The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-10-30
BRITISH QUEEN
FE.NNVSN
CONVERT
Letter 70 Women of the En-
pire lntimates She Has
Changed Ideals
BY DAVID M. CHURCH,
international News service.

LONDON, Oct. 80. queen Mary
seems to have Joined the forward
march Of modern women.
For years the Queen OF England
has been regarded as an anti
suffragist and an anti-feminist, but
now 1t seems that she has exer-
cised her womanly privilege and
changed her mind.
Although womenss first respon-
sibility centers In the home, in
these days Of enlarged opportunity,
it does not end there"
These words from Mrs. %. III. p.
Belmont, Alice Paul, Mrs. Corbett
Ashby or Queen Marie Of Rumania
would cause no sensation, but when
they come from the pen Of Queen
Mary Of England they arouse wide
interest. The only conclusion is
that the Queen has been converted.
Queen Mary's statement was made
In q message to a conference Of
British Empire women.
Duties OF Women.
THE variety and the Importance
of the subjects to be discussed
show you are alive to the fact that
although women's first responsible
ity centers in the home, in these
days Of enlarged opportunity it
does not end there, wrote the
Queen in message to the con-
ference.
II earnestly hope that the result
Of your deliberations may be to
give you and the women from the
mother country who attend your
gatherings not only clearer un-
Outstanding of the various problems
you win discuss, but q fresh reaIi-
zation Of the work to be done by
women,
For with you it mainly rests to
hand on to the rising generation In
all parts of the Empire the great
traditions and ideals on which that
unique commonwealth Of nations
has been built, and so to bring
home to the youth of today sense
Of responsibilities which citizenship
of that commonwealth involves
responsibilities fraught with untold
moment not only to the many peo-
pie comprised within its far-flung
territories. but also to the world at
large"
If, as it seems, the Queen has
been converted and brought to re.
gard the duties Of women in a
broader sense, it is probable that
the Duchess Of York may be be-
hind it all.
A MOdernized Duchess.
The very modern, wide-awake and
alert young wife Of the Duke Of
York is said to have brOught mod
ernity into Buckingham Palace. She.
1t is said, has brought q breath Of
modern woman to the Queen, who
| is forced to live a life almost
secluded so far as mingling with
contemporary woman goes. Princess
Mary, though young, has neces-
safily been kept more or less
shielded, and her contact. with
modern woman has been slight.
| The Duchess of York, however,
entered the royal household fresh
| from contact with the outside
world. She maintains this contact
She knows what modern woman is
1 thinking of and what modern
woman is doing.
/ Moreover, she is reported to con-
| vey her ideas and impressions to
/ the Queen. Many persons close to
| the royal family claim that they
have noticed great change in the
! Queen since the Duchess Of York
entered her household. It is said
that the Queen has had new inspir.
/ alton from this Scottish girl.
| Certainly it is a step in advance
| for the Queen to admit publicly
that woman has public duties as
well as domestic ones. The suf-
fragists may well run up the ban
ners Of victory.