Evening star., 1934-04-22
BALL BRINGS END
TOBLOSSOMF FETE
First Lady Among Distin.
guished Reception Crowd
After Gala Day.

Washington's first Cherry Blossom
Festival passed into history early this
morning to the strains Of Home,
Sweet Home" played at the end of
the reception and dance at the May
flower Hotel which climaxed the
three-day celebration.
Mrs. Franklin Delano Roosevelt,
the wife of the President, and Miss
Eleanor Roosevelt, the queen of the
festival, and galaxy of notables from
Washington's diplomatic, official and
social worlds, attended the reception
and ball.
Earlier in the day there had been
regatta on the waters of Tidal
Basin, the presentation of The
Mikado" at Sylvan Theater, and a
second parade, this time at night and
around the Tidal Basin.
Gen. William E. Horton, chairman
Of the Reception Committee, staged
brilliant show. On the stage of
the big ball room were the scarlet
coated members of the Marine Band.
They played for the entrance of Miss
Roosevelt, the queen of the festival,
with her court of II attendants
and for the dance figure in which the
queen, her court, and a group of
White House military and naval
aides took part.
Dance Floor Thr0nged.
Then Sidney's Orchestra played for
the hundreds of dancing couples who
crowded the floor. The entrance of
Mrs. Roosevelt, escorted by Gen.
Horton, later caused a burst of en-
thuSiaSm
The reception line included Senator
and Mrs. William H King, Representa-
tive Mary T. Norton and Commissioner
and Mrs. Melvin C. Hazen Gen. Hor-
ton made the presentation
Mrs. Roosevelt arrived about IL pm.
and was greeted first by Commissioner
Hazen and Gen. Horton. She then
was escorted the length of the ball.
room to her box by Gen. Horton. Mrs.
Roosevelt wore a becoming gown of
white satin, made with a short train
and moderately high square neck
line. Over this she wore a three
quarter length cloth of silver coat.
Mrs. Curtis B. Dali accompanied
her mother, and others in the party
were Mr.. and Mrs. John Cutter, who
were among the guests at dinner at
the White House last evening.
Some 5000 persons had gathered
on the Monument Grounds to witness
the performance of Gilbert and Sulli-
vans celebrated The Mikado," and
the players of the Estelle Wentworth
group put on superb performance.
Henry Yeide halted the show with his
forceful rendition of the ditty which
has to do with the irrelevancy of the
flowers that bloom in the Spring, and
for his third encore he paraphrased
the lines:
Merits on the flowers that bloom in
the Spring, Bah!'
George Hayes put on an acrobatic
performance as the train bearer for
the athletic Mikado He managed to
hold on most of the time, but the En-
peror was too fast for him once and
Hayes fell fat on his face trying to
catch up, to the delight of the audi
ence.
Parts Perfectly Filled.
]. Raymond Baine as the romantic
corruptible but accommodating Pooh
Bah and Harry Grow as His Imperial
Majesty himself sang and acted their
parts to perfection, as did the distaff
side of the cast, Ira Meyer (Ko-Ko)
Alma Harris yum YUM, Betty Gal
braith (Pitti Sing, Ella Neuland peep
Boz and Mildred Sherman, to whom
was assigned the difficult role of
katisha.
Previous to the operetta the Army
Band, Capt. William J. Stannaro
conducting, had played a concert OF
topical airs. winding up with the
Japanese and American national an
thems
While the opera was in progress the
crackle of the eXhausts could be heard
from the Tidal Basin, where the re-
gatta was in progress.
A crowd estimated at 10000 lined
the seawall Of the Tidal Basin for q
canoe and motor boat regatta anc
though Washingtons first water car
nival of the season attracted only a
small number of entries, spectators
were afforded plenty of thrills.
Paddlers of the Washington Canoe
Club and the Potomac Boat Clut
staged a keenly-contested duel in the
canoe end of the program, the Wash
ingtons winning four of the six first
places and the PotomacS earning
enough seconds and thirds to annex
most number of points in the in
formal meet, scoring 20 points to 25
for the canoe clubbers.
Spill Brings Thrill.
A thrilling spill and the driving OF
young Bob Snadecki of Westover. Va,
featured the motor boat racing. Fifty
yards from the finish line and second
place in the family outboard race
Gertie I'd. a craft owned by James
Orme of Washington, spilled, tossing
Orme, Thomas Offutt and 10-year -olc
Robert Orme, brother of James, into
the water. They were picked up by
nearby craft in a few moments, none
the worse for the dousing.
Snadecki won two races and ran
second in another TO attain indiv-
idual plotting honorS, finishing first
In two inboard events and trailing
Vernon Ford of Annapolis by only a
few lengths in Glass C outboard COM
petition.
Lansburgh Given Prize.
Depicting the Lincoln Memorial anc
the cherry trees, the float OF Lans'
burgh & Bro took first place. Sec
ond prize was given to the hoat OF
George G. Shaffer, the florist, which
illustrated George Washington cutting
down the cherry tree.
For bands, the prize was awarded
to that of the Fox Theater, while fol
marching units, the Community Gen.
ter group captured premier place.
Honorable mention went to the
Palais Royal for its float reproduction
of Admiral Perry in Japan, to Wood
ward & Lothrop for the float depicting