MADAME BETTY BROOKE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1634, 28 December 1912, Page 6

MADAME BETTY BROOKE.

AN INTERVIEW. The name of ' Madame Betty Brooke occasionally crops up in personal paragraphs from England" and America, and generally in connection with Now Zealand. That is because Madame Brooke, though she only visits !New Zealand about once in two year 3, is patriotic, ana loves the oountry, "every inch of it," as she sayß. Madame was formerly a resident of Christckurch, and still has property there. Her husband is Mr. Charles Brooke, who has a manufactory in South Melbourne. Madame ranges; the Empire, entertaining with her lecturettes on New Zealand and Australia, and singing songs characteristic of both countries. . ;

New York and Its Society. Speaking on Australia, Madame sings ProfassorPetersen'a "Bird Songs," which are full of native charm and, Quite expressive of the bird life of the "Fifth Continent." Ending in July last, Madame Betty Brooke spent a year in New York, where she was "taken up" by Society, and given. a really splendid time. j "They were' very good to me, indeed, in America, and I think they are a very fine people, about whom there are many misconceptions," said Madame Brooke in the course of an interview yesterday. "Money does not count for everything in New York, and a person may be a multimillionaire without having a ghost of an opportunity of getting in the Tour Hundred.' Money., only means; can buy things whicli otheiv people iiiignit not bo able to. The. 'Four Hundred is really, ..tho".. most exclusive; society. Take the case of the Aefcor ladies. The first widow, is 'in the set,' but the second widow is' not, and she is not called Mrs.. Astor at all, but Madaleine' Force. Tho popular, idea'.that money can do anything in New York is nonsense. ~ There were two English carpenters who went to St. Louis in 1904, and how they are millionaires. ' Do you think they would be admitted to the sacred "Four Hundred? No, indeed. They say that there is a new millionaire created every week m New York. . If they were accepted by society, where would the 'Four Hundred be? That is, perhaps, why American daughters of"'wealthy men. like to marry English titles, because it is often their only chance of getting into -society;' A woman that does something worth doing has a better chance." '

Upholding Old England in the States. Thanks to Mrs. Elliott Longstaff,, the president of the Imperial Order of Daughters of the Empire (a society, in America established' for the maintenance of British traditions), Madame Brooke was elected a councillor of the Order,' and made Regent of the Chapter of the Southern Cross. Madame explains that the Order, which wais only established in 1909, has now a membership of over 2000, who are all really interested in the preservation of English traditions and lani guage. They speak the purest English, and. do all in. their , power to prevent the Americanisation of the English people who make their homes in the States. Mrs. Bryce, wife of the British Ambaesador at .Washington, is vice-president, and there are 30 ladies on the council. Later on the Order intends to establish on Staten Island a Home for Aged British People in America. Asked how the Americans regarded the movement, Madame Brooko said that they were in keen sympathy with it,- being great "sticklers" 'for tradition among themselves. , ~ , r , "It is funny, you know, said Madame Brooke, "nearly everyone in f<ew York who pretends to be anyone are descendants of the aristocratic Southerners—un-less-.their .forbears were among the Pilgrim Fathers, It made one think how astonishingly prolific the old people must have been. • . Since she was'last m New Zealand, Madame Brooke has developed into a lecturer, through being asked to speak one evening at tho New York Tlieatr© Club. On the spur of tho moment she spoke about New Zealand, its climate, scenerv, and laws, arfd to her surprise found people intensely interested. After that'she spoke at several clubs— the Siriosis, Lyceum, Societo des Beaux Arts, National Sooiety of New England Women, Women's Press Club, and at many other clubs and gatherings, and succeeded in arousing great interest in New Zetland. , "There are over a thousand women a clubs in New York," said Madame, "clura with every known name and object. Amouj tlicm is tho Anti Club, which is nnti-everything. • It exists to pick out flaws in city management, ■ particularly to combat the growth of of_ a dangerous character, morally or physically. There aro already twenty chairwomen, each heading a branchi devoted to a particular "anti. Supposing I were to join, and thought, for instance, of tiia dancer to life fVom tho use of elevators, the probability is that I would bo inado chairwoman of an anti-elevator section. "Then there aro other clubs for women of a purely edncntional character— really schools for 'grown-ups,' where lectures and lessons are given on all manner ot subjects—semiology, music, drama, theology, Eeography, and anything which makes for erudite culture. The Suffragette movement is goin? ahead steadily in New York, tvnd the desired result wll ■be achieved in the not far distant future.