Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-09
BY MARGARET B. DOWNING.

his predecessors entered the White
House with his nicotine habits we'll and
firmly esta blished. AS Mr.. Coolidge pre-
ferred a certain long, very black stogie
made in North Carolina, so the present
executive has a preference for certain
light brown small sized Havana cigar,
which comes wrapped in the most
ornate covering. the kind which the
pater fan1iIias, If he is honored by the
presentation, is sure to take home ana
oenude of its covering in the presence
of his small daughter. But President
Hoovers fixed habits in the matter OF
a smoke do not prevent the most her
culean efforts on the part of other cigar
manufacturers to have him accept an
other brand, fine cigars packed IN
mammoth cedar cabinets being among
the gifts frequently offered. In TACT,
some actually arrive at the Whlte
House only to be returned. On no
channel must the three pairs of eyes
of the Presidents secretaries be SO
sternly set as that which brings in pres
ents to the Chief Magistrate, IN oroer
not to connect his name with an al
vertising scheme. President Hoover,
however. say those who keep track OF
such details, orders the fragrant
Havana in vast quantities, possibly
three times greater than his three I'M
mediate predecessors and comparable
only to those required by the smoking
habits of President Mckinney ana ne
men of his era. But the first SIX months
OF an administration makes an aonof-
NAL inroad into the cigar STOCK OIL any
President
Mai Seerave the British speed king,
who with his wife received such adula-
ton in this republic. has been lnstslilng
in his country seat in Essex his latest
private toy railroad, obtained as tav
locomotive cnmn2f1V
Of Philadelphia The major has
passion for toy railroads and owns
system which is unique perhaps III
the world He declares that ne mas
gotten valuable ideas of speed IN the
motor car from the pace which ne can
command with the miniature locomo-
tive. Now he takes JOY IN ASCENDING
coach mail cars and sleeping cars IN
MACE on his track He can pass the
most enjoyable day with ms expert
ments, and sometimes he gives an ex-
hibition for the boys OF his neignooro
hood Although now holding the
worlds championship for automopne
racing. Mai. Segraye never attempted
tn acquire speed in the motor car untn
two wears after the arn1istlce. he
served as gunner throughout the war,
and then took up aviation only 10 crop
this and after experimenting with MS
+ov railroads with the idea of increas-
ing speed without danger, he switched
tn motor racing. He was born in New
York City of British parents.
x X = x
Ambassador Paul Claudels visit to
the Assumption College, in worcester,
Mass. conducted by the August1nlans
of the Assumption. recalls the -dlplo-
mats vigorous defense of these eon-
Gators when. in 1900. they were ac-
cused of royalist tendencies and ban
ished from the French republic. AS
teachers of the classics. M. Claudei al
WAYS had admired them and ne Wrote
a burning pamphlet about the ln1usuce
of deriving France of such educators
at the very time when classicism needed
to be sustained against the elective
system established everywhere, and
threatening its very existence. But M
Claudel was not successful, ana IL was
because of failing to retain their nolo
in the mother country that the AS
sumptionists scattered all over the
world and in 1904 began their work In
the Massa chusetts. city. Critics regard
this tiny educational institution, which
fonored the French Ambassador by a
special fete, with special admiration.
1t could not bestow higher degree
than B. A. and this was not considered
worthy to offer to so famed an am
bassador. But the diplomat spent de-
hghtful half day in the college and
examined with interest the old text
hooks familiar to him in his youth
Homer in the purest form, ana the
Greek of Plato. Aristotle and the I'M
mortal dramatist and Latin and French
derived from as lofty sources as the
Greek. In 1903 James Bryce, then
ambassador from Great Britain, on a
visit to worcester was the guest OF
this young school of the classics. Like
NJ. Claudel, he feared that real cul-
ture was passing from the earth Wnen
re nf
were regarding Greek and Latin as OPP
tional and not necessary prelude 70
a sound education.
DR. Nicholas Murray Butler, who can
at times dip his pen IN vltrlol ana
fay his enemies, is not exertlng him
self much to answer the critics OF his
style of architecture shown in the new
dormitories of Columbia University.
New York City deniZens although lack
ing an authoritative commission of the
fine arts such as Washington possesses,
are prone to take up the cudgels
against something which offends the
general ideal The eminent archi-
tects McKim, Meade & White, who
restored the White House in 1902 and
built the eastern and western extern
sions. finished Columbia University,
and the cry went forth that it looked
like a factory. and this chorus of criti-
cism has been mounting ever since
Columbia however. its president points
out, is a mammoth institution and is
still growing Even in Riverside Drive,
land is hard to get and economy in
space Is the word of the hour. Under
DR.. Butler, that abode of misery, the
Bloomingdale Insane Asylum, was de-
molished and he built mems club on
the site. This contains fine gym
nasium, and its presence fully makes
amends for the horrors of its past
But so frequently do new buildings
arise, and so rapidly, that as rule
a guide is necessary for those who wish
to get around Columbia quickly and
who have allowed a few years TO elapse
between visits.
When Senior Felipe Espil, for many
years counselor and charge d'affalres
Of the Argentine embassy, was pro-
NOTED to be minister at The Hague
much regret was expressed, for he was
among the most popular bachelors In
the corps and knew his ground in the
social and diplomatic sense most thor
oughly. So that the fact that he has
resigned his post in Queen Wnhelmina'
capital and, indeed, retired from the
foreign service of his country is a
genuine surprise. He is having holi-
day in New York City, enjoying re-
lease from Official duties and mingltne
pleasantly with the large group of his
country people who call New YORK CITY
BEACON INN