The Washington times., 1935-01-09
NOW
The Argentines
Subdue Liquor
LATIN CHARITY
BY HELEN ESSARY

BY HELEN ESSARY
Argentine women are beau
tiful to look at, marvellous home
makers, and industrious beyond
belief"
Mrs. Alexander Wilbourne
Weddell, the fascinating wife
Of the American Ambassador
to the Argentine Republic, told
me that yesterday at lunch
con of the D. Tucker Browns.
Ambassador and Mrs. We'd
dell are in Washington at the
Carlton for a short holiday.
"And the men? Well-Felipe
Espil, the Argentine Ambassa-
dor here, is representative of
his intelligent, delightful cOun-
trymen."
Ambassador and Mrs. Wed
dell are enthusiastic about
Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires,
Mrs. Weddell says, has the
manner of Paris, with Latin
picturesqueness for extra charm.
She enjoys the elegance of it's
social life, and finds many fam
lilies patriarchal, but not intent
on unnecessary display.
Entertainments have dignity
plus gaiety. But-this is i'm
portant-drinking is negligible.
Incidental. And never over
emphasized.
Mrs. Weddell said:
"Argentines have put alcO"
hol in its proper place. Tea Is
the afternoon drink. Before
dinner, one cocktail! Never
two. With the food, choice
wines i'm moderation.
"The popular after dinner
drink is orange juice. For q
party of 100 guests, hostess
orders 300 oranges for juice.
"Whisky and soda are served
incOnspicuOusly, and seldom
called for. And yet there is
always sparkle in social con-
versatiOn."
"a woman of a ruling family
in BuenOs Aires feels personal
responsibility in the care of the
sick and the poor.
"She'S not satisfied merely to
lend her name as a patrOneSS
for a benefit. She actually
works in an office; does the
tasks Of paid assistants in this
country.
Membership in the SOcietat
de Beneficencia is an inherit
ance that comes to a woman
with her. fortune and her great
name. 1t is, moreover, the So
cial accOlade. Its president is
ex officiO a member of the Ar
gentine cabinet. She is included
also in all government enter
tainment."
Ambassador and Mrs. Wed
dell, so I gather from observing
travellers, are tremendously pop
ular at their present post.
In Virginia, Mr.. and Mrs.
Weddell have a splendid home,
Virginia House, on the James,
not far from Richmond.
Virginia House was built with
materials from the priory
erected by the first Earl of War
wick in England in 1925. While
on trip through England, MIR.
and Mrs. Weddell learned that
the priory was about to be de-
stroyed by housewreckers.
With it's original fabric and
the stairway on which Queen
Elizabeth mounted to her bed
room on a visit to the priory,
they have created a Sixteenth
Century Tudor mansion, and
set it in a garden of plants ma
tive to Virginia and England.
Mr.. and Mrs. Weddell pre-
sented Virginia House to the
Virginia Historical Society in
1929, retaining for themselves a
life interest.
Shane Leslie, the English es-
Sayist, is coming to Washington
soon to spend a weekend with
Col. and Mrs. Arthur O'Brien at
their interesting house, E,Sta
Brook, on the Broad Branch
Road.
Col. and Mrs. OBrien have
asked a few friends to meet Mr..
Leslie the evening of January
26. Mr.. Leslie will then give
"Some Impressions of the Vic
torian Era in Anecdote."
Mr.. Leslie, one of the most
witty and penetrating of the
present school of English writ
ers and critics Il particularly
like his END of the Chapter"
and Passing of the CenturyO,
is at work on a book about the
United States.
His purpose particular in
coming to this country now is to
give a course in literature at
Notre Dame University, lasting
from February to June.
The White House dinner for
the Vice President and Mrs.
Garner was not originally
planned for last night. Tomor-
row was to have been the oc-
CaSion.
But when Mrs. Roosevelt, who
is always kind, found that to-
morrow was the scheduled eve
ming for the appearance of
Frances Nash, the pianist, with