The Washington herald., 1918-08-18

assistant in 1882, and a few years
later moved up to second assistant.
Before that he had been in the dip
lomatice service-a legation attache
at Madrid, as / remember it-and
since. though administrations. and
parties, have come and gone, there
has been no talk Of displacing Mr..
McAdoo. He knows 50 much better
than anyone else could how to run
his own job, that it would be a ca
lamity to the department to lose
him.
For years his idea OF a vacation
was a bicycle trip through scme by
way Of Europe. He succumbed early
to the bicycle craze-and never re-
covered. But for the last four years
bicycling in Europe has not been in
the nature of a gentle indoor sport.
Things were too likely to happen that
would be disturbing to an elderly
gentleman's nerves. And haven't
heard what substitute Mr.. Ades
has found since his established rou-
tine became impracticable.
In the McAdoo family, while Mr..
NcAdoo has returned ard buckIed
down to work in his own well-buckled
fashion, Mrs McAdoo has not yet
been seen in Washington. She is
staying at White Sulphur Springs,
with little Miss Ellen, and Mr. Nc.
AdOo is going down for the week
ends.
Mime. de Mohrenschildt Mona Nc
| Adoo) and her young husband. who
for while occupied the McAdoo town
house, have lately been making a
series OF visits. They were up al
Narragansett Pier with Capt. and
Mrs. Isaac Emerson. and Mrs. Emer-
sons daughter, Mrs. Francis Huger
McAdoo; but now they are down on
Long Island. II is understood that
they will not be in Washington next
winter. but are to establish themselves
in New York. Presumably N. de
Mohrenschildt, who was q secretary
Of the Russian Embassy under the
old regime, and stuck" during the
early days of the revolution, has des-
paired OF the Russian mess getting
Strengthened out, and decided to form
other connections. Which, of course,
with Secretary McAdoo for a father
in-law, he could very readily do.
Mrs. Baker seems to be about the
busiest of the Cabinet women just
now. She and the children have been
in town practically all summer. She
always manages TO look as cool as
the proverbial cucumber, and to any
complaint of the binding heat she
has answered that her family was
managing to keep fairly comfortable
She is identified with all and sundry
OF the war reliefs. which take up a
good deal of her daytime. and more
evenings than not she is singing for
the soldiers at one or another of the
nearby camps or cantonments.
. This last week she has only "given
two performances" but during the
two weeks before. that she sang for
thirteen consecutive nights-during
ushered in AuGust-winding up with
appearing Thursday night as star"
at big open-air "sing" at Camp
Humphreys. where her audience-and
frequently her chorus-was 1900
men grouped on the hillside: Friday
night at the Bliss Electrical School.
at Takoma Park, where a lot of SOL
dier boys are getting special cleo
trical training before going overseas:
and Saturday at the opening Of
big Y. NJ. c. A. Eagle Hut" right
on Pennsylvania avenue in the heart
Of Washington. And Just about that
time most Of US were seeking a roof
garden. or the vicinity Of an electrical
fan and something cold and wet. In
fact. as someone said, the weather
Just about then was calculated to
make roof gardening much more pop
ular than war gardening.
Many Of Mrs. Bakers singing en-
gagements have been for out-of-door
sings" and in the camps, like that
one at Humphrey, very effective and
inspiring-but as Mrs. Baker mildly
puts it. ''one can't sing pianissino.
In out-of-door work" On many of
these occasions she has been assisted
by two of her brothers-the elder,
Capt. Rudolph Leopold, who has been
In the service and stationed here in
Washington for sometime; the other,
her Youngest brother, Ralph Leopold,
who has been spending the summer
with her, and who just recently en-
listed and left Washington last Tues
day.
About the same time Secretary
Bakers private secretary, Ralph
Hayes, also enlisted. and Mrs. Baker
didn't really know whether she was
sorriest for herself, losing her brother,
or for her husband losing his secre-
tary thus. Commenting on Mr..
Bakers loss. she said, "why when
Mr.. Baker told me. really felt as II
he were losing his right hand. I
cant help feeling that 1t is \ waste
roor econony-for a man who is 70
very useful, so invaluable, to leave
his post simply to take a place that
any one else could fill as well Mr..
Baker has felt that he could depend
on Mr.. Hayes-he was so en-.
tirely reliable. and had SUCH wonder
fully good Judgment and discretion.