Evening star., 1935-05-26
BY ROBERT CRAWFORD.

swell garden party for sweet charity
last Wednesday. 1t was at the his
toric Decatur House on Lafayette
Square. which Mr.. and Mrs. Truxton
Beale turned over without reservations
to the chairman of the Thrift Shops
most commendable and fashionable
charity.
Mai. Gen. John H. Russell COM
mandant at the Marine Barracks, had
his snappy looking men on guard
the leathernecks seem to guard every
thing from Uncle Sans neighbor s
possessions to historic houses and gar
den parties. They we're very much
needed at Decatur House. for there
we're all kinds of costly treasures lying
around loose as Mr.. Beale just walked
out of his house and left things rs
they were.
Mrs Williams Is a perfect genius
when it comes to doing things, but like
all capable executives what she cam
not do herself she hnds Just the right
person who can. The widow Of an
Army officer. she is not bit of a land
lubber. but on the contrary. seems to
have a strong leaning toward the sea
as was evidenced by the picturesque
marine details carried out at the
Thrift Shop benefit, and in giving
those swanky apartment houses she
built names that smack OF ships and
the briny deep.
It was really the psychological mo-
tr7ent to pull off a party at the former
home Of the great naval hero, Stephen
Decatur. who bearded the pirates in
their den and cleaned them out to a
finish. for it was Maritime day, when
Old Glory was flying from public
buildings and from standards border
ing the streets President Roosevelt.
INST recently designated May % as the
National Maritime day in honor o. the
first successful transoceanic voyage
under steam propulsion, by recalling
Nav %. 1919. when the Savannah
sailed from Savannah. Ga. for Liver
pool. making the crossing in 27 days.
Even the Navy Yard took on an air
Of shipping and the dock swarmed
With seafaring Fife as the Argentine
naval training ship. Presidente Sar-
miento. weighed anchor and the
Massachusetts, Nautical School ship,
the Nantucket-tormerlyt the old Ran
Eer-hove to.
Decatur House came to Mr.. Beale
through his father. Gen. Edward Fltz-
gerald Beale. soldier and diplomat, and
his great grandfather, Commodore
Thomas Truxton, the hero OF the West
Indies, It was really worth the price
of admission to the old house Just 10
stand for a moment at the front WIN
dovs and look out over Lafayette
SQUARE, in all the beauty OF its SPRING
time loveliness. The statutes OF Gen.
Baron Won Steuben and Gen. Count
Rochambeau, who fought with Wash
tneton in the Revolution, and the nero
of New Orleans on his rearing charger,
all savored of the time and place.
Then across the historlc-eVerytnlne
was historic-square could be seen tne
of1cial residence of the present COM
mander in chief of the Army and navy
who is also fighting a great battle 10
bring the country back to prosperity
after wears of gloomy depression.
Mr.. Beale must get terribly con-
fused wondering about in his house,
for it's a maze of the most attractive
and interesting things. Furniture OF
all periods-Spanish and French mar
ouetry, Chippendale, Sheraton ana
Hepplewhite and Just plain, honey
early Victorian walnut. The walls are
lined with charming old engraVlnss
and woodcuts, portraits-one OF an
early ancestor of the Truxtons saio
to have been painted by Frans Hais-
seventeenth century-qute something,
don't you think?
In the Library of Congress is an
old. yellow pamphlet, fast crumollng
into decay, which is copy OF the
documents sent to the Congress by
Mrs, Susan Decatur. widow OF Stephen,
in which she recites her claim to her
husbands share in the prize money
of the ships captured at sea. Susan
from all reports must have been
most delightful person, with come
hither way, so she says In senolhs
the paper. With the earnest request
that the gentlemen Of the Congress
will do her the favor to read them.
They did so, and granted her some
thing like 100000.
The last will and testament OF the
great sea fighter contained nine lines,
In which he leaves all to his vile
Susan and her heirs.
Research is being made by rela-
tive of Commodore Decatur for mat
ter for a new life for him. It seems
that there is still unpublished mate
rial which is of great interest. Mr..
Irwin Anthony's Decatur" is written
in a delightful way.
Every one was wandering how Mrs.
Claude A. Swanson, wife of the Secre-
tary of the Navy, escaped from the
garden party out at Senator Key Pitt
mans beautiful place. for it was for
the benefit of the Women's National
Democratic Club She was enjoying
herself Immensely at the Truxton
Beale house, drinking tea and thrill
ing over the natural beauties of the
Decatur house garden, with its soft
pink brick walls hung with ensigns
and Navy gadgets generally-that Is
doubtless what lured her. 1t could
not have been the sweet punch so
lady-like and appetizing, or the gurgl-
ing fountain spouting water right
under the noses of the pirates of the
Barbary Coast, which Mrs. Williams
had painted on the side wall of the
Quickest brick court in town.
1t is hoped Secretary Wallace and
Undersecretary of Agriculture Tugwell
saw and heard that bucolic-looking
band, with their farmer apparel and
big hats, which played the Halls OF
Montezuma." Anchors Aweigh" and
way down in old "virginny" with the
same Zest.
It's rather startling thing for q
man to be asked to write his own
obituary, but that Is what the late
Thomas E. Shaw-Lawrence of Arabia
was asked to do shortly before his
death. As 1t turned out, it was q
most tragic request. made in spirit
of fun. however. But as it was COM
piled with by Maj. Shaw. it seems