The Washington times., 1923-01-07
NE N0IR5 OF IN
INTERES TING
CAREER
'Indiscretions" Of Lady Susan
ToWnIey Really Not a Bit
Shocking, But Are Entertain-
ING Reading.


speaks Of two happy lives,
and the reader will assuredly
agree that these very sprightIy
recollections of diplomats wife
leave one with feeling that
great opportunities fully lived up
to have been the measure melted
out to Lady Susan and her hus-
band. Looking back, this titled
Englishwoman can survey years
spent in every part Of the world,
and with her own figure ION
the scene for anything interest
ing which may have disclosed it
self.
'Indiscretions'' Of Lady Susan
opens with chapter, Looking
Back, in which she tells some
stories indicative Of the fact that
her family, the Keppels, have long
been distinguished in the fine art
OF living. AS q child Lady Susan
had the present King Of England
for playmate on occasion, one
learns: and the picture Of George
being run out into the ocean surf
In q wheelbarrow, to extricate
himself as best he could, Is an
entertaining bit.
Lady Susan, who is daughter
OF the Earl OF AIbemarle, mar
ried Walter Townley in 1896 and
with her chapter on Lisbon the
account. OF their worldwide wan
derings opens The court Of King
Carlos, later murdered, and his
beautiful Queen Amelie, Is told
Of the unfortunate King saying
to Sir Walter. What would
not give to be q free man, rather
than d Kingl I should love to
live IN Paris and enjoy life.''
Berlin was the Townleys' next
resting place and Lady Susan has
written very illuminating de-
scription Of German society ana
especially OF the Kaiser, Of whom
she had many opportunities for
personal judgments. Such an cpl.
sode as that where Cecil Rhodes
directed the Kaiser's ambitions
towards Bagdad is Of striking
interest In the Light Of its effect
upon the whole course Of history
since. Lady Susan says, with
a joie de vivre not yet tempered
by years Of diplomacy, extract
ed the maximum amusement out
of every day we spent in Berlin"
Being transferred to Rome,
she found opportunity for OBJ
serving the Dowager Queen
Margherita, Queen Elena, the
Pope and other notables. Picking
followed, and in d remarkable
chapter she tells of the country
which ION the whole was the
most interesting of the many /
have lived in" From her gay
stories about the Chinese SER
wants to the unusual Informal
ton concerning the famous EN-
press Dowager, her picture of
Peking is altogether delightful.
Her intimacy with the Empress
became such as to arouse the
jealousy Of the diplomatic force.
Lady Susan also found Con-
stantinople a picturesque place
of residence and she has much
to say not only concerning old
Abdul Hamid, the "Drinker Of
Blood" but of the life of the
Turkish women The Townleys'
life in Constantinople was cut
short by the burning Of their
home there. With undiminished
spirit; however, they at once set
out for a tour Of the Holy Land,
and found themselves next sta
toned at Washington, the 'Mec-
ca of diplomatists." In America
Lady Susan's picturesque per-
sonality was the subject of much
comment, and in her book she
has, in turn, her "say." Wash
ington Is followed by ''the wick
eldest city in the world" in the
book of Lady Susan's life, from
which the scene shifts to Buchar-
est made memorable by the
| gracious figures of the two
| queens, Carmen Sylvia and
beautiful Marie) and then Persia
with its quaint Orientalism.
During the war the Townleys
were immensely active, first in
London and then at the en-
bassy In Holland. Lady Susan's
good fortune IL. always being
ION the spot is once again
shown in her witnessing the
passage into exile Of the ex-
Kaiser, whose heydey she had
known in the old days in Berlin.
So this remarkable life unfolds.
it's course filled up with inter
esting events and people. Lady
Susan, judging from it, has been
possessed. of rare alertness and
vitality, and a charm which won
for her such diverse friendships
in all lands. That she has en-
joyed every step of the way is
| obvious. and her unflagging in