The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-05-29
NOW
The ROOSeUeltS
Entertain
THE PRESS
By HELEN ESSARY

Certain members Of the Fourth
Estate are aching in their joints
today. They tried to keep up with
Mrs. Roosevelt in the Virginia Reel,
nght-hearted feature of the most
recent annual white House news
paper party.
The agility of this one Roosevelt,
heaven knows, would have been
enough for the journalists and
their eager wives to cope with
without falling down in a faint.
But last night there were THREE
tall, zestful RooSeveltS swinging
their partners, dancing back to
back and tipping about in the
Grand Change.
The other two Roosevelts were
Mrs. Roosevelt's brother, G. Hall
Roosevelt, and Jimmie Roosevelt,
her son. Pretty Betsy Roosevelt,
Jimmie's wife, might also be claS-
Sified as a real Roosevelt. She
has the grace, the quick foot
and merry heart Of her relatives
by marriage. So that made four
Of the indomitable clan for the
Fourth Estaters to dance UP to
while the orchestra jigged out its
merry tunes.
But that wasn't all. On the side
lines while the couples frisked
about on the East Room floor sat
the head of the family, Franklin
Delano Roosevelt himself, with
Vice President and Mrs. Garner
beside him, calling out numbers,
clapping his hands, whistling and
popping UP the party.
The look of the dancers was
something to tell the candid
cameras about.
The gentlemen were magnifi.
cent in gold, green, scarlet, blue
and yellow satin costumes.
Not simple though obviously
meant to be JefferSonian and
Democratic were their knee
breeches, long-tailed jackets and
ruffled stocks.
Indeed their plumage was as
damboyant and beautiful as that
Of male birds in the mating sea-
son. Even had they been friends
of the harried Duke of Windsor
they would have been admitted
to the recent Coronation without
a diSpensation from the Arch.
bishop Of Canterbury.
Secretary Henry Morgenthau,
jr, was superb in sapphire blue.
The President said he looked like
the portrait of that other Treas.
ury Secretary, Alexander Hamil-
ton.
Slim and elegantly aristocratic
was Jimmie Roosevelt in white
satin, and his Uncle Hall looked
like the lord of a manor in
restrained gray. Marvin Mcintyre
might have doubled for one Of the
Lords Baltimore. The other gen
tlemen were equally beautiful.
But the ladies, regret to say,
were slightly genteel in lowered
dimity and full ruffled skirts. The
bells on their shoes, the low
decolletage of their short-waisted
frocks and their beguiling beauty
patches slightly enlivened that
sweet brown-wren look. But as
females of the species they were
less deadly than the males.
The dance, like the rest of the
happy informal evening, was really
great fun. It was gay. It was
also reducing to the waist line.
Mrs. Roosevelt was the best
dancer of the lot.
She was as fresh as the butter
cups in her dress when the last
of the reelerS had bowed and
smiled to his partner. When the
orchestra struck up a Viennese
waltz, off she went double-quick-
stepping around and around with
her brother Hall.
The President remained in the |
East Room until half past eleven,
talking about the party to the
hundreds who came to shake him
by the hand. AS he was about |
to go upstairs, he paused for a
word with the "V. p" Jack" he
said, weren't those colors good |
on the men this evening? 1
like them immensely. Mark my
word, before another year is out,
we'll all be wearing colored dinner
coats. Better. do your shopping
early"
Mrs. Jeanette M. Owens,
whose husband, the late Junior
Owens, was a familiar figure in
Washington life for many years,
recently had minor operation in
a Washington hospital. She has
two amusing anecdotes to relate
as result Of her experiences.
Mrs. Owens had climbed out of
her hospital bed for the first time
during the absence of her nurse
from the room and was looking
for her slippers. She was stand
ing, pale and weak, in one Of those