Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-16


The present occupants of the White
House are. 1t will be accepted, entirely
open minded when it comes to decisions
as momentous as the refurnishing of
the historic home of the Presidents in
authentic early American equipment.
This was Mrs. Coolidge's pet ambition
and she recently revived interest in the
idea through her writings on the
anomalies to be found In all parts OF
the mansion. The late Charles F. Nc
Kim, 1t will be recalled, transformed
the ugly Midvictorian black walnut and
heavily decorated State rooms into
lighter French adaptation, which is
much more pleasing. But colonial
furniture would not fit into the scheme
of the east room, for instance, nor are
patriotic persons, as Mrs Coolidge
hoped, crowding each other with offer
ingS of Duncan Phyfe sofas or massive
high and low boys, such as would be
suitable for so spacious room. In
fact. Mrs. Hoover, who is very practical,
would not, according to her friends,
welcome such program while she Is
mistress of the White House. Nor is it
a pleasant outlook to have the lower
suite torn to pieces and changed from
French to Colonial which would be
necessary If gifts of such description
were to be acceptable The President
is alleged to favor the appointment of a
person somewhat of a dictator in the
matter of good interiors and to give
him free hand in turning the White
House into an abode which meets the
present ideas of comfort and simple
elegance. But not in the immediate
future
Mrs. Hoover meantime takes pride
in the making over of the green room
into a charming apartment where early
poSt-revolutionary chairs and graceful
settees have replaced the bamboo and
brocade furniture which was to remlnis-
cent of sun porch. The green room
has a beautiful empire mantel in soft
ened white marble, one of a pair which
formerly decorated the State dining
room. The other furniture has been
adapted to the mantel, and the massive
japanese vases familiar to the public
of three generations have disappeared
and also the woodwork fire screen, made
by the unfortunate Empress Elizabeth
of Austria, which she presented through
the Minister of Austro Hungary, Baron
Ignatz Won Schaeffer, to President Ar
thur in 1883. The heavy chandelier
has been succeeded by crystal cluster
harmonizing with the wall brackets.
Mrs. Hoover uses this apartment fire.
quently for smaller and more home
like entertainments, and with the pink
roses of which she is so partial or the
gay yellow blooms of Spring she has
an environment of cheer and comfort
to which her long residence in Califor-
MIA has accustomed her Portraits OF
past occupants of the mansion which
were hung in rather pell-men fashion
have been thinned and those selected
blend into the color scheme with
artistic perfection.
4 y X
With the British Ambassador, Sir
Ronald Lindsay, finding temporary
quarters at the Mayfiower when he ar
rives this week and the new Peruvian
Ambassador securing suite at Ward
man Park, permanent embassies and
legations become popular theme in the
Capital The British Ambassador hopes
in May to move into the handsome
series of buildings now approaching
completion on Observatory Hill. The
Peruvian government has never owned
q home in Washington. But now that
the old feud with Chile is amicably adj
justed and new era Of prosperity has
daWned for that country. home OF its
own In the Capital of the mother re-
public of the 81 composing the Pan
American Union is on the official pro-
gram. The German government is
about 70 close negOLlaClonS LOT d new
home here. One in the high part OF
Massachusetts, avenue is said to receive
more favor than other locations. and
this tract is beyond the new British
embassy The japanese Ambassador is
using leisure moments which come to
him in overlooking offered sites for
respondent new establishment which
the foreign ONCE of Toxic has had In
mind for five years. Although no Sc
lection has been made, even tentatively,
there is q conviction that M. Debuchi
prefers the high, picturesque spots in
what is known as Washington Heights
and that a large plot not far remote
from the Siamese legation is receiving
close attention.
n y +
Mai. Gen Lyle Brown and his chief
aide, Brig. Gen. Herbert Deakyne. take
great pride in the work of the Army En-
eineers in Nicaragua where a specially
selected group of officers and enlisted
men are making a survey of the historic
waterway where it is proposed to cut