During the cruise to Japan, Alice jumped into the ship's swimming pool fully clothed, and coaxed Congressman Burke Cochrane to join her in the water. Putting a romantic spin on the story, newspapers reported it was Longworth. (Years later Bobby Kennedy would chide her about the incident, saying it was outrageous for the time, to which the by-then-octogenarian Alice replied that it would only have been outrageous had she removed her clothes.) In her autobiography, "Crowded Hours", Alice made note of the event, pointing out that there was little difference between the linen skirt and blouse she had been wearing and a lady's swimsuit of the period.