The Washington times., 1923-01-28
WILL GOVERNMENT
ACCEPT OFFER OF
HENDERSON HOME3
Crying Need Felt For
Suitable Vice Presi-
dential Mansion

WILL the Government accept
the Mrs. John B. Hender.
sons offer Of the big house at the
corner OF Sixteenth and Fuller
streets to be used as the Vice
Presidents mansion? That il q
question to which only Congress
can supply the answer. And /
rather suspect that Congress win
find itself of<two minds.
Even statesmen are not above
O desire to get something for
nothing, and Mrs. Henderson pro-
poses q free gift. with no strings
to It except the proviso that it be
considered as a memorial to her
husband, who served his country
In Congress for long years, and to
her son, John B. Henderson, IT.,
who died recently. On the other
hand. the acceptance Of such
gift presupposes the appropriation
of q fund for maintenance, and
can't you hear already the howl
which such = suggestion would
raise among q certain group Of
provincial politicians by whom
public building il spelt ''po-s-t-
officer
Cant You imagine the lament
which would arise for the passing
OF Jeffersonian simplicity. and the
references to the dear, dead days
when Abigail Adams was not
ashamed to hang her washing In
the East Room Of the White
House regardless Of the fact that
the East Room at that time was
only fit to be- used as drying
room? And can't you visualize
the fight against the acceptance
OF Mrs. Henderson's gift being led
BY just such men as have always
vetoed proper appropriations for
the purchase and upkeep of suit
able embassy and legation build
ings in foreign countries?
IT is being estimated ''up on the
Hill' that an appropriation Of
$4,000 a year would be necessary
to maintain the proposed Vice
Presidential mansion suitably.
And. Of course, the very sugges-
ton would cause an uproar. But
1t is whispered that President
Harding Is most anxious that Mrs.
Henderson's offer be accepted. so
it may be pushed through; and,
I understand, action il to be
taken very soon.
T has always seemed to me be-
meath the dignity Of the United
States to have its Vice President
who Is by way of being the
Presidents heir-apparent - living
at hotel. And yet. IL the Vice
President is not a man Of private
means. there is not much else for
him to do. for he cannot maintain
very much Of an establishment on
his paltry salary.
The crying need for Vice Presi-
Dental mansion-and suitable al
lowances for keeping 1t up and for
entertaintng-was borne in upon
us here at the time Of the visit Of
the King and Queen of the Bel
gians. and later when the Prince
OF Wales came to Washington.
President Wilson being Ill at the
time, It devolved upon the Vice
President and Mrs. Marshall to rep
resent the nation as hosts to the
royal visitors. And. II you please,
they found it necessary to borrow
the house of a private person. Mrs. 4
Thomas F.. Walsh, in which to en-
terrain the visiting Belgian royal
ties and to give their dinner for
the Prince of Wales at the home
of Mr.. and Mrs. Perry Belmont, at
which he was staying.
SSDEMOCRATIC simplicity" may
be all very well in it's way
but it does seem out of the way
for a great nation like the United
States to be obliged to go begging
for a place in which to entertain
its official guests. This, of course,
was a most unusual circumstance;
for royalties do not often come
a-visiting when the White House
is closed to entertaining. But the
Vice President may again be called
upon at any time to ''bat for" the
President as host to foreign Wis
ifors HiIASfs Of the nation And