The Washington times., 1937-06-17
NOW
Sailing Ships And
Women
A NEW ANGLE
BY HELEN ESSARY

that on them depends to q dis
turbing degree the future Of the
American Merchant Marine.
This rich, proud country Of ours
has q puny, rundown Merchant
Marine. Compared with the ton.
mage Of other countries the U. s.
tonnage is so feeble that we ought
to be hiding our red faces in
shame.
Mr.. Edward T. Gibbons. who
does publicity for the Maritime
Commission, says that this nat
ural shortage in big boats is
largely . fault Of American
women. Indeed the Maritime
Commission as one man takes
this lofty masculine attitude. 1t
blameS the ship shortage on my
slandered sex.
"Just why drag in the wom-
en?" I asked Mr.. Gibbons a little
coldly.
Mr.. Gibbons, who used to run a
travel bureau, was unabashed by
the sharp question. He said that
women go cruising at home and
travelling abroad by the hundreds
Of thousands.
Some times they take their hus-
bands or children by the hand.
Often they go with herds Of other
women. In either case it Is the
women who pick the ships. And
they've a weakness for big for
eign boats.
'But II they can't find enough
big American boats, they must
necessarily sail under foreign
flags" I protested.
"That is just the point" Mr..
Gibbons replied. Women must
demand American ships, The
Government will provide them"
To prove this last promise, Mr..
Gibbons quoted Mr.. Roosevelt,
who said that this country "owes
it to its people to make certain
that it's ships are in keeping with
our national pride and needs"
y y
I like to think about ships and
more ships, sailing the seven seas.
Big boats cutting through cool
breezes. Foaming waves, sea gullS,
dappled skies. And no seasicknesS,
please.
was charmed with the attrac-
tive women guests at Mrs. Fran
els Whitten's garden cocktail party
the other day. Mrs. Written is not
only lovely to look at, but she Is
brilliant stage manager. she
must have invited, on this occa-
sion, only women who were good
looking and clever.
The Austrian Minister, Edgar
prochnik, remarked on the decora-
tive group. He said the next time
an Austrian portrait painter came
to washington, he would ask Mrs.
Written to make out the guest
list of women for the artist to
meet.
Mrs. Whitten's lovely ladies
were all smartly dressed IN casual
but not too casual clothes. They
were slim and Short-Skirted, with
sandaled feet, the right amount Of
Hpstick and powder, and the right
amount of sprightly conversation.
Among those on whom the eye
rested with agreeable ease were
Gretchen Prochnik, wife OF the
Austrian Minister; Mrs. John Cas-
well (Betsy Caswell, cooking col.
umnist, decorative at home and
). behind the typewriter); Mrs.
Granger Blair attractive Martha
Blair of 'These Charming People;
Mrs, Campbell Prichett (Natalie
Prichett, whose entertaining So
: cial diary you read in by the
Way): MRS. william p. McCrack-
en- ("Chic" has lots of Southern
charm and gaiety), and Mrs. New
bold Moves, and Mrs. Emmons
smith Celia Noyes and Betty
smith, as chic as the dress shop
they run).
Another beautiful working gal
at Mrs. Whitten's house was Mrs.
scott Williams, who conducts a
beauty parlor-many Washing
ton women owe to Eileen Scott
williams at least part OF their
charm. Still another was Miss
Marion Trumbull, always smartly
dressed social secretary.
Lady Lewis and Mrs. Wallach
Merriam, two of the most anus
ing people in Washington (wise
Rose Merriam is a social secre-
tary). were also in this entertain
ing gathering.
The men present, shan't men,
ton them one by one, obviously
thought the afternoons combina-
ton of beauty and brains a sue
cess. Not one husband murmured:
isn't it time to go home yet?"
T. This IS undoubtedly a woman's
column today. A few words about
Mrs. Mary T. Norton, Congress
woman from New Jersey, and one
of nv favorite lawmakers, who
may succeed to the Craftsmanship
of the House Labor Committee left
vacant by the sudden death Of
Representative william P. Con-
merry.
Mary Norton in her new post
would be the first woman legisla-
tor to head a powerful Congress
Hional committee. The District