Evening star., 1935-07-07
About Well-KnOWn Folk
In Books, Art, Politics
Some White House Gossip About New Kitchen
Barney Baruch Writing Autobiography.
Book and Art Talk.
BY ROBERT CRAWFORD.

BY ROBERT CKAWFOhD.
One does not need to tour the coun-
try in a f1ivver to hear at first hand
what the people are saying and what
they are thinking about Just join a
large tourist crowd at the White House
any morning and you will hear more
candid opinions expressed in a few
words on national recovery, prosperity
or the lack of it-and the Congress,
than you could read in reams of news
paper print. Honest-to-goodneSs con-
victions these are; off the record and
nothing to make them afraid.
Milling through the east corridor to
the east room on the first f1oor-with
its large gold piano-but oh, these
thing-one hears the crowd comment
ing on the Presidents family. the
White House menage and portraits Of
former mistresses of the mansion which
line the ground floor corridor.
Why did Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt
have to borrow the late Mrs. Henry
Cabot Lodges black hat in which to
have her portrait painted? The charm
ing portrait of Mrs. Calvin Coolidge,
in her red velvet gown much shorter
e. front than behind-"Couldn't Cal
allow her a yard more of goodS?"
Delicious; natural-American wit. And
then those screens at the west end
of the corridor shutting off the pas
% loo &c o1yy
now and then that whiff of what
the President is going to have for
luncheon or dinner comes through and
the women of the party always exhibit
interest in the housekeeping part of
the mansion.
Come October l3, and 143 years will
have elapsed since the corner stone of
the White House was laid. The cere-
mony took place at the southeast cor
ner instead Of the northeast corner as
has sometimes been stated 1t must
have been a picturesque procession OF
gentlemen in Colonial dress. Free
masons in regalia. architects and a
motley crowd that Wended its way over
mony where the emblematic corn, wine
and oil in silver and gold vessels. were
brought forth and used in conservation.
One gets bit of a thrill at the picture.
And now after almost century and
half the White House is to have a
new kitchen. and the new kitchen to
keep up with the spirit of the times
will progress from the back, as the
south front is sometimes called. to the
front of the house and locate itself
right under the north pOrticO where
foreign diplomats and distinguished
visitors from all parts Of the world en-
ter Under the north front portico on
which the President and Mrs. Roose-
welt have inaugurated that charmingly
hospitable custom of meeting there
house guests and welcoming them.
Quite a logical place for the kitchen
as it not only vacates room over
looking the lovely green south lawn
and flower gardens but it is in keep
ing with the present day fashion and
things are sort of topsy turvey, as
old Aunt Charlotte used to say when
the free Negroes crowded her of the
front bench in the meetin' house. The
bottom rail certainly am on top
Buture generations of White House
mistresses will rise up and call Mrs.
Roosevelt blessed for advocating this
change in the household arrange
ments, for the new kitchen Is to have
every kind of modern improvement
and it is hoped enough steam tables
to keep the food from getting icy en-
route to the state dining room. OF
course, those bright and shining old
copper cooking utensils will be moved
forward, for they are things Of
beauty.
Dame Lloyd George. when she first
moved into No. 10 Downing street.
London was said to have been amazed
at the inadequacy of the kitchen re-
ouirements and conveniences. The
British Empire held its breath-aS
it were-when she had some modern
equipment installed, and after some
quibbling the home office-Englands
Controller General McCarl-paid the
bill. But when Miss IShbel Mac
Donald had flower boxes put in the
front windows the home office posi-
lively refused to pay for them and
politely told her if she must have
them she could pay for them herself.
Miss MacDonalds window boxes
were, however, not circum-
stance to the CONSERVATION created
when the Countess of oxford and
Asquith-then plain Mrs. Asquith-or
just "Margot, invited West End society
to a dress show at the official resi-
dence of England's prime minister
the very symbol of the British gov
ernment. Now Mr.. Stanley Baldwin,
who succeeded Mr. Macdonald as pre-
mier. will move into No. 10 Downing
street. for the third time. He seems
always to have left arrangements in
the old house just as he found them
He is so typically John Bull, that to
change what has lasted through
century or two might seem sacrilege.
In passing. No. 10 Downing street,
the unpretentious, modest looking
residence of the British prime min
lister, Is located on a short street in