Evening star., 1934-11-04
BY ROBERT CRAWFORD.


The G. o. P. elephant never dis
ported himself more majestically nor
in a more animated manner than he
did last Tuesday afternoon at the
tea at the handsome club house
and handsome women-of the League
of Republican Women, on Rhode Is
land avenue at Scott Circle. His
toric location-the statue of the great
statesman and orator, Daniel Webster,
just vis-a-vis to lend inspiration-if
needed.
Judging from the enthusiasm evi-
dent and the little groups of women
discussing the election, day after to-
morrow, no inspiration was needed.
There has been some talk about the
Republican National Committee, lack
ing funds, but from the appearance
OF the horn Of plenty which decorat-
ed the beautiful tea table, the where
withal was not lacking. The fruits
Of the earth were in abundance and
spilling out Of the horn.
Mrs. William Fitch Kelley, the new
president of the club, headed the re-
ceiving line. Not a tall woman,
neither a big person, but so gracious
and cordial that she made each of
the guests feel that the tea would
have been failure without them
There Is naturally a touch of South
ern hospitality about Mrs. Kelley, for
on the diStaff side she has Southern
blood, her maternal grandfather, As
bury B. Porter, a Virginian emigrated
to Kentucky and later to Iowa. Mr..
Porter was a member of the first ter
ritorial legislature in the Blue Grass
State. She still holds delightful ira
ditions Of that side of her family, al
though in politics she took the side
OF her father, the late Mr.. Mcclure.
Mr.. Mcclure was of Pennsylvania
ancestry and old Scotch covenanter
blood; he went West in the early days
and during the War between the
States was major in the Northern
Army, while his brother, who re-
mained in the South went into the
Confederate service. Mrs. Kelley tells
an amusing story about her father
being in the South just at the close
OF the war, an. while in Memphis,
going to call on his sister-in-law, an
unreconStructed Southerner. He sent
up his card and she sent down word
that she would not receive him in
that uniform" Whereupon Maj.
Mcclure went out bought long linen
duster and slouch hat and returned
to the house with only the tip of
his blue trousers showing. He was
cordially received.
Mrs. Kelley is not a New Dealer,
she does not belong to the Liberty
League and she's a died in the wool
Republican, who believes that if this
country is to be carried back to pros
perity for all the people, the safest
way is on the back of the G. o. P.
elephant. Her work as leader of the
League of Republican Women will be
to carry on the policies of her party
in an energetic manner and further
the work of education among the
young people of the party, through
the Junior League of Republican
Women. She seems to have aroused
great enthusiasm, and the young
folks were quite in evidence Tuesday
afternoon. 1t was an awfully pretty
party-and just one man was seen
there, although the men of the Mems
Republican Club share the club house
and have their committee rooms there.
Whether in her beautiful house on
Sheridan Circle, or in a hotel suite,
wherever she hangs her hat, is home
to Mrs. Kelley. Books, flowers and
all those little things which make
individuality surround her. And what
do you think she has done with the
kitchen in her hotel suite this Winter?
Made a studio out of it, where she
works hours at a time modelling and
sculpturing and thinking and dream
ing of those days in Paris, when she
studied sculpture and art under the
famous Bourdelle Or the days in
Rome, when her husband was consul
general to Italy, and the lure of the
great galleries held her. She has
just finished a darling bust OF her
little grandson, which is to be cast
in bronze.
Mrs. Edith Nourse Rogers-juSt
Edith" to President Roosevelt, and
the story goes that she gave little
gasp that day when she went into
the Presidents Office and was greeted
with, "Howdy, Edith"-was not at the
tea, neither was Mrs Florence P.
Kahn. They we're put on the hustings
campaigning for another term in the
Lower House, spreading Republican
doctrine and promising a few plums.
Mrs. Rogers was at the White House
recently to ask for increased relief
and public works funds for her dis
trict.
Mrs. Calvin Coolidge has caught the