Countess v. Princess

A deep-rooted Washington belief is that Mrs. Nicholas ("Princess Alice") Longworth, wife of the Speaker of the House, exercises a potent backstage influence on U. S. politics. When Mrs. Eleanor Medill Patterson (onetime Countess Gizycka) became editrix of William Randolph Hearst's Washington Herald last summer, she attracted notice with a signed front-page declaration to the effect that the only political assistance Mrs. Longworth could render Senate Nominee Ruth Hanna McCormick in Illinois was posing for photographs. It appeared that the Countess was out to explode the "Princess" legend, for business or other reasons. Last week Editor Patterson took another signed front-page thrust at Theodore Roosevelt's daughter.

Under the caption "Will She? Can She?" Mrs. Patterson editorialized with Hearstian italics as follows:

"Some weeks ago I wrote that Alice Longworth had no real gifts to bring to Ruth Hanna McCormick's campaign. Ruth McCormick is Alice Longworth's close friend.

"I was in error. I spoke hastily. In Ignorance.

"Senator Borah, another close friend of Alice Longworth, has said that if Ruth McCormick is elected he will vote to unseat her because of her excessive campaign expenditures. Mrs. Longworth may now present her real gifts. She may use her political influence, of which the country has for so long heard so much. She may soften this decision of the frugal gentleman from Idaho.

"Senator Borah is also a close friend of Mrs. Ruth McCormick's. They are all close friends.

"But it is for Alice to come now bearing her offerings."

Mrs. Longworth preserved her customary poise, made no public reply.

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