Evening star., 1936-02-19

The President and Mrs. Roosevelt
closed the official season OF entertain
Ing at the White House last evening
when they gave the annual reception
to officers of the Army. Navy ana
Marine Corps and their wives. For the
third time this season a large and bril-
liant reception has been given IN the
Executive Mansion. with number OF
the ranking officials and honor guests
absent. The Secretary of War and
Mrs. Dern and the Secretary OF the
Navy and Mrs. Swanson, whose de-
partments were those honored last
evening, were missing from the stately
procession of cabinet officers and their
wives. The Secretary of War and
Mrs. Dern are in New York, where
the former went on business Of the
Government, and Secretary Swanson
Is slowly recovering from the serious
complications which followed his
painful accident a fortnight ago, and
Mrs. Swanson, always smiling and
happy, could not be in mood for
eaiety The other two receptions, just
preceding that of last evening, Jared
the same way. for the reception to
the Congress February 10, which had
been postponed because of the death
of King George v of England, was
siyen without the Vice President and
Mrs. Garner, the Speaker of the
Houth and Mrs. Byrns and the Presi-
dent pro tempore of the Senate. Ill
ness caused the Speaker to remain at
home and also the President pro tem-
pore. but the Vice President and Mrs.
Garner were merely following their
own wishes not to attend evening par
ties except the annual dinner at the
White House and that which they,
themselves, give for the Chief Execu-
tive and his wife.
Gold braid and brass buttons pre-
dominated in the scene in each OF
the state rooms last evening, the bril-
liant uniforms of the various branches
of the service making an excellent
foil for the elaborate costumes of the
ladies in their parties. A few years
back the reception to the diplomatic
corps was q more colorful scene, when
foreign ENJOYS represented the great
courts of Europe. In more recent
years the reception to the Army. Navy
and Marine Corps has taken its place
IN brilliance, if not in interest.
Shortly after o'clock the group
of military and naval aides assigned
TO the White House appeared in the
state dining room door, fanfare
sounded by the bugler of the Marine
Band stationed in the corridor and
the distinguished hosts made their
way through the red room to the blue
room. Immediately behind the Presi-
Dent and Mrs. Roosevelt were the
Secretary of State and Mrs. Hull. Fol-
lowing them were the Assistant Sec
retary of War and Mrs. Harry H.
Woodring, taking the place of the
Secretary of War and Mrs. Dern; the
Attorney General and Mrs. Cummings,
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
and Mrs. Henry Latrobe Roosevelt in
khe place of the Secretary of the Navy
and Mrs. Swanson. Following these
gracious substitutes in the line were
the Secretary Of Agriculture and Mrs.
Wallace, the Secretary Of Commerce
and Mrs Roper and the Secretary OF
Labor Miss Perkins, escorted by an
aide.
Mrs. Roosevelt wore one of her most
becoming gowns of rich ivory brocade
fashioned on molded-to-the-fgure
lines, with rare old lace forming fiow-
Ing draperies over her shoulders. The
skirt of the gown f1ared at the bot
tom and fell into a graceful train at
the back.
Mrs. Hull, one of the best dressed
women of the official set. was a strik-
ing figure in white pebble crepe shot
with gold threads, the bodice having
o bertha-like collar and peplum, and
about the bottom of the skirt, around
the train and edging, the collar was
q narrow quilting of the material.
Mrs. Cummings wore black satin