Mixed

Virginia-born Viscountess Astor, M.P. for Plymouth, has never allowed her Conservative Party affiliations to interfere with her penchant for reform. One of her pet hates is Demon Rum; another is flogging, a practice still legal in the British Navy and British prisons. Unruly sailors are rarely flogged now, but stern judges sometimes order the lash as punishment for particularly brutal civil crimes.

Lady Astor rose last week before a conference of 3,000 women Conservatives, to speak in favor of a Government-sponsored bill abolishing criminal floggings. She found to her surprise that not only were the majority of the women for flogging, but positively rude about it. Throughout her remarks they chorused "No!" "Oh!" "Shame!" Lady Astor, no mean heckler herself, asked for silence first applause afterward. The chairwoman asked for traditional British fair play. "What about assaults on women and children?" screamed the female Conservatives. The Astor comeback was not up to standard: "The more I see of you, the more I hear of you, it is obvious that you are getting a bit mixed." The ladies clapped rhythmically. Then a bell rang and told her the time allotted for her speech was over anyway.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.