Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-07
BY MARGARET B. DOWNING.


Gay-hued flowers give flash of color
to the eXpanse of green lawn that
spreads between the north front portico
of the White House and the iron fence
which lends privacy to the park about
the mansion. 1t is from the portico
that Mrs. Hoover may enjoy the set
ting of the deep blue bed which now is
filled with lucillea and squillS, grape
hyacinthS, violets and early forget-me-
nots, but later will show those tall
graceful clumps of white phlox. This
10 g bed of blue was the first color
which showed on the north grounds,
although nearby the tulip display is a
glory and the ciumps of .peonieS show
their ruby stems and make dash Of
color quite as effective as flowers.
Some white narciSsi are planted in this
bed also, but just now only green
spikes are above the ground, the flower
not being due for about a week. Every
kind of tulip is getting ready to bloom
in the cd Dutch garden on the south
grounds and in between the edge of
the rose garden, which lies in the open
space where President Roosevelt for
merly had his tennis court. Mrs. Cool
idge had particular affection for the
flower beds down near the Avenue, be-
cause, as she expressed her pride in it,
this was shared by so many. Few who
are merely strolling and not rushing to
some particular place fail to pause
and admire the various blue flowers
which are bloSsoming SO merrily, the
very first floral welcome extended from
the White House grounds to the casual
passer-by.
X 4
Senator and Mrs. Porter Human
Dale's sale of their beautiful home at
the corner Of B and Maryland avenue
northeast, to the National Woman's
Party was most reluctantly determined
IN order that both might be closer to
the center of activity. Senator Dale
was adjacent to the Capitol and to his
office and he will regret the move on
this account. But now that Mrs Dale's
responsibilities have increased trebly
on her election to the presidency of
the Congressional Club, she wishes to
reside in a region less remote from
Washington'S Mayfair. No members of
oflcialdom seemed to take such pride
in their home or enjoyed more
thoroughly the remodeling and furnish
ing of this old mansion. It was built in
the era of Washington'S most excellent
domestic architecture, the first decade
after the seat of Government had been
transferred from Philadelphia The
owner and builder was William Dam
gerfield of Virginia, but the mansion
was longest and best known as the
Barbour House, home of one of Vir-
ginia's able and eloquent Senators, who
had inherated the property from a COL
lateral relative. A long series of law
suits and neglect had almost ruined the
sturdy old building. but under the able
supervision of Senator and Mrs. Dale
it arose again in its ancient splendor.
The dividing walls are three feet thick
and the floors of imperiShable oak.
Nearly all the rooms, especially those
for sleeping purposes. are of heroic
size, so that Mrs. Dale has equipped
these apartments after the genuine
Colonial fashion, a mighty poster bed
which would comfortably hold four was
installed, and at the end roomy high
boy and lowboy.
Mr.. Robert Wood Bliss and Mrs.
Bliss are spending the Spring on their
Georgetown estate, 1.-The Ooks," and
for the first time in several seasons they
have enjoyed the marvels of the Spring
flowers and Towering vines in their
wonderfully restored old garden. AS
Ambassador to Buenos Aires, Mr.. Bliss
is taking a deferred vacation, having
been kept at his post by the goodwill
visit of President Hoover and many
affairs which followed on its heels. Mrs.
Bliss spent the waiting period in Paris
and gathered many beautiful drapings
and rugs for the now finished home. In
remodeling the old mansion and re-
arranging the grounds, Mr.. Bliss has
kept to the British bucolic type, with
deep borders of perennial flowers about
the home and the grounds which slope
and merge into Rock Creek Park in
wild state with frequent replantings
when Winter and other causes thin the
blossoms. A garden party on this estate
is one of the glories of the open weather
and is in line of Georgetown traditions
in its older and more spacious homes.
X X 4 X
Mr.. Chang Pc, who is the mayor of
Picking, former capital of China, has ad-
dressed the national government at
Marking asking that the historic lega-
ton quarters in the Forbidden City
should be retroceded to the municipal
government over which he preSides
The mayors action has been prompted
by the fact that the various legations
still remain in Picking although the fed
eraI government has been formally es-
tablished at Marking, and that he has
recently received a large bill for the
road repairs leading to the diplomatic
quarter. This work was done for the
convenience of the corps at theN time
when the country was unorganiZed and
at war. and no authority could be ap-
preached to get an appropriation. The
mayor argues that the legations soon
will have to be moved and that he sees
no reason for paying this indebtedness
incurred without the sanction of the
Peking counsel. Opinion is universal
that if Picking is to pass as the capital
of the Chinese Republic, the legation
quarter will have to go also and that
one of the genuinely picturesque and
historically important spots OF the
Eastern world will disappear. The
United States owns its legation home,
as do all the great powers holding
friendly relations with China. The
quarter will no doubt be turned into
a handsome residential section and the
diplomatic establishments and the
grounds surrounding them will have to
be purchased by the Peking municipal
government, since the matter in the
involved methods of oriental procedure
cannot be transacted by the new ma
tional government in Marking.
MIR. and Mrs. William Mccormick
Blair of Chicago, opened their country
home in the bitterest part of the recent
cold spell and, under the most dis
couraging conditions, gave a circus ball
In the glass-inciosed tennis court,
heated by monstrous electric stoves.
The temperature added vim and energy
to the antics of the guests, all CARRIED
as some animal and supposed to act
exactly as this creature should in the
primeval forest. Trapeses were erected
and long platforms in the air where
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