A STORY OF VISCOUNTESS ASTOR.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14037, 21 April 1920, Page 7

A STORY OF VISCOUNTESS ASTOR.

Judge Lindsey. widely known on ;ieco'iutt 'of bis work in the .1 uremic Court of Denver, where his laws and Court procedure are considered models of their kind, tells a new story of Viscountess Astor.

"One Sunday," he writes, "we were invited to the. Aslor country home at Cliveden, wiiere r was to make an address to the wounded soldiers who were in hospital on the Astor estate. Among the other week-end guests was Mr ...J. H. Thomas, one of the leaders of tlie British Labor Party. He was si friend of the Waldorf-Astors, and a frequent guest at Cliveden. At the close of my address Mrs Astor, presiding at the meeting, invited Mr Thomas to move the customary vote of thanks to the speaker, and when he had finished, she said to the assembled. Tommies, 'Now boys, while we have Mr Thomas here, let us see if we can't persuade him to give us a. talk next Sunday afternoon.' "The soldiers applauded the suggestion, and Mr Thomas accepted the invitation.

" 'Thank you,' Mrs Astor smiled. 'And may I announce the subject of your addressr' "Mr Thomas bowed. 'I should like to talk.' he replied, cheerfully, 'on what the British Labor Party proposes to do with Cliveden and the other Astor estates after the war.' "The soldiers laughed, Mrs Astor laughed, and Mr* Thomas joined them. ' " 'That will be very interesting,' Mrs Astor said. 'l'm sure you will be glad to hear, boys, whsit Mr Thomas's party intends to do with Cliveden after the war. I know I shall be glad to learn. I have been trying to find out for some time. And, if I may make a suggestion, Mr Thomas, I should very much -like to have you turn it into a boarding-house and msike me the landlady, although, in that .case, Mr Thomas, you will have to • pay your board, ;i thing, von know, which you have never done inHhe past.' "The joke was on Mr Thomas. He acknowledged it. and the meeting broke up in laughter and applause."