Evening star., 1934-11-04
Egyptian Legation
Has Hostess First
Time in Five Years
Nine. Rateb Bey to Make
First Official Appearance
at Reception in Honor OF
King Fouad.

After five years without an official
hostess, the Egyptian Legation has a
ctatelaine of beauty and charm.
Nine. Rateb Bey, wife of the newly
appointed Minister of Egypt, Ibrahim
Rateb Bey. will make her first Off
sial appearance as hostess at the COL
orful legation at a reception to be
held there this month in celebration
of the accession to the Egyptian
throne of his royal highness, King
Fouad I. Previously set for Octo-
Der 9, the reception was postponed
when news reached the Capital of
the assassination of King Alexander
Of YugoSlavia.
Washington society remembers with
pleasure the two former chatelaines
of the legation, Nine. S. Yousry
Pasha, whose husband in 1924, was
the first Minister of Egypt to present
his credentials to this country. and
Nine. Samy Pasha, who came to the
Capital with her husband in 1925,
and who had made many friends
here at the time of their departure
for their own home in 1929
The impression of friendliness and
graciousness left by these two will
be re-created by Nine. Rateb Bey,
who in every way is well suited for
her position in the diplomatic corps.
The wife of the new Minister is an
unusually beautiful woman. She is
tall and slim. Her face is narrow,
almost esthetic in appearance. Her
eyes, a greenish blue. Her lashes
long and black. And through her
smartly coiffured black hair. runs one
striking lock of white. The result
q woman one looks at more than
once. Her smart clothes whisper that
during the two weeks Nine. Rateb
Bey spent in Paris before her de-
parture for America, perhaps a few
expeditions were made to Partisan
shops. And this, she confessed, in
an interview, was true. At that time
she wore a simple black crepe dress
designed with exquisite lines and
trimmed in wide green plaid taffeta
ribbon about her neck.
But there is much in the wife of the
Egyptian Minister that goes deeper
than a striking appearance and a dis
eliminating taste in clothes. She is
alert, possesses an easineSs of manner
which puts one Immediately at his
ease, and is an ardent reader. Almost
more than anything, Nine. Rateb Bey
regrets that she was unable to bring
her own books to this country. She
wants to read our literature, but as
yet her English is not sufficiently ad-
vanced for this. and as she laughingly
said, it is no pleasure to read with
dictionary. One of Nine. Rateb Bey's
favorite authors is the modern Italian,
D'AnnunZio, who although she grants
may be old fashioned, is in her opinion
a master of exquisite prose. The new
hostess of the Egyptian Legation
greatly fears that her new social
duties will interfere with her con-
tinuing her reading to any great ex-
tent.
Nine Rateb Bey is not a native of
Egypt. Born in Stamboul, Turkey, of
an old Georgian family which was one
of those that moved to Stamboul when
Georgia became part of Imperial Rus
sia, she has spent much of her life in
France and Germany. Her father is
Gen. Ahmed Pasha, deputy and men,
Der of the last Imperial Parliament in
Turkey and also formerly military
attache of the Turkish Legation in
Serbia. Nine Rateb Bey now divides
her time between Stamboul. Paris and
Cairo, avoiding Cairo in the Summer
because of the excessive heat.
In speaking of the life of Egyptian
women. the new chatelaine said that
much of the time of wife of promi-
nent man must be spent in receiving
his and her own friends. Egyptian
women of the higher class have varied
interests. They travel extensively and
are famed for their exquisite taste in
clothes. They have begun to take an
interest in governmental affairs, in
child welfare and in studies for girls
Nine. Rateb Bey speaks perfect
French and German-a result of the
time she has spent in those two coun-
tries. Her English is still a little
halting and in speaking the language
her quick mind is always few jumps
ahead Of her tongue.
Not only will the Egyptian Legation
have this charming mistress to rule
over it, but young voices will now fill
the rooms and halls. With Nine. Rateb
Bey came her daughter, Mile. Nohal
Menemennii, who will no doubt prove
one of the most popular members in
the younger set. Inheriting her
mothers beauty, she is also an ardent
sportsWoman. fond of swimming, sail
ing, horseback riding and picnics. 1t
will not be long before she finds many
companions to share her interests
with her.