The Washington times., 1937-06-23
NOW
DR.. DieckhOff
Plans House
RABBIT STORY
BY HELEN ESSARY

DR.. Hans Dieckhoff, recently
arrived German Ambassador, is
planning for fine, new embassy,
zone worthy to represent my
country" The present embassy in
Massachusetts, Avenue, near Four
tenth Street, he regards as most
inadequate.
DR.. Dieckhoff hopes to begin
with the building some day not
too distant on the tract of land
in s Street nordered by Phelps
Place and Twenty-third Street.
In 1914, shortly before the
World War, the German govern
ment bought this excellent prop
-erty at the suggestion Of the then
ambassador, Count Won Bernstein.
1t was intended to begin new
embassy almost Immediately. But
when war came Germany forgot
about its Washington residence.
Jere Sullivan, an Irish-American
ex-policeman, was left on the
property as a caretaker. When
Jere found himself the Embossed
tenant of these swell acres, he
set up about so garages out OF
cast-off sheet iron and profitably
rented them to nearby house
holders.
He thrived happily on his Ger
man territory for many months.
The first postwar ambassador,
Otto Wiedfeldt, had to go to court
to get him removed.
During the last few years, the
land has been rented to the city
as a neighborhood playground.
DR.. Dieckhoff, who was first here
as Counselor for Ambassador
Wiedfeldt and stayed through the
regime of Won Maltzen, remem-
bered the early plans for the new
embassy when he came to Wash
tngton few weeks ago.
The rest of Washington has al"
most forgotten such hopes. But
DR.. Dieckhoff means to surprise
the town with handsome house
and garden.
The present German embassy is
a difficult residence for any Am.
baSsador. Alphabetically it is
hideous. Like a Sprawling pile OF
red brick.
ID Indoors the rooms are strangely
shaped and make a graceful ar
rangement Of furniture impossible.
The German embassy in its fu-
ture location will have important
neighbors- woodrow Wilson,
former Senator David Reed and
Secretary Of War Harry A. Wood
ring.
Which reminds one of the re-
marks of the sightseeing driver, re-
Gently explaining Secretary Wood
rings house to his curious paSsen-
gers:
Ladies and gentlemen, you
are now looking at the house
which belonged to Herbert Hoo
yer when he was Secretary Of
Commerce. A Secretary Of War
lives there now. / think his
name is Roper"
A fortnight of cloudbursts has
crimped happy spirits and wilted
many a summer outfit. But it has
turned Washington into garden.
The grass plots have never been
as green before. The bareSt ter
races are thick with turf, and to-
day found flourishing patch
Of four-leaf cloverS.
The cloudburStS have also re-
Vived an almost extinct trades
man, the umbrella member. On
Connecticut Avenue, on busy
sidewalk, saw one of his kind
working away at a battered un-
brella, turned upside down on a
little wooden stand. Fitting a torn
cover to naked ribs. Stitching with
heavy,tnread and humming cheer
fully. y
Two country friends of mine are
telling tall stories about woods
animals, that have visited them
lately. John w. Owens, editor of
the Baltimore Sun and Pulitzer
prize winner, was taking an early
sunday morning lord-of-the
manoriSh stroll over his Baltimore
garden and discovered a strange
little creature sitting up on its
hind feet in a Wood-boX, The fell
low looked like a rat at first
glance, but he obviously wasn't.
He was too furry. An oposSum
as sure as you live.
Mr.. Owens covered the box eX-
cept for an airspace and sum-
moned neighbor who knew about
animals.
Together they cautiously opened
the Woodbox. The opoSsum was
lying stretched out stiff on its
81 ;, with wide-open staring eyes.
1T couldn't have died." said Mr..
Owens. Certainty not. 1t is just
playing 'possum," said the neigh
Dor. Lets try an experiment"
They carried the woodbox to a
corner of the garden where the
opoSSum could look out on green
leaves if he decided to come to;
hi1 behind the bush and waited.
in a few seconds the dead pos
sum came shortly to life. He sat
up. Shifted a bit. Climbed out of
the box. Walked triumphantly
into the bushes and disappeared.