Evening star., 1936-02-09
Officials Are Fading Out
OfOne-Time Leadership
Washington Social Set
Appear to Have Forgotten That More Is
Accomplished Politically Over Teacups
Than in Committee Rooms.

Much speculation is being indulged
In by several circles of Washington
society as to whether the Vice Presi-
dent and Mrs. Garner will again
forego the reception to the Congress
which President and Mrs. Roosevelt
will give tomorrow night. The party
was postponed from Thursday, Janu-
George v of England. The Vice Pres
1dent does not care for evening parties
and has declined the invitation of the
Congressional Club. composed of wives
of Senators and Representatives, to
give a reception in his honor.
Vice President and Mrs. Garner
have attended only one of the annual
state receptions at the White House
since he became President of the Sen
ate after presiding over the Lower
House for little less than a year. The
present Speaker of the House and Mrs.
Joseph w. Byrns are not so averse to
evening parties as the formers prede-
cessor, Mr.. Garner, yet the Speaker
also has declined the Congressional
Clubs invitation to an evening recep-
ton in his honor, pleading pressure
Of business" So it appears that the
politicians of today have forgotten
that there is more accomplished polit-
ically, as we'll as in statecraft, lover
the teacups" than in scores of COM
mittee rooms. This was pronounced
Thursday evening at the reception
which President and Mrs. Roosevelt
gave for executives of the various Fed
eral departments and agencies, the
Postmaster GsOeral vacationing in
Miami, the Secretary of Commerce
and the Secretary of Agriculture also
absent, although their departments
we're among those honored. Thus only
the Secretaries of the Treasury, the
Interior and Labor were present to
greet the officials of their depart
ments. Time was when the wife of the
Vice President and the wife of the
Speaker were more active socially than
the wife of the President, but with the
New Deal in government there also
are new players socially.
The Vice President and Mrs. Garner,
however, have attended each of the
annual dinner parties in their honor
at the White House. the party this
season being scheduled for next Tues
day evening, the night after the re-
ception to the Congress And last
Tuesday the Garners were hosts to the
Chief Executive and his wife at their
annual party.
The ball last evening at the Brazil
ian Embassy savored of pre-war bril-
lance, being in honor of the Brazilian
Presidents daughter, Senhorita Zargas,
who is the guest of the Ambassador
and Senhora de Aranha. Many dinner
parties preceded the ball and the large
number of guests included diplomats,
officials and members of fashionable
resident society. The embassy itself,
recently renovated and somewhat re-
modelled to suit the needs of the new
owners, was built by the late Mr. and
Mrs. Robert Mccormick of Chicago
when that part of Massachusetts, ave-
hue was almost a wilderness, certainly
country-like suburbs. Although the
house was well arranged for entertain
ing, Mr.. and Mrs. Mccormick did not
take very active part IN society. At
the death Of Mrs. Mccormick few
years ago the house was left to her
granddaughter, Mrs. CORTLAND Barnes,
jr., formerly Miss Katrina Mccormick.
Mrs. Barnes, however, never occupied