Evening star., 1939-01-07
Henderson Tane|es
With Photographer
AT Parker Party
One More Picture
Clash Interrupts
Plea for LoyoIists

Clash Interrupts
Plea for LoyoIists
The cause of peace and democracy
was shattered by falling furniture
and crashing glass yesterday as Leon
Henderson, New Deal economist,
came to blows with a photographer
trying to get one more picture Of
Dorothy Parker at a reception ar
ranged by the sponsors of the Amer
lean Congress for Peace and De-
mocracy.
The photographers, their anticipa-
ton whetted by wait Of more than
an hour for Miss Parker, were snap
ing her picture right and left when
Mr.. Henderson, at whose home the
affair was given. decided to call a
Photographic halt.
The economic adviser to the
Monopoly Committee and former
chief economist of the w. p. A. told
the photographers to leave. All ex-
cept one retired. Joseph 8. Mccoy,
a newspaper photographer, wanted
one more picture.
Just as Miss Parker, seated on
the piano above a capacity crowd
of Washington liberals, embarked
on a fearful plea for aid to Spanish
Loyalists, Photographic bulb
flashed. Mr.. Henderson started to-
ward Photographer Mccoy.
Grabs Photographer.
He passed the Spanish Ambassa- =
dor at full tilt. He hoped across
the outstretched legs of q dozen
liberals, seated on the floor in lieu
of chairs. He grabbed the photog-
rapher by the back of the neck and
pushed him into the next room.
Miss Parker stopped speaking
Then the stiffness was broken by
the dull thud Of tumbling furniture.
1t sounded like a minor civil war
had erupted in the next room. Sew
eral men struggled to their feet and
rushed toward the door.
Mr.. Henderson, meanwhile, had
succeeded in smashing Mr.. Mccoy
camera and was banging the pho
tographer's head against the wall
The other photographers, leaping to
the defense Of their colleague, pin
ioned the irate Mr.. Henderson, while
an unidentified hero hurried Mr.
MCCOY to the stairs.
Mr.. Hendersons' two young daugh-
ters, who had dressed in Chinese
costumes in honor of the other
honor guest, Miss 81 Ian Chen, were
crying in their mothers arms. One
Of the women guests sought to de-
tain Mr.. Henderson long enough to
allow the photographer to make his
exit.
Glass Crash Is Climax.
There was the sound of the door
closing, followed by the crash Of
falling glass. Somebody had put a
f1st through the plate glass door of
the Henderson home.
Before the interruption" Mr..
Henderson had introduced Miss Par
ker with a laughing reference to her
delayed appearance.
This has been a very costly per-
formance," he had said. when the
audience pays q dollar to get in, and
there's only one round of drinks,
you make money. But If the guest
OF honor arrives late everybody gets
three drinks and you don't make a
cent"
Miss Parker, after telling the
crowd she wanted to talk seriously,
had just stated, when I was in
Spain last year they didn't call it 4
civil war, they called it an invasion" I"
when the excitement began.
After order had been restored
Miss Parker quietly resumed her
description Of the starvation, dan
ger, desolation and bravery Of the
Loyalists she had encountered dur
ing her months stay in Spain.
The writer. whose witticiams have
become q tradition, dropped the
cloak Of humor to parade before her
listeners dramatic stories OF the
Spanish struggle.
Children StoicaL.
II never heard one child COM
plain" she said. 'The older ones
looked patient, the younger ones
puzzled. You can't get anything to
eat II you're over years old. It
must be awful tough ifyoure T."
Tears were in her eyes rs, with
arms outstretched, she begged the
audience to help the Loyalists.
"This is no time for coquetry,"
she declared. They need your help.
I can only tell you from the bottom
of my heart that If they could help
you, they would. Why don't you
help them?"'
= One and five-dollar bills poured
into her lap as she finished her
speech. Within 10 minutes, $95 had
been collected, with Ambassador de
los Rios coming forward to contrib
ute his share. Miss Parker said The
money would provide two children
with powdered milk for year.
Speaking with reporters later, the
writer said she was through with
wit and humor. She and her hus-
band Alay Campbell she added. are