Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-21
Tales of We'll Known Folk
In Social and Official Life
Washington Woman Writes for Star of Court and
Diplomatic Affairs in Madrid and Other
Foreign Capitals Official Gossip.

Spain and visiting the expoSlJlonS al
Seville and Barcelona and mingling In
the American contingent In both cities.
Mrs. Mende was Miss Elsie Porter,
daughter and chatelaine of Gen. Hor-
ace Porter, long time ambassador to
France, and she retains a keen interest
In all that relates to her native land
and In her two homes, one IN Bern
and the other in Geneva, she is hos
pitable and helpful to her visiting
country people. Just before leaving
Geneva DR.. and Mrs. Mende announced
the engagement of their daughter to
Mr.. Hans Kuhl of Zurich and after
the motor trip Mrs. and Miss Mende
will proceed to Paris in the interests
of the trousseau. The wedding will oc-
cur In September. Mrs. Mende 1t will
be remembered, recently elaborated in
biography Of her father, who has the
distinction of having served for a
greater continuous period than any
envoy sent from this country to Paris
since Benjamin Franklin. The late
Myron Herrick had more years in
Paris to his credit but they were in dis
tinct terms Gen. Porter, friend and
associate Of Gen. Grant. spent large
fortune locating the grave in Paris OF
John Paul Jones, now inferred In An
napolis.
Queen Victoria of Spain and her
young daughters have been entertaining
some English and Danish cousins at the
Seville Exposition and finding much TO
enerosS their attention in the Moroccan
village. As an unheard Of concession to
the usual occasion of the Ibero-Ameri-
can fair the authorities Of Morocco have
permitted a group OF their women to
take charge of the coffee room of their
village and the Queen and her guests
were received there and given a lunch
con such as they might enjoy In a
harem in Rabat or Fee. These women
are superbly handsome. tall and erect
with profusion Of lustrious black hair
showing through the lace veil, which no
longer covers the face. They brew the
coffee on the table before the guest
after the Turkish fashion, stirring the
pulverized grain into boiling water.
They use no cream or sugar, but pro-
vide such II desired. Rich cakes Of
honey and almonds. rice waters and
conserved fruit are served with the cof-
fee, which is amazingly strong and
pungent. Morocco sent some superb
handmade saddles as gifts to the King
and Queen and their children. and 1t
was the privilege of those women from
Fee to conduct the Queen for a private
view of these splendid offerings. The
saddles are richly embroidered with
pommels and stirrups of silver. The
blankets are also heavily wrought in
gold and silver threads and the brides
museums, the original having been used
by the Caliphs of Cordova before the
Moors were driven from Spain to found
new state in Morocco.
Mr.. Joseph Widener Of Philadelphia
and the late Ogden Mills, for many
years important exhibitors at the Paris
colors at the Grand Prix Lady Granard
running horses from her fathers ia
nous stables, and Mr.. Widener, in
mourning for his wife. was represented
by his son. Mr.. Ralph B. Strasburger,
another American whose stables have to
be reckoned, had entries in all the
major races. Mr. William Littaur, for
many years in Congress and later a
resident of Washington. maintains a
stable in Brittany and takes part in the
EPSON races as well as the French. A
cold. rainy june interfered with the
pleasure OF the vast throngs, but not
with the sporting events. this sort of
weather, like that Of Washington at in
auguration time, being proverbially Of
fered. Mr.. A. K. Macomber, who has
sometimes sent horses to the Washing
ton show. has large stable in Nor
mandy and is a regular claimant for
honors at the Grand Prix. Chantilly,
called the French Newmarket or the
American Belmont Park, is quaint
old royal town with splendid eoues-
trian setting once patronized by the
Bourbon kings and with magnificent
forests surrounding it and hotels and
cafes not surpassed in Paris. and for a
half century it has been the scene of
the great races of late June. those in
England being confined to May Seine
$4,000 foreign visitors, one-half Ameri-
cans. were living about Chantilly all
through June.
Mr.. J. Pierpont Morgan and his
associates in the financial conference,
held recently in Paris, were generous
contributors to the student social CEN
ter in the Latin quarter of Paris. This
picturesque series of studios has cele-
brated its fortieth birthday anniversary
within the past month and it is proudly
pointed out that the center, owing its
origin to homeSick students from the
United States, who desired to get to-
gether and exchange views, son attract
ed British and Canadians in large num-
bers so that now the center may not be
deemed more than half composed Of the
citizens of the republic. Nine. Jacques
Balsan, former Duchess Of MARI
borough, has always shown a deep in
terest in the center and learning that
a new subscription was being made she
followed Mr.. Morgan, Mr.. Lamont and
Mr. Owen Young with $4,000 con-
tribution. Just now the center suffers
heavily from increased rates in food
and rent caused by the invasion of
tourists. unhappily most of them
Americans who think that all lurid
revels must originate in this Latin
quarter. The students. a Woodworking
group who must think twice before
spending unwisely, resent this idea of
playing clown for the idle tourists and
so deep rooted was their resentment at
the constant Interruptions in their
studios that a movement Is on hand to
remove the center across the Seine to
the Montparnasse section and leave
Montmartre for the jewellers. How
ever, a committee, composed Of Col
Jacques Balsan, Commodore Louis D.
Beaumont and Mr.. John Ridgeley
Carter. have placed the student griev-
ance before the prefecture of the po-
lice and it is hoped that the center
will not be moved from its historic
site in the Latin quarter.