Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-23
Tales of Well Known Folk
In Social and Official Life
Outstanding Events Listed. With Special Notes of
Important Happenings IN Two Continents
and Personal Sketches.
BY MARGARET z. DOWNING,

BY MARGARET Y. DOWNING.
The Ambassador to Madrid. Mr. Irwin
Laughlin has been. as the term goes.
sitting easy during the political up
aeaval which caused the retirement of
Primo de Rivera. Mr.. and Mrs Laugh
lin are still in the hotel quarters which
were taken over from the recent Am
baSsador, MIR. hammond. and they are
spacious and elegant enough still it is
q hosiery and without the charm and
privacy of home. It had been the firm
Intention of Mrs, Laughlin when the
beautiful mansion in Crescent place
was closed last Autumn to search the
Spanish capital for something like It
and establish her home with her full
domestic stan. But Madrid is peeu-
liarly lacking In small demiciles. for,
by Spanish standards, the stately
Laughlin house in washington would
be cottage or lodge. certainly not an
abode suited for wealth or exalted rank
There are groups Of residences about
the Plaza de Oriente. which leads to the
royal palace of Madrid and its mag
ntficent park and gardens, which have
100 sleeping apartments and drawing
rooms and banquet halls surprising in
area any Of the larger ball rooms Of
the local hotels. With minimum of ex-
cepttons. these rooms are heated In
dividually by porcelain stoves or open
hearths and the illumination remains
Is Of old from wax candles, with few
Pickering gas chandeliers. Naturally. q
hotel up to modern standards is pref
cradle But the story goes that Mr.
Laughlin resigned from active diplo-
macy when he was minister to Greece
through sheer longing for home food
preDared in his own kitchen
y y \
Senator Kenneth Mcclellan Of Ten
neSsee Of the ranks Of "eligibles" in o
delectable coteFie is counted with first
honofs as the most Indifferent TO social
Establishments. II Is the persuasive
hostess who lures him to a formal ban
Quet. although he Is most agreeable
dfner-out In informal groups Of his
friends. But he acknowledges a ten
dency to arrive at the right house on
the wrong date or vice verse, and to re-
ceive much Of what Is called raging"
as a result. Both the Senator Washes
differ from their colleague from Andrew
Jaeksnn's state. MIR. walsh of Montana,
although Of such austere appearance, is
witty and can entertain the shyest or
most aloof partner. The social grades Of
the Senator from Massachusetts, are too
well known for more than passing COM
ment. He is sought so aSSiduously for
dinners that he rarely gets an oppor-
tunity during the season to partake Of
q meal in the solitude he often Graves,
Neither Senator Hale of Maine nor
young Bob" La Toilette are counted
among those available for dinners or
dances, although naturally scores of
invitations reach their homes. But they
mingle freely in their own circle and
the small dinings at the Hale mansion
in Sixteenth and K streets are delight
tul.
The Duke of Alba, promoted from
minister of education In the cabinet
formed by Gen. Berengeur to that Of
foreign affairs, will be unlikely under
present conditions to find time to visit
this country as he has in past years.
Few of SPANS eminent grandees are so
well known. The duke is one Of the
celebrated polo players of the Iberian
Peninsula and has frequently been the
guest of the Meadow Brook Club on
Long Island an and 81 the i San Ma Seo
always dropped BY the Capital and
paid his respects to the Ambassador
of his country and was presented to
President Coolidge during one Of these
sojourns. The duke has more titles
than the Spanish King, or any other
King for that matter, and 1t requires
two minutes and half to tntone his
member Of the Stuart dynasty who re-
mains part Of the great social or pos
litical scheme in any country, and his
connection is not recognized IA books
Of genealogy since he descends tFem
that Duke or Berwick who vas the
son of James II and the fascinating
Arabella Churchill. But despite nus
RMA fAklAn dHgkaE he
ing In i've different enumerations ana
more than a dozen marquises ana
counts, he is known in the court cir
eles merely as Jimmie" since he
signs his name generally as James
Stuart Fitz James with one or two OF
the Spanish terms to lend balance. The
Duchess Of Alba Is one Of the noted
beauties of the Spanish court she IVES
the Maruuese del Rosario, but like
nearly ali the grande danes Of Spain
she is not partial to ocean voyages ana
has never visited the western world.
4 4 \
Mr. John d. Rockefeller, jr., has re-
iuctantly Joined Mr.. Otto H. kahn IN
deciding that too many herculean op-
Stacles intervene when Contemplating
the erecting Of a new Meuopontan
plain that he does not share the gen
eraI idea that opera Is passing. on
the contrary. he believes its most glor-
ions wears are to come, especially IN
the New World. But the land which
he purchased from Columbia Univer.
eity from Fifth to Sixth avenues ana
from Fiftieth to- Fifty-hrst streeIe y! Is
90 tied UP in long-period leases tnaL
win require at least fiVe years 70 ,,s TIE
this particular square can ever De avali-
Able for the new temple Of music Wnich
has been planned. Two chufenes, IA
cIudinp St. Patrick's Cathedral, on tne
corner of Fifth avenue and FIIty-nIst
street. are opposed to bringing VIZ
opera house so near. Many o I
stockholders believe II wiser 70 pSn S1
NJ RockefeiIer's site. A location near
the Metropolitan Museum IN tns
Eighties is now indicated.
MRS John Francis Amherst CeGn
~,iiI this Srrirae open what 70 frequently
Gescribed as the handsomest private
estate in this Republic, hntmore, 70
Hich motorists as choose 10 arive
through the spacious park ana cIreie
chsteau which her father built IN the
sarlv I89Os. Hitherto visitors TO Ashe-
vile could only view this domain from
sfar. but possibly Mr.. Cecil, VINO Is
British, and accustomed to have the
public beauty spots in the three isles
Accessible, has counseled this conces-
sion. although Mrs. Cecil will charge no
entrance fee which Is customary IN
England and its sister islands. Richard
Morris Hunt. the renowned arcnitect
If New York City, designed the chateau
and It was erected under his personal
directions and principally by British
and Scotch stone masons. 1t was nve
wears in the building and Mr.. Hunt
r,rnnolnced u his best Effort and the