Evening star., 1937-12-26
By ROBERT CRAWFORD.

~ 1SOASIASA OASHvvX OAtOs
TINE beautiful marble halls Of the
Pan-American Building, that
i formerly on New Year Day
echoed to the babel Of the
tongues Of the earth, this year will
not be the scene Of the diplomatic
breakfasts which for several years
were given there by the Secretary Of
State In honor Of the foreign repre-
sentatives.
The first lady Of the cabinet, Mrs.
Cordell Hull. wife of the Secretary
Of State. who never shirks her official
duties and says she never finds them
ennuyant-so rare for one who has
been 80 years in public life-said the
other day that she thought the dis
continuance Of the formal breakfasts
was a great relief to the members Of
the corps and that they were ex-
tremely grateful that they had gone
into the discard, and the day left free
for them to visit or entertain as they
liked, or to leave town for bit OF
fresh air. Mrs. Hull sometimes re-
ceives the corps en- masse, but con-
fesses that both she and the Secretary
find it most delightful to receive few
at time, and more especially new
comers to the corps either alone or
with a small group Of congenial peo-
pie. One can really get acquainted
In that way, as conversation takes on
q more intimate and less formal tone.
President Roosevelt Returns
To Jeffersonian Diplomacy.
President Roosevelt evidently has
that way of thinking. for he has re-
Gently, with true Jeffersonian SIM
plicity-not, however. clad in slippers
and dressing gown, as is tabled OF the
first Democratic President--received
a South American envoy in the ex-
ecutive office of the White House,
dressed in his business suit, and after
the first formalities settled down to
smoke and an informal few minutes
Of conversation. When the reception
was ended the Minister knew more OF
what stuff the President of the United
States was made than he would have
known in dozen blue room audiences.
It's quite true some of the older
diplomats must have gasped when
they heard the new Minister from
Nicaragua had left his diplomatic
striped trousers at home and appeared
like the President in sack suit when
he presented his credentials on that
momentous day when protocolian eti-
uuette was wrapped In old lavender
and laid aside. Handsome Capt. Eden,
reported to be the best dressed man
In Europe, must have sSooned away
and pulled down the blinds OF the
foreign Office in London, for, OF
course, the dawn of new era in good
neighbor diplomacy was worth a cable
message But these are parlous times
and it may be the President who finds
the days all too short for his many
duties decided that the gorgeous dip
lomatic reception given the last week
when the foreign gentlemen paid
their respects arrayed like Solomon IN
all his glory, was a sufncient tribute
to diplomatic traditions and customs
which are fast being outworn by the
onrush of more vital world events.
The President in Black. British Am.
bassador Gorgeous Gold Embroidery.
1t seems to be the opinion Of those
present that the White House has
seldom witnessed such gorgeous
company as came down the line the
night of the recent diplomatic recep-
ton to pay its respects to the President
and Mrs. Roosevelt. The President in
plain black evening clothes with white
waistcoat and tie topping every one
but the British Ambassador, Sir Ronald
Lindsay-the son of rs earls, not so
many as Tennyson's poetic daughter
of "a hundred earls p. c., G. c. M. G.,
K. C. B., c. v. O.-hoW about it,
Senator Carter Glass, with all those
letters of your honorary college de-
grees)-the acknowledged piece de
resistance Of the glittering show Of
gold-embroidered uniforms, colorful
and impressive. Sir Ronald always