Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-20
lady ASTOR DRIVEN
into PUBLIC LIFE
Forced to Enter Commons to
Aid Husbands Reforms,
She Says In Speech
THRILLS GREAT AUDIENCE

New York, April 20.--Lady Astor
who will attend the dinner Of the Eng
lish Speaking Union tonight, will no
20 to Baltimore nftcrward, ns originall
planned. She will spend the time unit
Saturday with her sister, Mrs. Charlie
Dana Gibson.
Both her sister and her husband do
cide1 that the first woman member 0
the House Of Commons should have
little rest before attending the interna
tional conference of the League o
Women Voters in the Maryland cit.
the last Of the week following he
strenuous first day here.
The Town Hall was packed last nigh
by men and women, who cheered Lad,
Astor as she urged her feminine hear,
crs to "be up and doing" in th'
world. ..t
with the close Of her speech, Mar,
Garrett Hay came to the front Of tn,
platform and presented her q bouque
picked to match the city colors
A long streamer Of satin In the same
hues trailed from the orchids and gar
denias, and Miss Hay mentioned jocose.
y that she wasn't the Mayor Of New
York-yet."
Sally Brings Applause
Lady Astor accepted the flowers,
thanked the donors and then looked out
at the distinguished audience.
II hope it would not seem tactless Of
me-" she said with q quizical smile,
but I wish to goodness the presenter
was the Mayor Of New York" Applause
leaped into racket throughout the hall,
and In a break in it Lady Astor add.
ed:
II see you know what ! mean"
Laughter came into the handclapping
and both swelled loudly when she step
ped nearer the edge Of the stage and
fired this parting shot:
"And that's saying n 'mouthful.'
Lady Astor headed the list of speak.
ers and when she walked onto the plat
form between the Viscount and Vincent
Astor, making q pretty picture in a
frock OF gray chiffon, she received
II know that this welcome has moth.
ing to do with me-" she said, as she
launched into her speech. "Even since
entered the Mother Of Parliaments'
I realized that ceased to be q person
and had become a symbol. The safe
thing about being a symbol is this-you
realize that you Of yourself can do
nothing, but what you symbolic gives
you courage and strength and should
give you wisdom. certainly have been
given courage and strength and I won't
say too much about wisdom.
Husband Started Her
MY entrance into the House OF Com.
mons was not, as some thought, in the
nature of revolution. It was an evo.
luton. 1t is rather interesting how 1t
rame about. My husband was the one
who started me off on this downward
path-from the fireside to public life. II
l have helped the cause of women he
Is the one to thank, not m He Is a
strange and a remarkable man.
First, 1t was strange to urge your
wife to take up public life, especially
rs he Is a most dOmesticated man but
the truth is that he is born social re-
former. He has avoided the pitfalls
which SO many well.to do men fall into.
He doesn't think that you can right
wrongs with philanthropy. He realizes
that one must 60 to the bottom of the
,auses Of wrongs and not simply gild
hem up"
For eleven years, said Lady Astor.
'he had helped her husband with his
work at Plymouth-'I found out the
wrongs and he tried to right them
Ind this combination of work twas
wonderful and happy combination and
often wish that 1t was still going on"
Women In Politics
"Now I must leave the more per.
'onal side and get to what 1t Is all
bout and why we are here. Women
md politics-some women have always
'een in politics, and have not done
,adly either.
"Now, why are we in politics? What
s it all about? Something much big.
,er than ourselves. Schopenhauer was
wrong in nearly everything he wrote
bout women-and he wrote lot, but
e was right in one thing. He said, in
peaking of women. the race is to her
lore than the individual and be.
eve that it Is true. I feel somehow
We do care about the race ms n whole
ur very nature makes us take for.
;ard vision; there is no reason why
ave no political past. we have all the
listakes Of sex legislation with its an.
aling failures to guide US.
Men and Women Should Rule
II can con 4ive of nothing worse
han n man. governed world" she de.
Jared earnestly-''except woman
OVerned WOrld-Dut / can see the
Of the two going forward
nd making civilization more worthy of
he name OF civilization based on Chris
ianity, not force. A civilization based
n justice and mercy. feel men have
greater sense of justice and we of
mercy. They must borrow our mercy
nd we must use their justice. We are
ew brooms, let us see that we sweep
he right rooms.
personally, l feel that every woman
hould take an active part In local poll |
cs. don't mean by that that every |
oman should 90 in for n political ca
eer-that, of course, is absurd-but |
OIL can take an active part in local
Overnment without going in for a po-
tical career. You can be certain when
asting your vote You are casting it for
hat seems nearest right-for what
,ems more likely to help the majority
nd not bolster up an organized minor
"The best way that we can do these
lings is to show the men our ambi.
ons are not personal. Let them see
nat we desire n better. safer and a
eaner world for our children and their
hildren and we realize that only by
Ding our bit, by facing unclean things
18th cleanliness. by facing wrongs with