The Washington times., 1937-01-02


will be talked Mrs mclean
about in washington for years to
come. Not only had porches been
converted into great arched Sa-
Ions before the party began, but
while almost a thousand guests
were coming and going the rooms
were being made over.
The first miracle was the seat.
ing, by placecard, mind you, OF
300 guests at dinner tables. From
then on the party flowed serenely.
without confusion of any sort
tables were removed for dancing
guests, bars, equipped with dozens
of walters and hundreds of bot
ties of champagne, scotch and
rye, appeared suddenly. Down
one long room buffet table
spread with literally scores OF
choice dishes, came mysterlouSly
from nowhere.
Thousands of deep red roses
and white roses that had adorned
the dining rooms tables became
a part of the buffet and were
banked in corners and on mantelS
and against the walls of the long
corridors. Yet no one was conScl-
Gus of the change being made.
The whole party was a superb
piece of organization and hoSpl-
tality. When and if Mr.. Roosevelt
reorganizes the Government de-
partments, he should ask advice
from Mrs. Mclean.
1 think the Youth-AdminiStra-
ton might also sit at Mrs. NC
Leans feet. The age of her party
guests reached from Is to 70. And
so cheerful was the tone OF the
party that youth didn't mind the
presence of age, and age tangoed
and flirted with youth and felt "a
child again" just for the night.
Naturally in such a gathering,
many amusing things happened.
AS the Secretary of the Treas
ury and Mrs. Henry Morgenthau
were leaving about midnight some
one asked if he were hurrylng
home to balance the budget.
Mr.. Morgenthau laughed and
said:
"That joke will soon be out
dated. Wait until Tuesday.
You'll be surprised"
The budget report is to be pre-
sented to Congress when 1t con-
veneS on Tuesday.
Mr.. Walter Damrosch, recent
conductor of the Philharmonic
Orchestra, was persuaded to take
the baton and lead some lively
bars of dance music at Mrs. Nc
Leans party. He also sat at the
piano and played a while. Before
dinner, Mr.. DamroSch, impress
sario that he is, was urging Mrs.
William E. Borah to write the book
about Washington that certain
publishers hope she will attempt.
Mrs. Alice Roosevelt LongWorth
was in a state of charming excite
ment over her very recent trip
from Cincinnati with her daughter,
Pauline, four canaries, two parrots
and two dogs in the same train
compartment.
Mr.. AtWater Kent, who with
Mrs. Kent stopped over for the
party on their way to Palm Beach,
was telling me about his restora-
ton OF the Betsy Ross House in
Philadelphia.
The house where Betsy Ross
lived when she sewed the stars
and stripes together into the first
American flag, was falling to
pieces. Mr.. Kent offered to bring
1t to rights again. He has turned
the task over to famous Colonial
expert. The house will soon look
as it did $50 years ago.
Two extremely distinguished
looking women, Miss Eleanor
Sears, Of Boston, and Mrs.
Robert w. Chambers, held per-
sonal court wherever they were
Mrs. Chambers is like pastel
miniature. Miss Sears, a famous
athlete, is tall and slender with
crisp grey hair brushed Smartly
back from a smooth forehead.
Among the many lovely women
there were several who have re-
Gently been away from Wash
ington-Madame de With, wife
of the Minister of The Neither
lands, Mrs. Felicia de Lavigne,
and Mrs. Emil Hurja, who just
returned with her husband from
q trip to Scandinavia.
In addition to the lighthearted,
dancing and dining, there was a
bit of serious conversation here
and there. Two gentlemen of
national importance were dis
cusSing the excitement caused by
the State Departments license
for the shipment of munitions
to Spain.
They believed, to my astonish-
ment, that the Administration de-
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