New-York tribune., 1922-08-15
Lady Rllondda
Here Incogrlito
Just for Rest
British Peeress Who Became
World Figure i'm Her Fight
for Seat i'm House of Lords
Passenger ON Adriatic
Busiest English Woman
Controls Large Mining, In
dustrial Interests: Praises
Our Women i'm Politics

AZ last a visiting celebrity-a politi-
cal lioness at that--has succeeded in
slipping into this country unheralded
and almost unrecognized. Visconntess
Rhondda, known the world over as tho
woman who assailed the inviolate
portals of the House of Lords and
found them shut in her face, took the
precaution of keeping her name off the
passenger list of the Adriatic. She
stayed one night at the Plaza Hotel,
thon made off for Connecticut. She is
here for one reason, she says--to rest.
The middle of September will find her
back in Britain controlling her great
interests and helping along the wom-
ans cause.
Viscountess Rhondda, a peeress in
her own right, has other claims to
fame than her near victory in the
Lords. She is the foremost business
woman in the British Empire, control
ling the mining and industrial inter
ests Of her father, Viscount Rhondda,
the late Food Controller. When he
visited the United States in 1916 she
assumed the dictatorship of his ship
ping and coal interests. In the pre-
vious year she herself was here, re-
turning on the Lusitania. When it was
torpedoed she was unable Cor unwill-
ing) to enter a boat and as she was
swept off the starboard deck by one of
the waves which were beginning to
break over the sinking liner she man.
aged to grasp q small packing case, to
which she clung until she was picked
II &c
visit to this country since the war
ended
Early in 1918 she was made president
Of the Women's Industrial League,
formed for the purpose of considering
the position of women in industry,
Later in the year she was appointed
chief. controller of women's recruiting
for the army.
Has Preserved Femininity
With it all Viscountess Rhondda has
preserved fine glow Of femininity
Known as the busiest woman in
Britain" she manages to look soft and
fluffy with her deep blue eyes, creamy
skin, brown hair and an English blush
that comes and goes with the rise of
her enthusiasm and its recession. Hell
words and gestures are concentrated:
her sentences clipped and decisive.
again to get into the Lords. She wants
70 win the privilege not so much for
herself as to establish a precedent for
the tWenty-one other peeresses who
tnen might lay claim to seats Amonp
them are duchess, two countesses
Two ylscountesses and hume rous baron.
esses. Viscountess Rhondda herself is
the twenty-sixth woman to hold a peer.
age IN her own right.
She Disclaims Party Affiliations
al have no party affiliations.
she said. 81 think that mem =,
bership in a political party bind,
one and prevents freedom of &C
ton. We are bound to get into the
douse of Lords sooner or later. II i.
matter of principle and it must be
set right. 1t was Lord Birkenhead who
turned the tide against me. He is s
powerful 1.nse man and close to the govern.
ment. am saying this quite frankly
IN England, so I do not mind saving i
here. We are rather upset politically
Just now and some of the members o.
the House were little worried for fea1
the defeat of the application would Dc
them harm in the elections. Voter,
b are what count and that why womer
are gong to win as soon as thew co
behind each other"
Lady Rhondda confessed to bein.
Much impressed with the American
women IN politics that she has met
sPecihcally mentioning Miss Ann,
Senate. She thinks that the women O.
shls country are immensely in earnes
over their politics.
Our Women Her Example
We are constantly holding Nm Won
OTOPreGS hafn
said. 81 am told that you feel some
what the same way about US. Wome,
are working together splendidly il
England and we feel we are ready fo
equal rights. The best of the men ar
with u.s." AA
Wscountess Rhondda said sb,
ehought that women were given al
most more power than they could con,
with during the war. She describe,
lazy Astor and Mrs. Thomas Win
TTlhgham, nrst women members of tn,
mouse OF Commons, as "splendid."
1t was on May 10 of this wear the
the claim of the viscountess to sit il
[he House of Lords was quashed. Tn,
committee on Privileges decided bv ;
vote OF 20 to that she had not mad,
good her claim, In the previous Marc}
the same committee voted to admit her
put when 1T reported its decision t.
the mouse OF Lords that body referred
the matter back to the committee. on
the motion of Lord Birkenhead. TIL,
Lord High Chancellor argued tina
substantial reasons why the claim O
the peeress should not be admitte,
mad not been considered by the com
mittee. WA
lime and again Viscountess Rhondd,
has made the assertion that she nov
regards it as her mission in life to ee
into the House of Lords. She is th,
only child and heiress of the late Foo,
Controller. His death would have mad
his viscountcy extinct, as he had n,
male heir, but by act of Especial re
nainder" King George perpetuated i
by creating his daughter, Margare
Halg Thomas, viscountess. She ha
divorced her husband, Sir Humphre,
Macsworths to whom she was marie,
In 1903.
Hnx.rp TS GxoJsr G-T.