The Washington times., 1924-05-03
POETESS, FROM
CHILE TO BE
FETED
Gabriela Mistral, Expect
ed Here, Is Famous
Educator
BY JEAN ELIOT.

A N event of considerable inter
~ est to those interested in pro-
4 n noting friendly, and cordial
relations between the American
republics-and who is not?-will
be the visit in midway of Gabriela
Mistral, famous Chilean poetess,
whose work is known wherever
Spanish is spoken. The Ambassa.
dor of Chile and Nine. Matthew
are arranging a reception in honor
Of Nine. Mistral to be held at the
Pan-American Union on the after.
are inviting to meet her a care
fully selected company of guests
who will be interested in her visit
and whom their distinguished coun-
trywoman will find congenial.
Plans for the function. are not
vet completed, but there will be
music and a reading from the work
Of the Chilean poetess. The pro-
gram, however, will be given IN
English.
Not only is Gabriela Mistral a
celebrated writer, but she is one
OF the best-Known educators in the
Latin-American world, woman
who has won recognition from her
own and foreign governments. She
has recently been in Mexico, where
two schools have been named for
her, and where she took part in
the dedication ceremonies, the Next
can government receiving her with
great honor. One of the institu-
tons named for her is a trade
school for girls, and the other
a normal school. In private life
this distinguished woman, who is
making her first visit to the United
States, is Lucilla Godoy, but she is
always known by the pen name
which she has made so famous.
X x
Mrs. Townsend Goes Abroad
To Study Musical Situation.
Mrs. Townsend is sailing today
for Europe on the Olympic ana
will spend the next month or six
weeks abroad. Deciding almost at
the last moment, she slipped away
yesterday after hurried prepare
tons and had little time for fare
wells, so news Of her departure
will come as a surprise to many
Of her friends.
The trip is undertaken primarily
in the interest of the series of Mon
day morning musicales, tried out SO
successfully last winter, which will
be repeated next season at the
Hamilton Hotel under Mrs. Town
sends direction. She proposes to
spend the greater part of May in
London, where the greatest ntusi.
clans of the world congregate for
the season, hearing as much music
as possibles making contacts with
musicians, and unearthing now
talent with a view to lining up, the
artists for her concerts. After that
she will make brier visits in Brus-
sells and in Paris, returning to this
country some time in June.
This is Mrs. Townsend's first
trip abroad in eleven years and
she is looking forward to It with
much pleasure, as she has lived in
most of the important European
capitals at one time or another and
has friends everywhere. Indeed,
whenever a foreigner of distinction
come a'visiting in Washington he
or she-is pretty sure sooner or
later to gravitate to Mrs. Town
sends house. Either they are
friends Of long standing or they
have been brought together by
friends in common. And the col
lection Of autographed photographs
of European royalties and digni-
taries which Mrs. Townsend has is
astonishingly large and interesting.
Mr.. Townsend, it will be remem-
bered, was at one time minister to
Belgium, and again minister to
Portugal.
Mrs. Townsend Will be extremely
busy, of course, but she will find
time for visits to a few old friends.
She was only in Washington a few
days before sailing, having spent
several weeks in New York in time
for the flag end of the musical sea-
son and having there laid prelimi-
nary plans for her concerts and
having been in touch with a num-
Der Of artists.