The Washington times., 1923-03-04
AUNT ALICE CLAD
!. SHE WAS DEFEATED
CongressWoman Beaten in
Race for Reelection De-
cIares for Home.
LONGS FOR NlGHTlNGALES
Says She Was DRAFTED" Into
Service and Advises Her /
Sex to LAY Off"
LONGS FOR NlGHTlNGALES
BY ROBERT s. THORNBURGH,
international News Service.
Copyright. 1898. BY international

BY ROBERT s. THORNBURGH,
international News Service.
Copyright. 1923. BY international
Il News Serviee.)
/ Alice M. Robertson, Of Okla
lhonia, the first woman who ever.
lpresided over q session Of the
House Of Representatives, closed
Iher Congressional career last
might with q sigh of relief. Miss
Robertson Is in her sixty-ninth
tyear.
FEELS "RELIEvED." 81
| She -is glad "its all over and
that responsibilities which have
weighed heavily on her shoulders
are lifted, Miss Robertson told the.
international News Service, - she
paused In her last busy hours Of
the session to look q moment into
the future, to drop a word Of advice,
and to comment briefly on her days
in Washington.
II want TO 60 home a. soon as
possible Miss Robertson said.
LONGS FOR BIRDS.
"I am going back to my old arm.
chair. in the garden where the
flowers will be blooming, to listen
to the hooking birds, and at dusk,
out over the wide prairie, to watch
the twinkling lights in the south.
western oil fields-just to rest and
think, for the twilight OF life Ii q
time for reverie and remembrance"
i There was q little OF sadness In
her voice and the shadow Of
tear in her eye when she said:
am going to look out far
away over the Arkansas river to
the place where was born.--to
land OF dreams and yesterday.
will be wondering whether my
mother and father. in heaven
know Of my happiness-of my
sadness. Soon I'll be going to
THINKS HOME BEST.
mo" she replied vigorously to
q question, public life Is not the
highest career of q woman. Her
happiest place Ii In the home.
I'D be much more likely to
advise young men to 80 into
politics than young woman,
for q man can never be q wife
and mother.
'It was no ambition OF mine
which brought me to Congress.
I was simply drafted for the task. j
II I worked as best coulds'ifsl glA1
E'SsJEALOUS-BUT
i Miss Robertson confessed in the
4 earlfer days OF her term In Con
i grtkH she felt she would be ''bit
Jealous and peevedr should another
woman share her honor.
i But, She hastily added, when
1 women came TO Congress found my
self delighted to welcome Them"
Mis- Robertson presented Mrs. No
Ian, the new Congresswoman from
California, TO Mrs. Harding at the
visit she paid high tribute to the
wife Of the President.
Unusually gracious always" Miss
Robertson said, MRS. Harding is
much more charming since her ill
ness-her long period OF enforced
rest seems to have accentuated the
wonderful traits of character which
have endeared her to the nation"
NICE, FRIENDLY CRY.
Mrs. Nolan was no more anxious
to get into public life than Miss Rob-
ertson, the latter remarked, adding
the California woman had a good
cry" just before she went to the
Capitol to take the oath of office.
Only one piece of legislation, for
the exclusive benefit of women was
sponsored by Miss Robertson-to
secure an increase of pay for army
and navy nurses-and she got no
credit from women for doing it,
she said ruefully.
On Miss Robertson's motion the
House authorized the increased pay
in the appropriation bill.
HAPPY UNTIL SENATE ACTED.
'That was the happiest moment
Of my service in the House," she
said, and then the Senate killed
the increase.
~ don't remember my disappoint-
ments. I'd prefer, rather, to think
of the happiness of my life in
Washington, Of the many courtesies
I've been shown and those little
pleasures to be stored away in the
archives of memory"
Miss Robertson said she had
faced many criticisms in Oklahoma
because of recommendations for
postoffice appointments and these,
with other e difficulties: made her
II belong to myself now" she
concluded. II am out of public life
and oh, If the reporters and camera
men will just let me alone"
Pardon me, Miss Robertson. the
photographers are waiting" inter
rupted a page.
She shook her head with re-
signed air.
Let them wait awhile" she said
RAN, BUT WAS BEATEN.
The Oklahoma woman served one
term in Congress, having been de-
feated for the second She was
elected on the platform: II am a
Christian. 1 am an American. I
am q Republican"