Evening star., 1937-11-21

Woman Groups Discuss
National Representation.
Both the Voteless District of Co.
lumbia League of Women Voters and
the Women's City Club took occasion
to refer to the voteless plight of the
District. in programs last week. The
league devoted pleasant evening pro-
gram to q symposium in which the
matter was presented from a num-
Der Of angles by distinguished WASH
ingtonians. with the newspapers rep
resented by Mrs. Eleanor Patterson
Of the Washington Times and Herald,
Mrs. Eugene Meyer of the Washington
Post. Theodore W. Noyes, editor of
The Star, and Miss Martha Strayer
Of the News.
A strict three-minute limit on
speeches was enforced by means of
go and stop light borrowed from
the City Traffic Department and oper-
ated by Capt. Rhoda Millikin of the
Police Department, who is also vice
president Of the league. Mrs Charles
Weston explained that the amber
hight meant that the speaker had only
f. few seconds in which to reach the
curb" in a dignif1ed manner Miss
Gertrude McNally quoted one sta
tistic" to the effect that only one
third of the people in Washington pay
attention to traffic lights.
Obviously, all of the speakers belong
to that one-third, as the program was
concluded promptly at 9:30 Malcolm
McConihe, Democratic national COM
mitteeman for the District, said that
few people in other States realized
that the District was voteless. He
asked for confirmation of his state
ment from Representative Koppleman
of Connecticut, who agreed that this
was true and added, that. as a matter
Of fact, few people realized that the
District even had a Democratic ma
tional committeeman. Mrs. Walter
Greenough, one Of the national officers
Of the league, suggested a road show"
to be put on by the local branch. to
enlighten people generally as to the
situation.
Washington Club Is One
OF the Oldest in the City.
The Washington Club is one of the
oldest women's clubs in the city. It
was incorporated in 1891, but was not
planned along the lines of the usual
woman,s club. It had no connection
with the movement for getting the
vote or improving the status of women.
What the founders had in mind was a
club for women patterned along the
same lines as the mems clubs.
The particular business and object
of our society is the establishment,
maintenance and management of
club for literary purposes. mutual i'm
provement and the promotion of social
intercourse" it is stated in the articles
OF incorporation.
One hundred women were carefully
selected as charter members, and each
was allowed to propose one member
. year until the membership num-
bered $50. Each member was asked
to give one book, and these donations
formed the nucleus Of library that
has grown to large proportions and is
today one Of the most pleasant fea-
lures Of the club. Some study groups
were projected when the club was
formed, but they did not get under
way until later
Owning a club house was one of the
early ambitions of the founders At
first quarters were rented in the Rich
mond Hotel and later move was made
n tHA 1,,t,
remained for two years. BY selling
bonds to the members, enough money
was raised to buy house in 1894. This
property was located at ITO street
NV. and it was used by the club for
20 years. BY that time the require
ments had increased to such an extent
that larger quarters were needed, and
after much discussion and searching,
the house at 1701 K street NV, for
merly occupied by the Russian EN-
bassy, was purchased This house,
which is well adapted for club house,
has been occupied since 1914. The up
per floor now houses the large library.
The drawing room, dining room
and large lecture room are on the
second floor. and the cloakrooms are
located on the street floor.
Brilliant Parties
Held by the Club.
Many brilliant parties have been
held In this house in the % years
Of the clubs occupancy. The cele-
bration of the twenty-fifth anniver-
sary Of the founding of the organiza-
ton, in 1915. was one of these. A
large cake with IS blue candles was
one of the features Of the evening,
and many gifts were presented to the
club. Another important party given
that year was one in honor Of Mrs
Woodrow Wilson soon after her mar
fiage to the President. Mrs. Wilson
had long been q member of the cllhu
and Is now on the honorary list
Gentlemen were invited to the club
house for the first time in 1915, when
the New Year reception was held.
The study groups. begun many years
ago, are still a special feature OF
the club activities. Monday morn
ing book chats, when members re-
view recent books; Tuesday morning
lectures, occasional club luncheons and
dinners, usually addressed by we'll
known speaker, and other more in
formal affairs make the clubhouse q
sceues Of continuing activity. The
public Affairs lectures given each
Thursday morning by Miss Clara Nc
QuoTn have long been one of the
attEnctions Of the Washington Club
Mr4 Willard Hayes. daughter Of Mrs.
Nashaniel Paige, one Of the club
foumdsrS. Is now president.
4 i
The insurance women,s Club held