Evening star., 1934-10-28
BY SALLIE V. ii. PICKETT.


After her exciting week in New
York State. little rest at her Hyde
Park home and some engagements in
New York City, Mrs. Roosevelt will
return to the White House tomorrow
evening, where she will await the
fruits of her campaign efforts in be-
half of her friend, Mrs. Caroline
O'Day. Wednesday, among the things
that await her. is tree-plantlng IN
Mcmillan Park Playground, under the
sponsorship of the Women's City
Club. The custom of asking Pres
ident's lady to plant a tree was in
augurated years ago by the club. Mrs.
William Howard Taft. when mistress
of the White House planted the first
tree IN Park View Playground; Mrs.
Coolidge planted a tree at Chevy
Chase and Mrs Woodrow Wilson a
tree at Virginia Avenue. Mrs. Her
bert Hoover turned the soil for tree
planting at Mitchell Park.
Thomas jefferson was the first
great tree-planter of the White
House, many other residents follow
ing his example. and perhaps, the
habit existed before his time, but for
a lady and especially a lady Of the
White House to WELD a spade was
scarcely permissible in early days.
Mrs. John S. Bennett. president Of
the club; Mrs. Harry Lee Parkinson,
Civics- Committee chairman, and Miss
Sibyl Baker, superintendent of play
dc Nd n.
versant with work along this line
than any other person in Washington
will take part in the ceremonies and
Commissioner Allen will accept the
tree for the children of the District.
When it is known that less than a
dollar a year for each child is contrib
uted to Fairgrounds, and the vital
Importance of this feature in the de-
velopment of child life in the Capital,
the importance of the simple Cere-
mony of tree planting in a play
ground may be appreciated.
But the tree planting. interesting
ss it is, will not furnish the only
trend back to nature this week, for
this is Uncle Sans chrysanthemum
week and the plants over which
scientists and gardeners have labored
for a year, perhaps very much longer,
will come to full blossom by mid
week, when Mrs. Henry A. Wallace,
wife of the Secretary of Agriculture,
will follow the precedent set by her
mother-in-law, Mrs. Henry c. Wal
lace, when in the same position, of
opening the show. Besides the love-
ly hostess of the flower show, there
will be present many members of the
Executive family, ladies from the dip
lomatic corps and official society, par
ticularly the wives of officials OF the
department, and a few others. Then
the show will open to the public and
thousands of. flower lovers will stroll
down the aisles of the glass house
and meet many of the Presidents
wives of past administrations, the
Mrs. Taft. the Mrs. Theodore Roose-
welt the Mrs. Wilson, the Mrs. Hoo
yer, the Mrs. Coolidge and vast
galaxy of women and some men who
have figured in the annals of history
in such gorgeous array as to put
Solomon in the shade.
In the meantime, cabinet women
are exchanging calls of courtesy with
diplomatic women and thus paving
the way to the Midwinter program.
Other than for such an exchange OF
formality, the cabinet homes will not
be open on days at home until jan
uary. Since Congress f1irts with jan
parry instead of December and the
fn3ite House is late in its social set
up on account of repairs, the whole