor's smile,
of either interest or approval Cat
such a distance as I was, / could
not distinguish always the meaning
of her smiles).
- When Sir Harry Britain departs,
another member Is certain to go to
Lady Astor's side for few precious
minutes Of her company. Even Sir
Eric Geddes. heavyweight but
buoyant minister OF transport.
crosses from the government
benches to the opposition to pay
tribute to her and talk with her.
Dresses I'm Black.
All this takes place while the de-
bate proceeds, and Is interrupted
upnIy when Lady Astor looks up to-
the galleries and recognizes some
acquaintance, who receives in turn
her smile Of benediction.
Lady Astor usually is dressed In
black, with a black hat. the only
contrast to her white gloves and
plain white collar and cuffs. She Is
surrounded by Labor, Irish and In
dependent leaders, but appears as
much at ease in their company rs
she does when the aristocrats cross
the chamber to converse with her.
When I remarked about Lady As
tors court to John Steele. one OF
the oldest American correspondents
in London, he said: That is one OF
the most amusing and interesting
features of the house"
Screen Has Been Removed
1t is quite a contrast between the
house of today and that of 1911,
when I attended it at the time OF
attacks by the Pankhursts and
other storming suffragettes. In
those days the women's gallery
which is high up above the speak
er's seat in what we in America
would call the peanut heaven" was
barricaded by wire screen TO pre-
vent the women throwing anything
to or on the members of the house.
Today the screen is removed, but
Gothic woodwork paneling in front
of the women's gallery still has the
appearance of bars, and from either
the floor or the foreign press gal
lery, the women appear still to be
behind bars gazing with mingled
emotions, and perhaps confusing
thoughts, on Lady Astor's court
Copyright. 1920. Public Ledger Coz