The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-10-17
MOST FOOLISH
THINC,' LABEL
ON PROHIBITION
English Noble Woman in
City Today Expresses
View.
BY JOSEPHINE DORAN


Slatey skies, dripping gray rain on
shining car windows. Flashes of
orange and green and red from the
trees, like a succession of futuriStic
paintings framed by the window
sill. And throaty, musical English
voice talking about America. Lady
Edward Spencer Churchill, her
Slate-blue eyes turned, first to the
passing countryside, then to Mrs.
Robert Walbridge who sat opposite
and then to me, who sat beside her,
She talks decisively. Prohibition?
The most foolish thing I ever heard
of. We have no prohibition in Eng
land, and yet have not seen a
drunken man on the streets OF
London for ten years. I cannot say
the same for San Antonio. But
then, that was a special occasion"
Lady Edward is returning from the
American Legion and auxiliary con-
vention.
"They say it was the saloon that
needed to be destroyed Do not our
inns in England correspond to the
American saloon? They are all
over the place, and still there is no
drunkenness. In England it is a
disgrace to be seen drunk.
politics? I know little about
American politics. am an English
conservative, and they tell me in
America I would be a Republican.
I can not say, because I do not know
enough about the two parties to
choose. This is my first trip to
America and I love it, even more
than had imagined I should. You
are so busy, so industrious here"
Nobility Easy to Meet
There was no need to ask ques-
lions. Lady Edward is so vitality
interested in everything that is go
ing on in the world. had pondered
a bit as to how one greeted nobility.
1t is a most simple procedure with
Lady Edward. You walk up and are
introduced and she takes your hand
and smiles a most fascinating smile.
While she is doing this, you stand
fascinated, looking at gracious
woman, her grazing black hair
coiled rather high on her head. A
tall woman, vigorous and intelli-
gent.
81 am recording my trip day by
day. I have little portable type
writer, and I make carbon copies
and send those to my daughters. 1t
saves no end of trouble about writ
ing letters. The others I save to
chronicle when I return to England.
And speaking of letters. Are not
the air mail envelopes the most fas-
chatting things, with the red and
blue bands on them? 1 must send
by daughters air mail letters, so
they may see them"
I asked her about American writ
ers, what she thought of our con-
tribution to literature? IT do not
have much time to read. I am very
busy with British Legion auxilithy
work" And she mentioned Lowell
and some of the poets. But the
modern novelistS. What of them?"
And I mentioned Thornton Wilder
d1IQ GI11CSO 11C1I11IlSWd
1.-The Bridge of San Luis Rey?' 1t
was delightful, but was it written
by an American? I did not know
Wilder was American. I thought
he was English. And Death Comes
to the Archbishop is that also an
American novel?"
Finds Press Spectacular
Finally the conversation drifted to
American newspapers. They are
much more spectacular than English
papers. In England the details of
a divorce case are no longer allowed
to be published Here you do not
use many adjectives, but everything
is pretty clear"
D. r. Cooper, who was in charge
Of the Big Four special train that
was bringing Lady Edward, her
confidential maid, K. Baird; Mrs.
Walbridge and Mrs. William Scho-
field and her nurse, Miss Mary Sec
combe, to Indianapolis from San
Antonio, came over to show her
an account Of Lady Drummond-
Hay, who flew from Friedrichshafen
to Lakehurst in the Graf Zeppelin.
She read it with interest and
laughed heartily when she came to
the place where Lady Drummond-
Hay wrote that it was regarded
tragedy If the wine ran out, proving
the English have a sense of humor.
There were other proofs. When the
porter brought o'clock tea she re-
fused. The soda she had had
shortly before was enough. An Eng
lish noblewoman turning down tea
for an ice cream soda! Another
illusion shattered.