The Washington times., 1922-08-20
MORE women
LEADERS, WISH
!. OF LADY AsTOR
Fair Sex Must Clean Up Rot
ten Political Parties.
She Declares.
MUST FIGHT vALlANTLY
Men Will Accept Presence In
Politics Only When Forced
to Do So. ,....
BY CLARA W0LD.
News Service.

LONDON, Aug. 10. - Lady
Nancy "Astor has no desire to
keep the honors Of being a lady
M. p, limited to two. She en-
phatically declared this to me re-
Gently as she somewhat staunchly
seated herself upon a low hassock
IN her home office at st. James
Square, preparatory to telling me
Just how Il feels to be an M. +.
Her Entry In Parliament.
Obviously Lady Astor does not
take her duties of M. p. so serious.
~ as to let them interfere with
her-femininity. Indeed, she at
once began to boast that she is Of
the very feminine type that tries
to represent 'womaness' Lady
Astor does not hesitate to coin
new words when she wants them.
''If you want to know what Is
the attitude Of English men to-
ward women in politics." she said,
"I will tell you 1t Is the same as
everywhere else. All men accept
women In politics only when forced
10 do SO and will accept only as
many as are thrust upon them.
they regarded my presence as an
amusing incident. remember with
what trembling Mr.. Balfour and
Mr.. Lloyd George. who introduced
me, took me onto the floor. was
scared. too. But when ! saw how
Lloyd George was shaking l
couldn't help laughing at the two
Of them. I turned to them and
said, Buck up, gentlemen; 1t isn't
as bad as you think, and somehow
got them onto the floor with me-
Lady Astor ran her fingers
through her fair hair as she con.
sidered the early experiences OF
her office.
Better Listeners Now.
After the M. P.'s had heard me
talk a few times they decided that
I was a crank and didn't listen any
more. Now they listen again-and
they don't like what they hear.
They are used to a silly kind Of
custom that they observe because
they really like it-a custom that
demands that you speak politely
of your parliamentary opponents
no matter what you may thing OF
them. They like to hear each
other paying stupid compliments.
The form is, No doubt my adver-
sary Is as high-minded in his view
as / am. They don't like 1t, then,
when Lady Astor gets up and
says, The gentleman isn't high
minded at all. He doesn't want
this bill to pass and is trying to
wreck itr And the day after 1
make such remarks my parlia.
mentary friends call on me and
give me good advice about speech.
making.
"As a matter of fact, some Of
them still think am in Parlia-
ment In the capacity of a chorus
girl. They came to me when Mrs.
wintringham was elected TO Par
Lament and said: You're not the
only pebble on the beach any
more as though I were seeking to
keep the limelight on myself"
Foresees More Women.
I asked Lady Astor If she
thought there would be other wom-
en- elected to Parliament in the
next general election and spoke
Labor Party has placed several
WOfICh VII tiC hoto'
Yes. think there will be others
elected. Mostly in by-elections,
though. Perhaps some day we will
have a preponderance of women
in Parliament. don't think the
Labor Party will elect women at
all. Margaret Bondfield, yes. She's
a good politician and will probably
be elected. But the Labor Party Is
like all other political parties. Look
at the way the labor people treated
Mrs. Snowden when she came back
from Russia. The Labor Party
doesn't like criticism any more than
other politicians do"
Opposed to Women's Party.
Then, would you suggest that
women form a party Of their OWN"
I asked her.
"Never-never! Women will have
to go right on making men under.
stand that their parties are rotten
and that they must clean them up.
Women can organize themselves
into the most powerful weapon
against bad politicians II they
want to.
English women already know
this and are using their power.
They are more advanced than
American women. They have