The Washington herald., 1921-08-28
Girl SECRETARY
TOLLOYD
CAN KEEP SECRET
But She Gives Inside
Facts on Premier's Life
In Interview.

facts on Premiers Life
In Interview.
ny MARY CONAN DOYLE.
especial Cable 10 The washinFtou Hsr,I6,
CAn intimate chat with IJoyd
Georges secretary, who knows
more secrets and divuIEes them less
than any other woman in tbs
WORLDLY
LONDON. Aug. z7-To be IN.
prime minister's private secretary.
and the first woman 20 hold the
ofiee Tin these days OF strain, and
gloom, and general uncertainty,
would seem a job fraught with car.
and anxiety.
But how often popular eonc.p-
tions erri
Passing down q wide red-oarpeted
corridor at No. 10 Downing ,tr..,
was shown into . Georgian room
with white walls. big window. ana
beautiful mahogany furniture Sit
ting at the writing desk was n K5rl
The light fell on her hair and cles-
skin, and a. she rose TO greet me
was struck by the youth and
happy efficiency Of her.
Yet one Of the most responsib1a
Jobs in the kingdom rests on b.r
slim shoulders!
Routine? There, hard
ly any ." Miss steven.o,
said. It's q matter OF rettinr nssd
to people and things. and the abJI-
lty TO adapt oneself 20 them. There
Is really very little could tell a
successor. TO prepare her IN ad-
vance One just has 10 attend TO
things as they arrive"
Shattered InusteH.
She told me that IJ,xd
George himself lives very IKE thai
and how the only fixed and regular
occurrence at No. 10 is cabinet
meetings She turned her head To-
ward a heavy folding door.
now"
could hear the vsrue sou,6 =,
voices and wondered what veirhtv
matter Of state was being discussed
at the moment
is your work OF q eonndeutdsl
nature" l asked her.
1t could scarcely be more ~
she replied. "as all the correspopd-
enoe passes through my hands,
The old saying that no woman
can keep a secret occurred to me,
/ ana thought: There goes an
other shattered illusion Of the past,
the vast organization runa IN con
nection with the premier>s .r,uou.
duties. There are three private
secretaries-the other two beInr
men Then there IN the psrlia-
mentary secretary. and other mem
6ers OF the secretariat including
Phillip Kerr.
Keep Social side.
All the personal side we astend
to-" said Miss Stevenson. -such ss
I keeping his engagements, attsndin.-
TO business correspondence, etc All
special appointments are nads
through us"
She told me. smiling. how .h,
remembered arranging the meettnr-
OF my father with Loyf
George when the two had break
tasted together.
Who originated the breakfast-
Mr.. Gladstone. I think-then IT.
was dropped till Lloyd Georre
revived IL again"
To many OF US. the idea OF break
fast as social meal presents notH-
ing but terrors. II takes a par
ticular order OF mind TO feel brigI.-
and normal first thing: the ma
Jority prefer to be left to drift int
full consciousness about noon.
asked Miss Stevenson how she frs
got her unique job. She told m.
she had been friend Of Lovd
| Georges daughter. with whom shg
was at school. and that through
this friendship she had got tn
know the family well i have don.
this work for eight years" she SAID.
and / would not give il up fn-
anything"
Charming scholar.
II is not TO be overlooked thai.
with all her joyous personality an,
girlish appearance. Miss Stevens
is fully equipped mentally for her
post. being a London Honour
tClassicsl u. a. She is an examrl,.
Of the finest type Of English col
!eGe girl, for she combines brilliant
intellectual qualities with persona
charm and attractiNeueSs. and therr
is nothing OF the stiT and angular
acade mician about her
asked il the premier ever
seemed overwhelmed by the stress
Of life he lives under.
Not in the least" she said: "hc
is at his best in a crisis-a man
built 10 meet desperate emergcu-
cieS. An even existence would nall
on him as monotonous."
She went on 10 tell me rather .tr
amusing incident in connection vii,
the old militant suffragette days.
certain mysterious-looking PACK,
arrived for Lloyd George. Miss
Stevenson. Of course opened IL. g..
md II contained black pcrr,"
packed in SO tightly that the efTur-
TO pull out the smaller envelul,
from the larger shot the content
into the recipients face. The irony
Of il all was that Miss stevenson
was herself an ardent suffraEetl,.
Living Tradition.
Needless TO say. Lloyd George
did not fail to supply witty com
ments on the subject OF her party"
II is wonderful to be inside that
house-so historic in its associa-
tions and so curiously ordinary and
pnpretentious in appearance II is
in the heart of the emnire and fun
of British characteristics Nothing
outside-but all its beauty ana
spaciousness within. Best Of az.
IL stands for a living tradition
and not a dead one-which is
shown by its ability 60 accepf