Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-10-11

take a number Of good-looking cars,
cover them with posters and ban
ners and have the respected matrons
wait before them on busy corners.
The passerby will be glad to sign their
petition, for he knows If the right
people are back 1t. it must be right.
pEACE groups are very strong here,
in spite Of the constant activities
among the Friends of New Ger
many" And this enthusiasm can be
traced back to the days when there
was q great fiux of settlers into st.
Louis from European countries who
came to America to escape military
service. However, this feeling for
peace must be handed down from
mother to daughter, for it is the wom-
en- who do all the organizing. Papa
is apt to call it "woman's business"
While a st. Louisan matron dis
likes publicity and objects to becom-
ing tangled up in public affairs, once
aroused, she carries her objective
through vigorously. An example Of
this is the recent defeat of the twelfth
congressional district incumbent by
the Peace Action Committee, a group
of university people, who were organ
lied into action by the women. The
story runs that the gentleman in
question. during his sojourn at Capitol
Hill, paid scant attention to the ladies
who personally called upon him as
representatives of peace groups. nor
did he give suficient attention to the
wires and letters demanding that he
work for the peace neutrality measure.
And so, to his amaZement, the young
people got all the women out to vote
and showed their displeasure at the
polls.
In attempting to discover the why's
and wherefores Of this faith, you are
told it is probably because st. Louis
is q Southern city with a Northern
exposure" However, little persist
ence may reveal that, although they
claim to be 100 per cent American,
there is always slight intimation that
it may be because of the thrifty
French and German background.
Stop a fair-haired woman-fashion-
ably dressed and intelligent looking
on the street, in the trolley, anywhere,
and ask her how much influence OF
the early French and German settlers
remain in the city. Probably, after
q moment of blank suspicion, she will
smile in a most friendly way, and re-
ply none at all. Question her, and
~l.@ hi old fa lilies
bear French names. If she reads the
society column, she will mention that
on Bastille day the French society
has some sort of celebration. Then
ask her about the German influence.
She will reply that there are lots OF
Germans in North and South st.
Louis, but she lives in West End, that
is, the fashionable neighborhood. and
you don't see many Germans there.
However, you are not surprised when
she confides in you that her family
loves some of the old German dishes,
and that her husband enjoys his
aufschnitt of beer and braunsweiger,
as his grandfather did.
Although there is large colony OF
Southern settlers in st. Louis, the es-
sence, the feeling, and the character
of tt old German ways run through
the city like a pattern.
IF YOU want an interesting sight
90 into the south or north end
early Saturday morning and you ma
the German hausfrau scrubbing her
front steps and the white on her
building. You cannot miss 1t, Tor she
il shiny clean and everything else
sparkles. If you are invited into the
living room you find it in perfect con-
,, dition no matter how early the hour.
for it has been kept darkened until
company arrives. The house seems
full of artificial flowers and the cheer
| full smell of coffee cake and spiced
meats cooking. You sit In the large.
coy kitchen, gossiping, and learn the
family history Of any one you may
be curious about who lives in the
neighborhood. At the same time you
are closely questioned about your
family and interests. For once Ma.
dame Housewife has decided to accept
you as friend: her business is your
business and vice versa. 1t Is q neigh
borly talking lover the back-fence Sec
ton. where competition runs to whose
clothes look the whitest on the line,
and who can cook the fastest sauer-
braten. Coffee klatches and pinochle
games are still the vogue. And II
times are good, on Saturday after
noon or In the early evening. papa.
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