Evening star., 1936-03-08
LUNCHEON GIVEN
BY MRS. M'LEAN
Capital Newspaper Women
Invited on Date of Book
Release.
4y the Associated Press.

By the ASSOClHteu TEeSS
In her new and revealing role as
autobiographer, Mrs. Evalyn Walsh
Mclean will entertain at Friend
ship today on the release date Of
her book, Father Struck it Rich"
Capital newspaper women were in
vited to this revival of the old ira
dition of Sunday luncheons at Friend
ship.
Mrs. Mclean had given them plenty
to talk about, including her own fas-
cinating view of the Hope diamond, in
her life story, written in collabora-
ton with Boyden Sparks.
That fantastic sparkling gem stood
as symbol of the whole story-great
names in eerie lights; new and STAR
tling facets to old and well-known
events; the cold. clear, surprising
gleam Of frankness.
Mrs. Mclean chronicled her per-
sonal fight with the dope habit, as
we'll as the family rise through Col
orado gold to great riches and social
prestige She discussed her hus-
bands drinking as domestic prob
lem.
Nor did she sidestep the tragedies
that highlighted the careers of the
great in her intimate circle. Her
most poignant picture of Florence
Killing Harding was on an August mid
night in the East Room of the White
House, talking to her husband in his
coffin: Warren, the trip has not hurt
you one bit"
Thaw Tragedy Recalled.
She told how her uncle. Truxton
Beale, dined out with a young beauty
and her husband. heard a pop, a
scream and the voice of his host:
Here, Truxton, you take Evalyn
home. I've just shot Stanford White;
told, too. how this same uncle broke
the news to his divorced wife that
their son had been killed in the
Worl War; told how another uncle,
George Bakhmeteff. Russian Ambas-
sador, heard his Cars whole family
had been murdered, his own diplomatic
career ended.
Lightly sparkling was her story Of
party she held for Fanny Ward, the
rejuvenated actress. inviting "old JUS
tices and others of distinction, who
had long boards and walked with
canes" to give them a taste of O
youthful face-lifted viewpoint.
And Washington could read many
tale of midnight rambles in which
rich Mrs. Mclean learned about the
seamy side of life while the city slept
inveigling an unwilling Alice Long
worth to look for human suffering in
the parks, taking her young son down
to sample life among the bonus
marchers, going off on strange
quests for the Lindbergh baby.
She told of joining with Brig. Gen.
Pelham D. Glassford, then chief OF
police, in giving midnight lunch to
the bonus marchers, plus her own
contribution of 1000 gift packages of
cigarettes; of entertaining the wife of
their leader in her Massachusetts, ave-
nue. palace suite that was built for
entertaining her fathers friend, the
King of Belgium; of going to the late
Judge John Barton Payne, chairman
of the Red CroSs-"but I could not
persuade him the bonus army men
were part of national crisis the Red
Cross was bound to deal with"
Cigarette Bill Framed.
On the wall at Friendship, recent
visitors have testified, hangs a framed
document-the receipted bill for the
cigarettes and sandwiches given by
Mrs. Mclean to the bonus marchers
In a Pennsylvania avenue restaurant.
She phoned the Vice President, too,
and her report on that was: Charlie
Curtis told me he was calling a secret
meeting of the Senators, and would
send a delegation Of them to the
House to urge immediate action on
the Howell BILL providing the money
to send the bonus army back to their
homes"
From her, President Harding got a
bit of posthumous praise: Harding
would have gone among those men
and talked in such a manner as to
make them cheer him and cheer
their flag"
Her summary of that whole sub
5ect: Nothing I had seen before in |
my whole life had touched me 50
deeply as what I have seen In the
faces Of those men of the bonus army. |
After that concluded it was high |
time the family of Tom Walsh went
back to work."
Mrs. McLean's preface indicates she
carried out her resolution, walking out |
of three beautiful places two of
which are now rented to New Deal |
sgencies) and learning "the best thing
I ever did for myself and my children
was to begin life over again like any
average person."
Lied to Help Friend"
OF her husbands role in the oil
scandals, she said: "Ned's only part
was that he lied to help a friend.
That friend was Albert Fall"
OF her own role in tn Lindbergh
case, she said II was tricked; but
I shall always be glad that, In nv
heart, there was something that COM
PEELED me to try my best to take part
in the efert to ransom the Lindbergh
baby"
Her secret" about the supposedly
an-omened Hope diamond; II have A
great respect for, and a great deal of
curiosity about the thought concen-
trated on 1t am sitting back
on the side lines and letting the
curse and the blessing fight it out
together"