Evening star., 1934-02-11
Tales of We'll Known Folk
In Art, Literature, Politics
Representative Rogers Deplores Sad State of
u. S. Diplomats-Gifted Artists in Corps
Hoover's "reminiscences of White House.

Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Is
fascinated by New York's radio-equip-
ped taxicabs. He says he actually
heard symphonic airs amid the traffic
on Fifth avenue. The Prince of Wales
has radio in his car, but Sir Henry
says they are very rare In England.
He loves broadcasting and thinks the
pealing,
Mrs Michael Macwhite. wife of the
Minister of the Irish Free State, is
to have a first view Of her collection
Of paintings on February II at the
Roerich Museum. New York Her
work is we'll known abroad and to
a select few in Washington. Mrs.
MacWhite Is a Dane. and some of
her most colorful landscapes are Dam
ish scenes, one of her pictures, a
canal scene in Italy, hangs now in the
Dublin Museum of Modern Art.
Nine. Veverka, wife of the Czecho-
slovakian Minister, Is also an artist
of note: her portrait of the Rev. w.
Coleman Nevils, president of George
town University, is considered rather
remarkable. She spends good deal
Of time each day in her studio in
the legation in Massachusetts avenue.
Frenchmen seem divided as to the
historic and esthetic results of the
restoration of Marie Antoinette's ia
nous hamlet at Versailles, for which
Mr.. John D. Rockefeller, jr., so gen.
erously gave the money.
M. de Nolhac, member of the
French Academy, historian of Ver-
sailles and curator of the historic
buildings, is foremost in his criticism.
He thinks the quaint little houses
where the Queens household lived
some $50 years ago look too new. He
says the buildings should have been
patched with bits Of thatch and
cement and the gardens where the
martyred Queen and her ladies in
waiting were supposed to have dis
ported themselves in their milkmaid
costumes should never, in NJ Nolhac's
opinion, been restored-as it is doubt
full that they ever existed.
The Royal Railroad Station of Paris,
which was used especially to receive
Kings and Queens, and where Presi-
dent Wilson was received in triumph
by the late M. Clemenceau and M.
Poincare in 1918, has been trans
formed, in part, into tea room.
While still used for local traffic its
days Of pomp and glory have de-
parted.
The historic Place de Ia Concorde,
in Paris, which has in the last few
days been the scene of rioting and
bloodshed, is the site of the Hotel
Crillon, where President and Mrs Will
son were housed during the Peace
Conference Of 1919. The beautiful
new American embassy is also on the
Place de la Concorde Until the mid
die of the eighteenth century the
place was an open field. Then it be-
came known as the Place Louis XVI,
then during the revolution the name
was changed to Place de la Revolution
and in 1925 to its present name
Place de la Concorde.
The only tranquil place in Paris
February was the great Trocadero
Palace, which was jammed with peo-
pie watching the governmental lot
terry drawing. with a first prize of
s315, 900, besides Is other prizes Of
100000 francs each. It Is reported
that the crowd was so interested in
the drawing that they were wholly
unmindful of the rioting.
1t has been observed lately that
royal railway stations in Europe are
not the gorgeous places that they were
before the World War, as royalty
travels much more conservatively and
there is little fuss and feathers or
notice taken Of their departures and
arrivals.
In England recently when Queen
Mary's automobile broke down on the
public highway. and she was rescued
by a very humble commoner and
taken to her destination, it created a
great furor, however. because she had
conversation with her polite host
And yet, being Queen and gen.
tleWoman. who would have better
right to be more courteous?
Who's Who, and Why, in the
White House." by Ike Hoover, the
first of three companion articles to
appear in a well-known weekly pub
lication on the 10th, is very interest,"
ing, but not as exciting as it might
have been If Mr.. Hoover, chief usher
for over 80 years at the Executive
Mansion, had not felt the need of
great restraint In making his notes
during all the full years of his service.
The editor of the notes. Mr.. Wesley
Stout, has taken little liberty with
the recorded facts, and consequently
the chatty style of diarist Is lost.
What a mine of delightful, spicy
recollections the head usher could
have given out-but the confidential
position he held was a sacred trust
to him Americans are very sensi-
tive-provincial foreigners would say
about publishing to the world the
shortcomings and foibles of their
statesmen. When they do attempt it
they go to the other extreme, and
sordidneSs Is the result.
st. Johns College, Annapolis. Md,
has just received valuable addition
to its library in the gift of friend