Evening star., 1934-10-07


tectural adaptability in the scheme.
The atmosphere Of hospitality
which is everywhere must eminate |
from the gracious, cordial manner
with which DR.. Rowe, the official host !
receives his guests, whether at one of |
those delightful concerts of Pan
American music, or in his big busi- |
nesslike office on the south side OF the |
building.
When walking through the building |
it would be easy to vision a life in |
marble halls. Now it is not known !
whether the doctor ever dreams that |
he dwells in marble halls-for as a
matter of fact he lives in the |
Annex. that charming little white |
house which overlooks the pretty gar
den with its lily pond to the west of |
the building proper, and which Is |
entered through the wonderful Aztec |
blue loggia with an awful looking /
Aztec god guarding the portals. If |
it's on a night when the moon is a |
bit overloaded perhaps one could |
avoid this grim looking goblin and |
enter by the street door. AS director |
DR.. Rowe. entertainS at smaller af-
fairs In his private quarters, instead |
of in the regal dining salon in the |
big house where large state dinners |
and luncheons are given.
But to return to Dr. Rowe'S Office, |
for 1t was there the visitor was in |
vited in: Big windows to the south |
overlooking the Virginia hills and the |
Potomac-tables everywhere loaded |
with papers and publications in a |
Babel of languages-moStly Spanish
walls covered with portraits, maps
and autographed photographs Of dis
tinguished men all over the world
one exceptionally good one of the
Secretary Of State. Mr.. Hull, scholarly, |
stateSmanlike, just bit of a poetic !
look in the eyes, and then a splen- !
did bust in bronze of Mr.. Elihu Root. |
There were diplomas and honors
from many universitieS-Some framed
in narrow black frames and hang
ing on the wall. DR.. Rowe, has
speaking acquaintance with the seats
of learning all over the world-and
speaks to each of them in their own
tongue. You know he is really one
of those professors like they have in |
the New Deal-except he has been a |
bit more in Federal service as Assist |
ant Secretary of Treasury, chief of |
the Latin American Division of the |
Department of State, and several 9TH !
er things, which has softened a bit the |
academic air.
Space is too short to tell of all the
books the director general Of the Pan
American Union has written. but in |
his busy life he has been particularly
gracious about writing forewords for
his friends books-par example, that |
interesting foreword in Mr.. Sumner |
Wells "Naboth's Vineyard" Now, |
please, this is not the vineyard which |
the siren Jezebel took from Naboth |
and gave to her husband Ahab, but |
the gist of the subject seems to be |
the Dominican Republic-maybe a |
similar case somewhere or somehow. |
To show how poetry always enters |
into even the commercial life of the |
Latin American republics, there was |
glass humidor on the doctors desk |
f1lled with choice cigarS-none was |
orthcoming-with some very interest |
ing labels with poetic flavor, such |
as Romeo y Juleta," mil Flores" |
Belinda for the early love of |
Thomas Jefferson-and then Bolivar" |
for the great patriot and admirer Of |
George Washington. No advertise
ment is meant. Just an illustration |
OF the poetic side Of the royal weed.
AS a salesman of good will, DR..
Rowe travels widely over South Amer
lea and Mexico. He is like the Prince |
Of Wales, when ne goes on a good |
Will tour-he makes the contacts and |
the other chap does the business.
When seen recently he was terribly :,
interested in a visit to Colombia, in |
August. Full of enthusiasm for the |
alrways service which took hours, in |
stead OF days, to make the trip. His
visit was not long after President
Roosevelt was down there. The ex-
citement over the Presidents visit was |
still evident, and everywhere Or. Rowe |
heard about their good neighbor to |
the North. 1t was the first time a
visited Colombia. 1t will be recalled |
there had been considerable coolness
for some years prior to Mr.. Roose-
velt's visit, owing to the episode Of |
the Panama Canal, engineered by a
distant relative of his. The Roosevelt
smile. the sincere neighborly Inter-
course, however, won the day.
The recent issue of the American
Art Annual, shows the interest at
auction sales is notable for the art |
OF Americas earlier years. Eliza
beth Luther Cary. the delightful art
critic, says: Gilbert Stuart, natur-
ally. leads the list; the thirst for his
agreeable versions of Washington's
phySiognomy seems never to be sat-
iSfied. Two Of these portraits are
recorded, bringing in one case O,5OO:
in the other (the Lee-Phillips por-
trait), $1,750. Still another sold in
May, 1888, for more than $l1,O00." !
Miss Cary observes that it is obviously
Wa ehinptnn and not |