Evening star., 1933-07-30
Retiring Official Finds Peace
At Famed Georgetown Home
Robert W. Bliss, 80 Years
in Service, Will Relax
at the Oaks.
BY JAMES WALDO FAwcETT.

BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
The owner of the beautiful house
and gardens at 3101 r street, George
town, henceforth may have opportunity
to enjoy them. Robert Woods Bliss to-
morrow will retire from 30 years serv-
ice in the Department of State, and
will spend some time becoming reac-
quainted with his property acquired in
1928.
Long known as the Oaks, the grounds
extend from Thirty first to Thirty-sec
end street and from r to s street. For
the past decade they have been the
premier attraction of the annual
Georgetown garden tour. Magnificent
lawns, stately trees, rare flowers and
and extended. are inclosed within the
reaches of the encircling wall. The
garden plan, it Is said, has been kept
faithful to the original design Of long
ago, but many improvements have been
made in recent years under Mr.. Bliss
direction.
Men consistently eminent in the Ma
tion's Capital were among the owners
of the Oaks. In the list are included
the names of william H. Dorsey,
appointed by President Jefferson to be
firstejudge Of the Orphans Court; Rob-
ert Beverly. who married a sister of
Col. John Tayloe of the Octagon house;
John c. Calhoun. Secretary OF War in
others.
Lafayette was a guest there on the
occasion, of his American tour Of 1924.
Native Of St. Louis.
Mr. Bliss was born at st. Louis. Mo-,
August S, 1875. He was graduated from
Harvard University in 1900 and entered
Government employ the same year, his
first post being that Of an appointment
in the Office Of the secretary of Puerto
Rico. in the first civil administration
of the new insular possession. From
1901 to 1908 he was private secretary
to the Governor of the island. Judge
William H. Hunt.
Leaving San Juan, he entered the
organized foreign service Of the United
States as consul at Venice, in which
assignment he spent one year. His next
designation was that of second secre-
tary to the embassy at st. Petersburg,
Russia, where he remained until the
end of January, 1907, in intimate con-
tact with the most eminent diplomatists
in Europe. The period was that Of the
Russo Japanese War, and dramatic
incident of the time was the revolution
of 1905. Mr.. Bliss was an eyewitness
of the events Of Bloody Sunday, jan
uary %. when the mysterious Father
Georgu Capon attempted to lead a mob
to the Winter palace and the cars
troops fired into the crowd, with mur-
derous effect.
Appointed secretary of legation at
Brussels, he was in that city when
King Leopold II annexed the Congo,
an important development in the colon
ial growth of Belgium. He was dele
gate of the United States to the in
ternational convention to consider re-
vision of the arms and ammunition
regulations of the general act Of Brus-
sells of July 2, 1890.
In 1908 he married Miss Mildred
Barnes Of New York, who ever since
has been his devoted companion in all
his travels and brilliant collaboration
in all his labors.
From Belgium Mr.. Bliss was transfer
red to Buenos Aires as secretary OF
legation His first two and a half
years in Argentina, 1909-1912, gave him
an opportunity to study the country
and its problems from which he was to
profit later. He was active in the
fourth Pan-American conference and
in the elaborate celebrations and the
international exposition commemorate
ing the centenary Of Argentine tnde-
pendence.
A new chapter in his career opened