Evening star., 1922-02-14
Mrs. Asauith's Lecture.

Washington has paid tribute to many
foreign entertainers who have come
this way since the war, but real horors
must be awarded to Mrs. Margot
Asquith of England. who was greeted
at the National Theater yesterday aft
ernoon by an audience that represented
every phase of the capitals vanity fair.
Official. diplomatic and resident So
ciety filled every inch Of the theater,
upstairs and down, to satisfy itself as
to the heralded Asquith brains. candor
and personal prestige-a blend that
charged the atmosphere with expec-
fancy as the speaker appeared with
William Hard, who made the 1ntroduc-
tion. While he was doing 1t, Mrs.
Asquith looked smilingly at the big
audience, while a return inspection
showed her to be of a surprisingly
girlish slimness. and apparently as
fresh as the pink buds she carried,
although her arrival had given her less
than an hour to change from travelling
dress to a stylish moleskin skirt.
brown velvet turban with a side-f1are,
blouse of silver cloth and silk stockings
to match. The survey seemed mu-
tually approving, and with word OF
prelude as to recent other reception
she began her "reminiscences of people.
events and politics. all connected with
her own life. as child, girl and woman,
but each incident of worthwhile inter-
est in that it revealed bit of the per-
sonality of some world figure who be-
longs to fame.
Buoyart of movement, with many
unStudieo gestures, and as captivating
1y at home, as if her audience stood
for so many personal friends, she told
her little stories with a punSent orig
anality and dry humor cher Scottish
birthright) that was delightful, for the
reason that it is so rare.
For one very plea SAINT comment, she
loves our sunshine and she thinks the
word honey" a most beautiful word
of endearment. Her limitations of the
Yankee twang and Dixie drawl were
voice cartoons. of course. but her au-
dience enjoyed the fun of it.
And then she started her lecture
with the statement that she never
gossiped about other people; only of
herself. She did take a small whack
at Winston Churchill. who is half
American, but more thar made up for
IT with unqualified praise of Secretary
Hughes opening speech at the con-
ference, which meant a great day
mean well as to prohibition, but con-
eiderS its method ineffective.
1t led to bit of story about Mark
Twain, who at one lecture in Eng
ldnQ asked Tor Il glass OF milk instead
of water. Some one Favored it with
rum, and when Mark had drained the
glass he paused to congratulate Eng
land on her brand of cows
There was an incident concerning
her first visit to Tennyson, who kept
her hunting for his poems until he
had finished his pipe, before reading
Maud" as she had asked. In tribute
to Kitchener, whom she had known
all her life, she read a sketch in
which breezy SpontaneouSness was
shaded into the gravity of one who
recalls an honored friend.
And when she was through, her
voice carrying her clearly to the end,
MIR. Hard motioned for silence to state
that in England when a lecturer had
entertained an audience it was Gus
tomary for some one present to rise
and offer q vote of thanks. In answer
to the suggestion a distinguishe ed
gentleman rose from his chair in the
middle of the theater and in gracious
terms thanked the wife of the former
premier of Great Britain for her
original and most delightful talk d
Tho audience rose en- maSse to second
the motion. and Mrs. Asquith made a
sweeping curtsey.
Did the audience mean it? 1t en-
phatically did, for as it swarmed out
Into the lobby practically every face
was smiling and on every hand were
words of praise.
NANNJE T,ANcA STER