Evening star., 1921-10-23
WOMEN
In the
Public Eye
Mrs. James r. Mann
BY MARGARET b. DOWNING.

| Quite apart from the conspicuous
political Importance Of her husband.
familiarly known as lin" Mann. and
one of the seniors of the House of
Representatives, Mrs. James Robert
Mann of Chicago is to be accounted
one OF the leading women of the Ma
tIonal Capital. For more than seven
teen years. Mrs. Mann has been a
member of the official world and
from the first has been a dominant
figure.
| There are four states which are so
| well represented in the resident Sec
| ton of Washington that the members
| form a powerful social contingent,
| especially when allied with the po-
litical wing, and these are Massa-
chusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and
! Illinois. Mrs. Mann is most fervently
for Illinois and she is much sought
guest by opulent hostesses from her
state, whose homes dot the western
hills and the most exclusive resi-
| dental portions of Washington.
| Mrs. Mann is essentially OF an in.
tellectual type. with a profound love
Nof study, and always shapes her days
that she may give at least three or
/ Tour hours to the subject which en-
| lsrosses her. But she has been con-
S tdered one Of the most accomplished
politicians in a state where women
have reached high point in state
cnsft and can argue and PROFOUND
| in the most logical and convincing
way. Her interest has always been
centered in her husband, and her ac-
tivi,jes. being imp rsonal and rather
unolttrusive, have been none the less
effeative. Mr.. Mann. as all the world
l N r., - ID
and years ago, before their early
! home, Hyde Park, became incorpo-
rated into Chicago, he had sent its
fame broadcast by the reckless way
he plapted flower seed in all the
waste places hnd made the grass
plots along the Sidewalks bloom liz"
the wallis of Babylon. Mrs. Mann.
accu stoned for years to flowers to
be gathered in acre lots. found il
difficult tp be content with the mea-
ger allowance: one gets from tn"
florists.
Mr.. and Mrs. Mann are among tn"
most desirable guests TO be extract
witty and Socially inclined and full
Of anecdotes + and small talk. Mr.
Mann loves To travel. and in the yearS
prior TO the world war she and her
husband compromised every other
iyear with the fads and wishes OF th"
other. one year -hTS. bdHi ~
NAMED all snInner in Chicago and
watched Mr.. .iIann indulge in per
feet whirlwin.5 Of flower and vege-
table planting. and indeed. she con-
fesses, She enjoyed the results of both
with genuine pleasure. The mex;
summer. Congress permitting. they
took a foreign tour through Euron"
| and the more civilized parts OF Asia.
but, plan as tirey would. they would
always draw up before getting home
in some part OF Egypt. The ancient
land of the Pharaohs has a peculiar
fascination for both, and Mrs. Mar
] has studied the history and ht+rd-
ture OF Egypt In the r'oSt serious
way and recently has been der9iii :
considerable tims - lis tir"leolo-.
and dialects.
MIR. and Mrs. Mann have lived f"r
many years in Z pleasant apart'nl"I
| on Connecticut Avenue Heights and
their participa ton in the official
| amenities. though tonss n. is marh'
j by 'duiet elegance rather than os-
! tentatious display. The loss of their
onlc son a few years ago has left .
permanent impress on both. nut ti.s
! nevertheless perform every obligation.
! social or political. In the same unoh-
| trusive. whole-hearted way.