Evening star., 1938-01-23
By Gael Rentrew.

6t Onel KentreN.
~ TTAWA's state drawing room,
which will be held next Fri
Gay night, is fitting climax
to the ceremonial with which
Canada opens her Parliament.
Modelled on the courts which their
naajesties hold at Buckingham Palace,
this Fice-regal function confers upon
Ottafa-overgrown village of 10000
souls 1.-THE distinction of being the
only place in the vast American conti-
nent where royal court is ever held
The list of visitors from the United
States grows with each season, and
among those who have been present
ed" at drawing rooms Of recent years
are to be found names so familiar in
washington society as Mrs Frances
Parkinson Keyes. Mrs William N.
Doak and Mrs. Warren Delano Rob-
bins.
Court attire which, of course, is de
figueur on this occasion, is so lovely
that every daughter of Eve longs 20
wear 1t. Accessories like gossamer tulle
vells held to the head by nodding
Prince of Wales plumes, and court
trains falling gracefully from the
shoulder transform dowager and
debutante alike into figures of fairy
tale loveliness. In the glamorous
costume the bachelor girl may picture
herself bride and the graying matron
forget her poundage.
The 45-inch veil and three feathers
must be Of virginia. whiteness. but
the color scheme Of the gown and train
may be chosen to suit the wearer,s
taste. Year after year the drawing
room presents scene Of blazing
beauty.
Asst year, one Of the most queen,y
figures was Mrs. Norman Armour.
charming wife of the United States
Minister to Canada. whose gown was
Of silver lame with matching court
train.
Another American visitor in the
diplomatic ranks was Mrs Henry
Walcott Farnam of New York, Ister
Va ooA VII AAN NOttt uSS. DClEl ldIl
to Canada. Her costume was fash
ioned Of white broacaded satin on
empire lines. with lustrous white vel
vet forming the regulation 2-yard
train.
Next Friday Mrs. Joseph Letter of
Washington and her daughter, Miss
Nancy Letter. will be among these
at c%At i
room.
Since the 1896 drawing room had to
be Cancelled on the death of His
Majesty. King George ". the function
Of 1887 was the first held by Lord
and Lady Tweedsmuir, whose visit to
President Roosevelt last March was
an event Of much interest and i'm
portance in the United States Capital.
At the 1885 drawing room. Washing
ton was represented by Mrs. William
N. Doak, widow of former Secretary
of Labor. In a model of white satin,
studied with diamante and court train
Of similar material, she was a stunning
figure
And, of course. any reference to
beautifully gcwned Americans at Cam
ada's vice-regal ceremony must in
clude Mrs. Warren Delano Robbins,
who spent seevral years as chatelane
Of the United States Legation in
Ottawa.
Always regal figure. Mrs. Robbins
graced one recent drawing room in
q gold lace gown with train of con-
trasting rich geranium red. On
another occasion she chose brilliant
blue satin with matching train. while
her daughter. Sunny" wore the
white satin gown and cherry velvet
train in which she had been pre-
sented the previous summer at the
Court Of st. James.
A FOR the men, vice regal func-
= tions give them their chance in
this age of standardized dress to 20
back to the role of Beau Brummel.
For gentlemen: Full or evening
dress'-run the printed regulations,
and the result is gold braid, bright
color and a prevalence of knee
breeches - those neither garments
about which the United States press
perennially has its say
All who are entitled to wear the
Windsor uniform turn up in heavily
BRAIDED blue coat with white knee
breeches, white hose and buckled
shoon Of other centuries.
Diplomats and military and naval
men display still more braid and color.
Small wonder that the severe black
and-white Of swallowtails, to which
Uncle Sam restricts his representa-
tives abroad. assumes a new dignity
by sheer contrast! OF course, there
are other tails-and-white- ties to keep
the United States Ambassador COM
pany.
BY some unexplained collusion with
the powers that regulate the weather,
Ottawa always seems to have ar
ranged for q fresh fall Of snow to
bejewel her suitably for the drawing
room.
Thus silver-powdered the lovely
little city becomes a faerie scene.
Across the three rivers that give the
Canadian capital an unparalleled sit
uation, starshine and moonlight make
paths that lure mysteriously toward
the dark blur Of the Gatineau Hills.
THE drawing room is held in the
Senate chamber of the Parlia-
ment buildings-cleared, Of course,
Tor the occasion. of seats.
Arranged on dais along one wall
are two thrones" toward which the
vice regal party makes its ceremonial
way on the stroke Of 8 pm, preceded
and followed by q retinue Of aides de
camp and other attendants.
Her excellency's train is borne by
two pages-young lads who lock like
princes of olden time in their pale
blue coats, while satin knee breeches,
silver-frogged waistcoats of crimson,
completed by the traditional white
silk hose and buckled shoes.
After arranging Lady Tweedsmuir's
train, the pages seat themselves at her
feet while the vice regal suite, num-