The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-26
LADY ASTOR SAYS
 AMERICA WILL YET
 JOIN GENOA MEET
Virginia Born Member of the House of Lords Speaks on Mother Love and Politics
 at A. P. Luncheon
 By Associated Press


 told leading editors and publishers of the United States today at the annual luncheon of The Associated Press that America would yet join the conference at Genoa.
 T believe America can show the way to peace" she exclaimed fer vently amid a gale of applause.
 The reference to Genoa was but one of a score of subjects touched upon by the Virginia born member of the British House of Lords in a breezy address on mother love and practical politics that held the close attention of her auditors in the grand ball room of the Waldorf Astoria. Her audi ence was mostly men, although the boxes in the gallery were filled with women.
 Lady Astor seemed perfectly at home from the moment she tripped jauntily into the room to the strains of Dixie" She joined in the sing ing of "Carry me back to old Vir- ginIa." shouted hear! hearw when her husband, Viscount Astor, spoke briefly and mounted chair and waved "sood-by" at the con slusion of the luncheon.
 She digressed considerably from her prepared address. touching at random on such topics as Lloyd George. bolshevism. labor and capi- tai, the power of the press, a closer understanding between England and the United States.
 Ardent Virginia PatrOit
 She proudly said she was Virginia patroit, and very ardent one" This patriotism she said had stood her well ahacanea prnuan to EnU- land that the real patriot can be useful in any country and narrow, bigoted patriot is no use to any coun- try, even his own" She stopped to apologize for her recent remarks against the bonus. saying: forgot I was a British mernb, of Parlia- ment, and I spoke as a Virgnian. seemed to have worried some people" she said, but perhaps these people are not fifty-fifty like l am."
 Touching on politics. she said:
 T suppose many of you are des- perately set against women coming into politics and I don't blame you, l am sorry for you. | think sooner or later you will see that we are per- fectly rlRht to want to come into public llfe.s -'r'.
 In discussing the press she said:
 The press of a country is a little different from ambassadors We send our ambassadors and they can interpret their governments; but the press can even go further. They can interpret the different peoples. And that Is why The Associated Press has been, I think, really one of the greatest agents for progress 'Tlat we have known in our generation. You cannot realize how great that re- sponsibility is. I do not want to flatter the press. l do not really like to flatter anyone.
 Worlds Debt to stone
 But I think the whole world should know what it owes to Mir. Nell vile E. Stone, (counsellor of the As- sociated Press and for many years its general manager). His vision created you and when he did it I think what an old negro cook down in Virginia says l did. When I showed her a photograph of my home in England she said, I clare to goodness, Miss Nancy, you Just outmarried your self That is what Mr Melville Stone did. He just out-thought himself But his vision is going to lead to a better world and a better understand ing among all countries"
 'I know a good deal about The Associated Press, because I have seen it in England and 1t is not what I think about it that counts it is what the repressntative people think about it. l have heard men in the very highest positions in England say, Well, If that is The Associated Press. let them. We can tell them anything as much as you could a cabinet min ister, because they always play the game"
 "Gentlemen, it is up to you" she continued. "The two greatest forces in the world for peace and civliza- tion are mothers and the press"
 At the annual meeting, the follow ing directors were reelected for three years:
 Directors Reelected
 Clark Howell, Atlanta (Ga) Constl- tuition; V. S. McClatchy Sacramento tcal.l Bee; Charles Hopkins Clark, Hartford (Conn.) Courant; Charles A. Rock. Titt-burg (Pa.) Dispatch; patch; Ebert H. Baker. Cleveland (Ohio) Plain Dealer.
 F. Lansing Ray. of the St. Louis (Mo) Globe Democrat was elected a director to fill the unexpired term of D. E. Town of the Louisville (Ky.) Herald, resigned. His term expires in 1924.
 The following boards and commit tees were named for the southern di- vision:
 Advisory Board:
 H. c. Adler. Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times. chairman.
 R. G. Knott. Louisville (Ky.) Post, secretary.
 Curtis B. Johnson. Knoxville (Tenn) Sentinel.
 Frank B. Shuts, Miami (Fla.) Her aid.
 E. W. Barrett. Birmingham, (Ala) Age Herald.
 Nominating committee:
 F. G. Bell. Savannah. (Ga.) News. ]. S. Cohen. Atlanta tGa) Journal
 Auditing committee:
 James M. Thomson, New Orleans (La.) Item. secretary.