VISCOUNTESS ASTOR ON AMERICA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3128, 31 July 1922, Page 8

VISCOUNTESS ASTOR ON AMERICA.

Lady Astor, with her husband, \ it>count Astor, returned to England from a trip to the United States at the beginning of June. The trip was intended to be of a private nature, Lady Astor desiring to pay a visit to her native land, which she had not seen since 1914. It was intended to be a holiday, but it developed into something in tho way of a triumphal tour, with receptions everywhere. In her native town of Richmond, Virginia, she had a tremendous reception and addressed a meeting of 4000 persons, more tlian that number being unable to get into the hall. The Mayor bestowed on Lady Astor the State war medal, which had hitherto been given only to Marshal Foch and General Pershing. Lady Astor told an interviewer in London that she had intended to only address the women’s convention at Baltimore, but she delivered over forty speeches. She wont on to say:—“ One particular paint that struck me was that at all the meetings I had only to mention one name, that of Mr Lloyd George, to raise tremendous applause. Americans regard him ae one of the outstanding figures in the world —one who will live in history. When I found that my speeches were so popular and when each day I found that 1 was in undated with letters and telegrams from the universities, business corporations, and all sorts of bodies, I decided to seize the opportunity to put the British point of view to America. It was necessary. I told them I was a living example of the justice of England—l, a Virginianborn woman, elected as the first woman member of the House of Commons.” The secret of England’s greatness, said Lady Astor on the eve of her departure, was the desire to help other nations; that should be the secret of America’s greatness. Whenever she had spoken on those lines she had met with an enthusiastic response. The thing was to appeal to the underlying high idealism of Americans instead of pursuing the tactics of politicians who appeal to prejudice and hate. Lady Astor declared that the heart of America is sound. She had found Americans opposed to a policy of safety first and eager to join a League of Nations which would be a true league of peace. Of course Lady Astor had something to say about Prohibition in America ; most visitors have a story to toll on tho subject, but hors differed from some others, and she was able to refute many extravagant tales which had been accepted in London of the deplorable conditions resulting from Prohibition. On being asked how Prohibition workej. Lady Astor said' that neither she nor her husband went to America and Canada to investigate Prohibition, but obviously the subject was included in their talks with Senators, Congressmen, members of Parliament, heads of organisations such as the Salvation Army, representatives of the police force, leaders of women’smovements, and representatives of business and labor. Their opinion was not unanimous. It could not bo expected to be so in an AnglosSaxon country. She said she had been constantly told that the rich could' get as much liquor as they liked if willing to pay for it though she said she could honestly assert that she had seen nothing of it herself. It was certainly true that the 'child welfare bodies had been largely reduced by Prohibition. “When I balance these results,” she continued', “when I set off the uplifting of the poor and struggling and the salvation which Prohibition had brought to many wives and children, against the alleged l degradation of some of the rich —well there cannot ho any doubt that the net result for the country has been good. I found some resentment against the rich for breaking the law, hut the general sentiment seemed to he that it was they and their children, and not the poor who were getting the woist of it because of this. The business world is strongly in favor of Prohibitum because efficiency and savings have been increased. The women seemed solidly for it because the homes are happier, the men more ambitious, and the children better looked after.”