Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-21
BY MARGARET b. DOWNING.


while MFR, Hammond obtained the most
desirable residence then to be leased
and this through the active intereven-
ton Of the King. neither he nor any OF
his staff lives as they would In Paris,
Rome, London, Berlin or even in the
smaller capitals of Europe like Brussels,
The Hague or Copenhagen. Spanish
palaces may be leased almost without
number but their size and the difficulty
Of keeping them even approximately
warm during the long. bleak Winter
make citizens of this republic reluctant
to set up their household good in such
dwellings. Smaller houses are fewer
and as a rule belong to the merchant
princes of Spain who, as individuals,
look on renting homes as an indication
that their affairs are not prosperous.
However, Mr. end Mrs. Hammond have
been comfortable and hospitable and
by recourse to the exclusive clubs Of
Madrid and an occasional banquet in
the several de luxe hotels, have full
filled their obligations to the letter and
possibly more charminglX than in
10o-room palace. Much regret Is ex-
pressed that the Ambassador is soon to
retire. That Senator Edge may be-
come Ambassador in Paris is generally
accepted and likewise that two such
important missions as Paris and Ma
State of New Jersey.
Mr.. Sheldon Whitehouse. counselor
OF the embassy, and Mrs. Whitehouse
the latter coming to Washington dur
ing her husbands service in the State
Department. live in diminished state in
the quarter dominated by the massive
royal palace and are active in all social
and athletic events. Mrs. Whitehouse
was called several times to Paris be-
cause Of the illness of her mother, Mrs.
Charles B. Alexander, and for this rea-
son did not participate as freely as is
customary in the brilliant late Summer
season. Another member of the en-
bassy staff we'll known in Washington
Is Mr.. Percy Blair, son of Mrs. James
Blair, a talented MUSICIAN and founder
of the Rubenstein Club. Mrs. Blair
who is native of Georgetown and was
Miss Appolonia Alexander, has in re-
world She owns a pretty country
place In Hampshire, England, but re-
Gently It has been rented almost con-
tinuously while she passes much time
In Paris and Madrid with a frequer
visit to Boston where her younger son.
James Preston Blair. is studying in the
Institute of Technology. Some 100
citizens of the United States are per-
rnanent residents Of Madrid, engaged
lar, with banking and trade interests
as close seconds and they are closely
afiliated with the embassy and CONSUL
ate and maintain all local customs of
their own land.
Primo de Rivera. the Prime Minister
Of Spain, enjoys the distinction OF being
the only member of his exalted class
who uses a fan and that with all the
grace and languor of belle In Seville.
Those close to the rugged warrior say
that he much prefers life in the saddle
to the sitting atmosphere of courts and
social functions in general and that
only by means of an active fan is he
able to withstand the heat. Apparently
his choice of fans is unlimited for he
yields gaudy one Of violent red and
orange depicting the goriest of bull
fights and then he NAV wave delicate
blue showing choice bit of the sea,
with white sailboats and flights OF gulls
as ornaments. But whether in the salon
Of the foreign office where the colorful
reception was given to the delegates of
the League of Nations recently holding
an extraordinary session in Madrid or
as guest In a private hcme. the
Premier moves gracefully from group to
group chatting to all celebrities and
complimenting the ladies. all the time
vigorously welding mis- fan and always
talks in order that the breeze may be
shared equally. A kindly squire of
DANES, Gen. de Rivera is ar amiable
guest and attends more of The social
functions in the younger circle IN
Madrid than Mr.. Stimson or his prede-
cessor, Mr. Kellogg. could count in a
year But never without his fan and
the privilege to withdraw at times to
the fresh air and regatner oxygen
e. hi ordeal
washington Irving just 100 years ago
9ourneyed down from Madrid where he
held semi-off1cial position in the lega-
ton of the western republic to Granada
where he began those studies OF the
Alhambra. which have since focused the
ewes of the world on that romantic
mountain stronghold A haZy sort of
commemoration is in progress at the
Moorish palace. although for the coun-
try fellow of the author it takes the
unhappy aspect of his being charged
five pesetas to visit the rooms which
Irving used. whereas in ordinary times
they may be examined for two. Flowers
adorn the table where the genial Amer
lean wrote and his photograph with his
signature greets the visitor from the
mantel The natives call the author
washington" and seemingly believe
him to have been the founder Of the
great western republic. In 1912, Irving
thanks to the interest Of Daniel Web
ster. then Secretary of State. returned
to Spain as Minister and during his
three years sojourn, he passed several
months in Summer at the Alhambra
and II was at this time that he gathered
the material for the Life of Columbus,
partly in Granada and partly from the
Archives Of the Indios in Seville. James
Russell Lowell andsJo Hay wrote de-
lightfully of this section of Spain. but
they failed to impress the Spanish pub
lie.
The Maruuesa de Campoteiar. a ven-
cradle descendant Of Ibn Hud. the Moor
who became a vassal of Ferdinand and
Isabella on the conquest of Granada
and who was appointed superintendent
Of the Generaliffe or Summer palace
on the mountain just above the Alharn-
bra. has been amiable to American Wis
itors this Summer and the old gardens
have been coaxed into more than daZ-
cling loneliness The upper gardens
have all been opened and the full tor
rent of water set free for the grand
celebrations of Corpus Christi has
played all through June and July. From
all directions have English-speaking
tourists journeyed to Granada, all
armed with the books of Washington
irving on Spain and all intent on find-
ing the massive gate leading from pri-
vate entrance of the Summer palace
to the upper flower plots. An Arabic
inscription on this gate now bearing the
arms of CASTLE Leon and Aragon has
been translated by Irving, Enjoy here
the three sweetest sounds this side OF
Paradise, the music of falling water.
the song of the nightingale and the
voice of the beloved woman" AS 1t did