The New York herald., 1922-02-01
MRS. ASQUITH GIVES
ONLY SCANDAL HINT
Continued from First Page.

that the actress was a celebrity In
America. She said to the audience You
AL know her" She reached her climax
with the name of the actress 1t was
Ida Adams, she said. There Is an Ida
Adams who figured to some extent in
chorus and later as a dancing star in
London few years ago, but the mention
OF her name left yesterdays audience
cold, very cold. One could not help won
dering II Mrs. Asquith, who confessedly
knows little of America, had confused
the name of the stranger she met on the
train with that of Maude Adams.
DIR. Buffers Introduction was kindly
and graceful. He said 1t had been Mrs
Asquith's fortune to touch the life of
England at every interesting point. He
told why she would remain seated; after
her ten days at sea the theater seemed
TO be rising and falling. Mrs. Asuuith
who lad been scanning with bright, eager
eyes the lines Of the theater and the
faces of the Americans confessed her
self touched by the reception "You
even clap me before you hear me-" she
said as she arose She was reminded of
Ihackeray's accosting man whom he
had caricatured and asking him how he
liked his lecture on THE Four Georges"
The man replied I'VE rather missed
I'm not an orator. she added. I've
got husband and a stepdaughter and a
daughter who speak. but do not" So
she sat down again and began to read
Exposes Horse, Not Royalty.
Her account of her ride on Dandelion.
crowded with dialect which only a few
persons found ineligible. did not get
over" Those who had counted on the
showing up OF a few kings and queens
seemed to feel cheated when they found
she was only exposing horse. The
story of the American actress went much
better. 1t was packed with such lines
as this
Whatever tho war accomplished for
other people. ours did not make us good"
On the train to London In 1917 "a fine
lady poking about in jeweled handbag"
proved 10 be the American actress Mrs
Asquith told her she might have guessed
by her clothes that she was an Ameri-
can. The actress said such things as
"Oh, believe me, this man Asquith Is
enormously rich and synipathizes with
Germany. and his daughter Elizabeth
is engaged to be married to a German
admiral. But he's not to blame It's his
wife. she must be a terrible woman
Everybody knows Mrs. Asquith, for
she's so ugly"
"In America that may be regarded as
an achievement here il is regarded as a
misfortune" said Margot to the actress.
"They say she's so hard she can't feel
the war at ALL said the actress Its
common knowledge she's SO hard she
would get anybody to do her dirty work
for her" Eventually the actress
'1apsed into an excited silence" Mrs.
Asquith took her in her own taxicab
at Paddington station. When she told
the actress who she was the American
was awfully contrite and called her
Honey"
$50 you are Mrs. Asquith?' she said.
'I thought you were homely and over
whelming."
Don't worry; / am both," said Mrs.
Asquith.
The visit 90 Windsor Castle was in
tho year 1908. one of those present
was Sir Edward Grey. "for whom" the
autobiographer continued. II have
deep affection there is something
lonely, lofey. and even pathetic about
nim." She dropped ths hint for nice
people: "Tf you do not keep grip
. on yourselves on the rare occasions
1vhen you are with the rich and great.
A,u notice. little and enjoy nothing"
King Edward. 1t seemed. came out
linM ready to take the royal party
somrMhcre. But Prime Minister Asquith
was missing.
Husband Might Have Eioped.
"The King was very angry" read
Margot.
"'Where is the Prime Minister he
said. Didn't he get my command? /
went UP TO the Queen and said. i fear
there must have bcep some scandal in
the court and my husband has eloped
with one OF the maids of honor. ] beg
of you TO pity my bushes and command
the King 90 proceed. SO the Queen
tanned the King on the shoulder and
with sweeping gesture pointed to the
motor and invited him to ride with her,
and ,hev drove off. Later It was asccr-
,ained that my husband had been walk
ing with the Queens lovelest maid of
honor. upon bearing which the King was
most iovial and even eloquent
After the reading. which was much
,rnIauded. Mrs Asquith fingered on the
s.aye Two large bouquets of roses
were thrust at her. She waved TO friends
across the footllghts. motioning TO them
,o go around TO the stage and JOIN her
Among them were John w. Davis. for
n,ar Ambassador at the Court of st.
James's: Joseph II. Willard. former Am
baesador TO Spain. and Mr.. and Mrs.
Kermit Roosevelt Mrs. Roosevelt being
a daughter of Mr.. Willard. The Prinoess
Ribesco. Mrs. Asquith's daughter, had
been sitting in box.
"Could YOU understand me?' cried
Mrs. Asquith. laughing over the foot
Ilrhta. well. II you couldn't, / assure
vou YOU didn't miss anything"
photographers blazed at her back OF
Tho stage. They wanted her to look at
the camera.
mo" she said, I'm too old n hand
eo- mat Go ahead and stop bothcrins
about which way J look"
sho viii give another reading, from
other parts of the unpublished book on
February I.