Evening star., 1934-05-06
Tales of Well Known Folk
In Art, Literature, Politics
President and Mrs. Roosevelt to Jamestown by
Water-Secretary Wallace Admires Gilbert
White Mural in P. w. A. P. Exhibit. %.
John Hays Hammond's Memoirs. i

Former Gov. John Garland Pollard,
Of Virginia, fairly beamed the other
day when he announced that Presi-
dent Roosevelt had accepted the in
vitation of the Association for the
Preservation of Virginia Antiquities,
to go down to Jamestown on May 13
to be pl esent at the anniversary cele-
bration of the landing of the English
colonists, that day in 1907.
The President and Mrs. Roosevelt,
and a party of friends expect to go
down by water the day before-very
likely on the Sequoia. They will
sail up the James River, landing just
about where the colonists landed on
that eventful day when they disem-
barked to make the first permanent
settlement in America.
The view from Jamestown Is beauti-
full and peaceful, and gazing out over
the James River, it Is a little difficult
to picture those distressing days from
October, 1909 to June, 1910, when
starvation and death stalked the little
colony of brave men and women. or
about 500 settlers only 80 survived.
The picturesque ruins of the old
church at Jamestown, stand as
symbol of the religious zeal and
bravery of those early settlers, so.1e
of whose descendants were the makers
of early American history. The foun-
dation stones of this great Republic.
And in this first church where the
Indian maiden Pocahontas was mar
ried to John Rolfe, one can still see
an old slab which marks the grave
of Ursula Byrd, the wife of Robert
Beverly, the first Virginia historian.
And by the way, of the family OF
United States Senator Harry Byrd.
who with Gov. Peery and Mr.. Pol
lard, extended the invitation to the
President.
The arrangements are for the
presidential party to motor back
through Williamsburg, Yorktown and
Stratford-the home Of Richard Henry
Lee, the forebear of the great Gen.
Marse Robert Lee.
At Williamsburg the President and
Mrs. Roosevelt, will see the Raleigh
Tavern, where the Marquis de Lafay-
ette was entertained at splendid
banquet in 1924, when Chief Justice
John Marshall, John c. Calhoun ana
officers of the Army and Navy OF the
Revolution, were present. ana per-
haps the distinguished visitors Will
90 into the old Tap Room, where the
famous bowl of punch was made
which is attested by deed recorded
in Goochland County, dated l73S, In
which William Randolph OF Tuckahoe.
sold to Peter jefferson, the father OF
Thomas. two hundred acres OF lana
in consideration of Henry Wether.
burn's biggest bowl of Arrack Punch"
AS a member of Phi Beta Kappa,
President Roosevelt will be INTERESTED
in seeing the beautiful new nall, tne
gift of Mr.. John D. Rockefeller, Jr,
also a member of the association.
In a new Lafayette: A Revolution
ary Gentleman" by Michael de la
Bedovere. one will find many OF the
historic figures with which the great,
liberty-loving Frenchman was asso-
ciated during his II active years In
the several causes in which ne was
interested. There Is not much new
that could be told Of Lafayette, but
as in all historical biographies, 1t re-
mains for the author to tell his story
in an original way, bringing out situ-
ations to which later years have adoeo
interesting information.
The Secretary of Agriculture, Mr..
Wallace, who halls from out where
the tall corn grows. seems to have
more appreciation of art for arts sake
or is it kindly feeling for the un-
employed artist-than Prof. TugweH,
who, although more Injured to the
effete East, evidently feels that II the
Department of Agriculture is to have
one Of the new muralS, the gift OF the
P. w, A. p. it should embody the
spirit of 1884 instead Of the classic
age.
The center panel of the large, 40
foot mural, painted by Gilbert White,
and now on exhibition at the Depart
ment of Agriculture, would seem to
be all inclusive so far as bucolic SYM
bols are concerned, but Prof. Tugwell
evidently feels that as this is the age
of machinery Ceres would appeal more
to the farmer if she were driving a
tractor, for instance, loaded with the
fruits of the field. And if Cybele, god
dess of the earth, were mounted on
harvester, turning up the rich and fall
low soil. Or maybe 1t is not a har-
vester that takes the place OF the
poetic ploughman, who homeward
wends his weary way.
The Grecian draperies which adorn
the figures in this panel would not
be very utilitarian in this machine
age and one might have the feeling
that shoulder straps would be helpful
in keeping the corSage in place. But
aside from this there is every indica-
ton that the scene is a bucolic one,
since in the foreground there are veg
etables and a hat-did Ceres have
hat?-f1lled with eggs. The chickens
are to the right, somewhat removed
from the eggs, and the house or barn
in the distance is much like the pres
ent-day architecture; but the tree Is
beautiful and as whole the grouping
Is artistic.
On Tuesday night Government en-
ployes were either curious to see an
outstanding representative of the
brain trust, or else very much inter-
ested in the social responsibility of
technical workers, for the auditorium
of the National Museum was crowded
to standing room when Prof. Tugwell
addressed them on that subject.
If there we're present those who
were not technical workers, they may
have had some difficulty in under
standing parts of Mr.. Tugwells ad-
dress, which he read. But now and
then he took them into his confidence
in a conversational way, and while a
very few may not have been sure Just
what '1aissez-faire" policy was meant