Evening star., 1934-11-04
Tales of Well-KnoWn Folk
In Literature, Art, Politics
Elephant Frances at Afternoon Tea as G. O. P
Women Talk Politics Mrs. Coolidge Takes
Stump-Departm of Justice Dedication.

fever and Is becoming most &C
ceptable public speaker, although she
does not take to the broadcasting end
of it. She is greatly in demand and
could fill much of her time If she
were SO inclined. She spoke the other
day at the dedication of the library
of the Women's National Republican
Club in New York, which is a memo
rial to her husband. The women have
it again, for the library is to be de-
voted to the advancement of the po-
litical education of women. If the
men do not watch out they will steal
the show.
When the Coolidges were in the
White House, the general opinion was
that they did little entertaining be-
sides official, but the friends from
Vermont and Massachusetts, were fire.
quent guests and Mrs. Coolidge always
arranged so that she would be free to
do what they liked best when they
came to town.
At a tea party-no cocktails-re-
Gently, which ended in sort of Grace
Coolidge love feast, Vermonter told
a charming story apropos OF Mrs.
Coolidges resourcefulnesS, as well as
thoughtfulness. One day she tele-
phoned an old Vermont schoolmate
who was in town that she was send
ing the White House car for her and
wished her to spend the day with
her. The friend said she simply could
not appear at the front door of the
White House, before all those pompous
footmen and guards in the old coat
she was wearing, and that she had
no time to buy a new one. Mrs.
Coolidge laughingly answered that
she would fix that. So her friend was
taken to the south door of the man
sion, where she was met by Mrs. Cool
idge. who ragged her good deal
about standing in awe OF the 1oot-
men.
Secretary Wallace's book, New
Frontiers" has not appealed partlcu-
larly to Mrs. William Kelley, because
she has received so little money from
her Western farms this Fall. The
farmer may profit, but she does not
come under the dole-or whatever
dirt farmers get.
1t does seem superhuous to offer
prizes for new books when one con-
siders the >lpidity with which they
are pouring off the presses. And
vet Little. Brown g. Co. are offering
centenary prize of $4,000 for the
most interesting, unpublished Amer
ican work mot fiction) submitted to
them before October. 1886. Biography,
history. significant excursion into
economics-yes, Mr.. Tugwell-politics
or morals. Other subjects are in
cluded. but it must deal with events
in the United States and must be
written by a citizen of the United
States. Three thousand dollars of the
award offered will be an outright prize,
while the remaining $4,000 will be
an advance on account of royalties.
This offer is in celebration OF the
publishers centenary in 1887.
Mr.. H. G.. Wells has written all
kinds of outlines and now he has writ
ten one of himself which, in truth, is
not an outline but bona f1de portrait
with the light and shadows well
brought out and but little left to the
imagination. His diapers apprentice
manners are much in evidence and
his lack Of breeding and courtesy
should never be excused on the plea OF
genius. People who are very rude
are often described as temperamental.
If the White House, during the in
cumbency of Presidents Harding and
Hoover, was as he describes it, he
should have felt at home.
When Mr.. Wells was presented to
President Harding at the White House
he says it was like attending poll
ticians' reception in an official build
ing. all loud geniality and hand
shaking" At the mansion under
President Hoover "a queer ramShackle
place. and he felt that his call was
"a sort of intrusion upon slckly,
overworked and overwhelmed man"
Under the Theodore Roosevelts he
found the White House like amy large,
comfortable, leisurely, free-talking
| country house" but the Franklin
Roosevelts have Jared better at his
hands, for he found the mansion
large, cool, orderly and unhurried." "
The Roosevelts, unlimited people, en-
tirely modern in the openness of their
minds and the logic of their actions. "
He thinks President Roosevelt is the
most effective transmitting instru-
ment possible for the coming of the
New World order" 1t is a fact, per-
haps, that the White House does not
impress two people in the same way
With the present occupants it's the
easy, cordial courtesy, the living in