Evening star., 1936-09-13
RY ROBERT CRAWFORD.
HHE many friends of Signor
Daniele Ware in the American


a larly the older men Of the
service, will doubtless experience
many refreshing memories and find
familiar scenes and events in his book
"The Last Empress" which has been
recently brought out in this country
AS one of Italy's most accomplished
and popular diplomats who was for
merly Secretary of the italian Lega-
tion and later Minister to China,
Signor Ware came to Washington last
year on a visit and renewed old
friendships He was never attached
to the embassy here; he now devotes
himself almost entirely to literature.
With the lure of the Orient which
penetrates the bones of all who spend
some time there, the Signor writes Of
the old DoWager Empress and the
days of the Boxer uprising with an
intimacy and verve that grips the
reader.
At the time of the Boxer uprising
which Signor Ware says marked as
much as any single episode can,
turning point in history and in the
life of the DoWager Empress" the
Cuban War was at an end here, the
1amented Mckinley was dead, and
the young officers of the Army and
Navy on whom Washington society
depended largely for its dancing men
were on their way to China. There are
still some to whom that time seems
not so long ago, and Signor Ware. in
"The Last Empress" which was pub
lished in italy under the subtitle of
''The Story of the Empress Tzu-hsi
and of the Translation from the Old
China to the New" makes it seem
as yesterday.
Katherine Carrs Portrait
of the Last Empress.
The Last Empress, who was
Manchu aristocrat, had the lovely
name of Yehonala, most grateful in
its liquid flow of vowels after the
rs, hSi's and other combinations of
consonants in the Chinese nomen-
Clature, is familiar to thousands of
Americans through her hfe-size por-
trait in the National Museum. The
portrait is the work of Katherine
Augusta Carl, who had the thrilling
and unique experience of painting
the old Empress in the Imperial
Palace in Peking (now changed to
Pelplng) in 1902 or 1903, and who
had many rare and delightful hours
with the all-poWerful sovereign of
over 100000 subjects. Her dislike of
foreigners was her obsession, and the
Empress must have exerted that art
lessness and subtle fascination and
charm which she is said to have pos
Sessec to remarkable degree, upon
Miss Carl, which enabled her to put
on canvas that face of keen intelli-
gence and look about the eyes of
unfathomable mystery, yet searching
curiosity, which holds one with almost
mesmeric power before the portrait.
Miss Carl, who is a Louisianian by
birth and now a resident of New
York, was pupil of Bouguereau and
Gustave Courtois in Paris. She seems
in this portrait of the Empress DoWa-
ger to have combined the methods
and technique of the two Frenchmen.
thus evolving from both of them
certain originality in the handling
of her subject which is also visible
IN her portraiture of Algerian sub
Jects and her portrait of the present
Governor of Manchukuo. when he
was H. E. Tseng. Lord Chamberlain
to Emperor Hsusn Tong. She shows
unusual aptitude for translating the
Oriental of the old regime into twen-
tieth century Chinese.
Portrait Presented During Theo-
The portrait in the museum of the
Old Empress DoWager was presented
to this Government by the Govern
ment of China soon after it was ex-
hibited at the St. Louis Exposition in
1903 or 1904. The presentation by the
Chinese Minister was most formal
affair which took place in the White
House during the presidency of Theo-
dore Roosevelt. Not the least notable
thing about the setting of the portrait
an the museum is the gigantic and
wonderfully carved frame of camphor
wood about 20 feet high. There are
still in the museum those who can
remember when the picture arrived
there draped in gorgeous Chinese
silks befitting the likeness of the En-
press, who surrounded her court with
a blaze of glory. After the portrait
was painted Miss Carl was given the
Order OF the Double Dragon and the
Manchuan Order of the Flaming
Pearl. Her book, with the Empress
DoWager of China" was published
some years ago, but in it can still be
found side lights on what has since
come about.
Peggy DOugherty Is Tops as
Master of Ceremonies.
Mrs. John Allan Dougherty, who
has real genius for arranging and
carrying through successfully ma
tlonal and international social func- |
lions, should have a medal or deco
ration OF some kind for the way she |
planned the reception and ball last |
Tuesday in honor of the delegates
to the World Power Conference. It's
no easy matter to separate the sheep
from the goats-the distinguished |
VINO do not pay and the average citi-
zen who does pay for the opportunity
OF refreshing himself and gazing upon |
the great and distinguished. Mrs.
Dougherty does it with the sayoir
faire and naturalness of even a private
hostess. There was an ocean of deco
rations and bushel of medals at the
Mayf1ower that night, all of which
reminded one of a reception at the
close of the World War, when for
eigners came to these shores in every
boat that crossed the Atlantic-al-
most as many as came just before
America joined the allies.
The Secretary of State and
Miss Woolley Are Good Neighbors,