Evening star., 1939-01-29

Kentucky, majority leader, looking
was young Mr.. Lodge of the Bay
State stepping about in his grand
Wonderland look in his eyes. And
oh, there was the Senate whip, Mr..
James Hamilton Lewis, whose
tawney beard is now frosted by the
SHOWS of winter; Mr.. Lewis gives
his life history in his biography in
the Congressional Directory, but not
SO Senator Peter Goelet Gerry of
Rhode Island, who goes to the other
extreme when he announces simply
in two words, "Democrat-Rhode
Island"
Gerry Ancestors
Are Outstanding.
Mr. Gerry is one of the We're de
Veres of the Senate, who was born
with a gold spoon in his mouth,
whose ancestors made money and
did things for their country. They
were a kind of New Dealers of their
time in their progressive ideas, and
care for the underprivileged They
were very practical and far reaching
IN their charities. The Senator's
father, Elbridge T. Gerry, was one
of the founders of the first Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Children and the original leader in
much of the child welfare legisla-
ton which has since become a law.
The new child labor law includes
some of the principles for which he
stood and worked 1t was he who
willed his fine and rare law library
of 10000 volumes to the United
States Supreme Court. 1t is now
splendidly installed In the Justices
Library in the beautiful new Su-
preme Court Building. Two of Mr..
Peter Gerry's Observation-Disclosures
Gerry and Francis LeWis-Were
signers of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence. Others were magistrates
chancellors and cabinet ministers.
He comes naturally by his flair for
politics.
Senator Gerry Stands
For the Underdog.
A Harvard man with a softened
11dl v al u dCSCIlG ldWySI ny
profession who evidently values his
legal training for the help it is to
him in his public life he believes
In a Navy second to none and has
served in both the House and Sem
ate on the Naval Affairs Commit
tees ). interested in the War Col
lege, Torpedo Station and Train
ing School at Newport &. men,
ber of the fourth estate, he was
instrumental in building up a
Democratic newspaper in Rhode
Island and is prominently con-
nected with the Providence Tribune.
Mr.. Gerry inherits the family trait
In wanting to help the underdog
and the bills introduced by him for
relief in his own State are said to
have resulted in substantial bene-
fits for his continents.
We can't leave this without men,
tioning that other charming half
of the Gerry family. Mrs. Gerry
formerly the wife of the late Mr.
George Vanderbilt of Biltmore, N,
c., whose work there to better liv-
Ing conditions for those in indus
trial life and for the general well
fare of the mountain people was
at all times shared by Mrs. Gerry
who as chatelaine of what was
known as the big house on the
mountain was and is much beloved
If we are not mistaken, she still
carries on much of the work there.
Erika Mann HonOred
BY 500 Guests.
One of the largest public lunch
cons of the season was that at the
Mayf1ower yesterday, sponsored by
the Barnard College Club of Wash
ington and in honor of Erika Mann
author, playwright and actress and
daughter of Thomas Mann. While
the club has only about so mem
bers, there were 500 reservations
made and all taken.
Barnard girls are pretty peppy
but it would be difficult for ever
them to keep up with Erika's prog
ress around the world. She is the
eldest of DR.. Manns six children
and at the early age of 16 she de-
clared she would not do just what
she has and is doing so success.
writing. She thought with
one or two of her brothers and hel
distinguished father filling page!
daily that the Manns were well rep.
. resented. She has travelled aroune
the world, won an automobile driv.
ing contest-driving 62l miles a day
While still in her teens SHIT
studied under Max Reinhardt ane
went on the stage. 1t is not Otter
q woman of 80 can put as man,
things into her life as she has. Sh'
produced satirical political revue
"Peppermill," in Munich, her birth
place; for this audacious gestur'
she had to flee Germany, and he
citizenship was revoked. She me
and married the English poet ant
anti Fascist, w. H. Auden, her frs
husband having been Gustaf Grind
gens-a pronounced Nazi-now heat
of the Berlin State Theater. Ever.
one has heard of her dramatic re
turn to Germany to rescue some o