The New York herald., 1922-04-09
Ed FMONEYDROVE HER TO WRITE sTF

This has not been general. and per-
| haps it was to be expected. for they
wanted to write something clever. and
their ideas and mine about what is
clever differ widely.
Yes, say it boldly and for what
it is worth-there is vast room for
Improvement In the American news
paper
cism of the same kind. IL not In the
same degree. of your English news
papers,"
Never. never would British news
papers dare to put in the mouth of n
person what she had not said! Our
British papers are far from being per-
feet; they are slow compared to yours
here, which sometimes in their stride
ruthlessly tread on truth. But / will
say no more about your papers; I
have. perhaps, already said too much"
What in return for our hospitality
are you going to say about us?"
Mice things. nice things" declared
Mrs. Asquith. for my personal inter
along with it has grown in better
knowledge my admiration of the best
in the American character. always
liked Americans in London; by their
sincerity and openness 1 felt bond of
friendship between them and me. 1
like them better still after seeing them
in their home. A more kindly. hos
pitable and generous people could
hardly exist anywhere. / have found
fine people in every city where have
visited, men and women of high ideals
which, however, have little chance for
developing into action because these
ideals war constantly with commercial
ism. One day when q modest fortune
shall seem enough for comfort and
for a kind of elegance of living the
Americans will present a truly admir-
able type.
but my book isn't going to present
anything alarming; II will be an ap-
probation and not a criticism. Per-
haps I should add that it Is not likely
to be too sweet. / don't go, in much
for confections. shall tell the truth,
be convinced: but in the main it will
be pleasant. 1t pleases me to be able
to do this. do you know, for am COM
ing back"
Mrs. Asquith is a woman Of charm,
a feminine charm that ought to work
on all men Notwithstanding her firm
ness Of fibre. She utters her opinions
in a way that admits of no argument
and she is as positive as the most
strong willed man. But she mixes
them up like the most feminine OF
women, and this little habit of jump
ing from bough to branch and back
again renders her talk a little hard to
follow (for the mere man) and some
what disconcerting. Leave her alone
and she comes back always to the
point and succeeds in fixing 1t the way
she wants II in the mind Of her lis
tener. This NON sequitur is a confus-
ing aspect of her book as il is OF her
conversation, particularly the way she
jumbles dates. When one thought she
was still speaking Of Boston one found
that she had already sped to Chicago.
Insular Lady Thinks
Truth Was Born in England
Almost the only insularity shown by
Mrs. Asquith was her conviction that
''the truth could be found in England
and rarely anywhere else. She made
no effort to say smart things and
there was no malice in what she did
say. The lack Of correlation was, as
has been said, one Of the first things
to be noticed in her talk as it is the
chief criticism made Of her book.
Many men and most women treat US
to this kind Of talk, which to fully
comprehend we must ourselves supply
the missing links. The wonder is none
the less that q woman who has read
so much and lived so long in an In
tellectual atmosphere is satisfied to
speak and to write disconnectedly.
Counteracting this defect is her
naivete, her complete imperturbability.
her taking for granted that her con-
fidences and dicta will be accepted
without question. She would be
shocked to have her sincerity doubted.
Her facts are what she remembers and
il they are mistaken it Is because she
has forgotten and not because she has
tampered with them.
When her daughter came in. an hour
after the hour she had appointed. the
dialogue, which deserves rather to be
called monologue, ended, Mrs. As
auith went out of the room leaving
the bulk Of her American adventures
untold But she can be trusted to pour
them all into her nsw volume, on
which she is working daily from .
A. NJ. to IL A. NJ"
She has had new experience which
she admits has taught her much. one
can fancy her gliding into room full
of people in London prepared to tell
Il and with what deep attention they
viii listen to Margot. English society
has long Acknowledged what American
society had no good opportunity to see
the charm which is an attribute OK
this remarkable woman.