Evening star., 1934-05-27
PRESIDENT. HOST
T06()OVETERANS
Chief Executive and First
Lady Receive Group
From Hospitals.

Standing beneath tall maple tree
in the rear grounds of the White
House, the President and Mrs. RooSe-
welt yesterday received several hun
dred guests from the veterans hos
pitals in and near the city.
They were carrying out an annual
affair started by Mrs. Woodrow Will
son and held each Spring at the White
House since.
The threatening skies reduced the
number of veterans attending the re-
ception. Some were wheeled along the
reception line, some were on stretch
ers and many walked with a limp.
Many nurses from veterans hospitals
were on hand to assist the men. They
were aided by nurses from the Red
Cross as we'll as members of the Grey
Ladies. the Blue Ladies and the Red
Cross Motor Corps.
With the President and Mrs. RoOse-
welt in the receiving line were Mrs
George Henry Dern. wife of the Sec
retary of War, and Mrs Claude Swan
son, wife of the Secretary of the Navy.
Presidents Garb Informal.
The President was attired in his
business suit Mrs. Roosevelt wore a
blue crepe dress and blue toque. Al
though there was decided chill in
the air, neither the President or Mrs
Roosevelt wore wraps, and the former
was hatless. Col. Edwin Watson and
Rear Admiral Walter N. Vernou
chief White House military and naval
aides, respectively, alternated in the
introductions.
The veterans started down the re-
ception line at precisely 4 o'clock
More than 400 veterans were received
in. addition to hospital staff officers,
nurses and invited guests, making
total of slightly more than 600.
Among the distinguished guests
were Secretary of Commerce Roper
and Mrs Roper Mrs. Henry Morgen-
thau wife of the Secretary of the
Treasury Frederic A. Delano, uncle
of the President, and Mrs. Delano'
Josephus Daniels, former Secretary of
the Navy during the World War and
now Ambassador to Mexico; Brig. Gen.
Hines, administrator of veterans af-
IdlTS- dIlU MIS-. Aii6' >Nii'
Miles of the general staff of the Army;
Mai Gen. Patterson, chief medical
officer of the Army; Rear Admiral
Rossiter. chief medical officer of the
Navy: Rear Admiral Hamlet. COM
mandant of the Coast Guard, and
Representatives Connery and Rogers
of Massachusetts,. Rayburn of Texas
and Howard of Nebraska.
Marine Band Plays
Throughout the reception the
United States Marine Band played gay
music. When the last of the guests
had been received, refreshments of
ice cream, cake. sandwiches and hot
coffee were served from several mar
ouees covered with brightly striped
awnings. There we're on hand so
young women of the Veterans Bureau,
representing the various States. They
were dressed in white, with broad brim-
med straw hats and wearing satin
sashes over their shoulders with the
name of their State in gold letters.
They assisted in waiting upon the
veterans A program Of singing, led
by members of the Cornell Glee Club,
was a departure from the customary
program.
In the long line of veterans there
we're a half dozen or so members OF
the G.. A. R. The President appeared
particularly interested in John LEIGH,
80, who, in response to questions, said
he served first in the 67th New York
Infantry and later in the I'd New
jersey Cavalry. He explained this
switch" from the Infantry to the
Cavalry to the President by saying he
got tired of tramping over the dusty
hills of Virginia and wanted to do
some riding for change.