The Washington times., 1934-08-22

Ok1C bAS US"A
bars and drawing rooms, the
flaming art of drinking would
die out. And every cocktail room
would close with the snap of a
finger.
In regard to smoking. the re-
turning travellers tell the same
story. Great, strong men are not
smoking as much as they did.
And as for the young heroes OF
college and hunting g-for-a-job
age they are barely interested
in the weed.
Why this beautiful bit OF
masculine reform has come
about no one at present can tell
definitely. Some cunning gen.
tlemen say it is result of the
disgust Of honest men with
drinking, smoking females.
Suspicious women declare
that for generations men have
drunk up and smoked up every
thing in sight and under cover,
So it's time they were fed up.
Perhaps the sturdy sex pre-
fers to keep its vices rough and
completely he-man. 1t can't en-
dure the evil ways that have
brought delicious sorrow to poor
weak woman for thousand
years of fiction and actually
going genteel and feminine.
Or perhaps a vice isn't a vice
when it's extensively advertised
in the magazines and pursued
in the glare of modern tap
rooms.
Many theories will explain
this rather alarming trend to-
ward virtue in the male (alarm-
ing because new set of vices is
probably brewing at the mo-
ment). In every theory you
will see the same fundamental
answer to the problem-"Cher-
chez la Femme"
It's the perennial reason for
masculine confusion-and enter
prise.
I drove through Bert Ritchie's
Annapolis yesterday.
It is Bert Ritchie's Annapo-
lis, you know. And probably
will be as long as this hand
some, intelligent gentleman
wishes to keep it so.
The opposition to his candl-
dacy for his fifth term as Gov
ernor of Maryland has melted
away like the May snow of the
German ballads.
Protesting weepingly that
Ritchie is a dictator and a vii
lain, the candidates who set out
heroically to snatch the State
have Withdrawn their names"
Mayor Jackson of Baltimore
was the last to pass out OF the
"gubernatorial picture" And
now the stage is swept and gar
nished for more years OF
Ritchie.
Maryland without Ritchie in
the Governors Mansion would
be like Hamlet without Hamlet.
Or almost so. The Ritchie dy-
nasty has brought distinction to
the State.
Undoubtedly the Governors
Mansion at Annapolis needs
Bert Ritchie as its hero. He
dresses up the big old house so
satisfactorily. If I were Gov
ernor Ritchie (strange ideO
I should want to cling to the
Governorship just for the pleas
ure of living in the Mansion.
It's a fine, dignified old
house. Not Colonial, as much
of old Annapolis is, but frankly
Victorian. with bay windows
put cheerfully here and there.
Huge rooms with high ceilings.
Many comfortable chairs and
sofas. Bright hangings, with
no self conscious color scheme or
rule of interior decoration to
stiffen its friendly welcoming
atmosphere.
Once when we dined there on
Christmas was taken upstairs
as was every other guest, to see
the governors mother. Mrs.
Ritchie was i'll that night, at
least too i'll to come down stairs
to dinner. But she received
her guests in the grand man.
ner in a room fragrant with
flowers and gay with Christmas
presents.
She was seated in a wheel
chair and wore a satin negl-
gee trimmed with pale pink
maribou. Across her knees was
q maribou robe. She sat beau
tifully erect. Her hair was ex-
uuisitely done and her skin was
pink and smooth. She was
gracious and entertaining
but she received the homage Of
her guests almost as royalty
does. Mrs. Ritchie was a great
lady.
Not long after this Christmas
she died.
ANY woman who succeeds her
as mistress Of the Governors
Mansion will have a difficult
role to reach.