Evening star., 1940-03-17
White House Writers
Have Night Of Fun
Al Annual Feast
Roosevelt Honor Guest;
Presidential Aspironts
And Others in Film

Before an audience Of Presidents
present, past, future, possible and
impossible-the White House Cor
respondents Association held its
18th annual festival of food and
nonsense last night at the Willard
Hotel.
As is customary, President Roose-
welt was the honor guest, with the
total attendance about $50, including
the newsmen themselves.
And as might have been expected
the piece de resistance in entertain
ment centered about Mr.. Roosevelt's
1910 political intentions and his
fancied reaction toward the aspira-
tions Of q dozen or so Democratic
ard Republican hopefuls.
Conceived by the great minds of
the White House pressroom and
produced by Paramount Pictures,
the entertainment feature was a
burlesque newsreel review of those
most frequently mentioned as presi-
Dental possibilities. Entitled "Mr.
Big Stays in Washington cor Does
He?)" and billed as ".the outstand-
ingly tremendous unadulterated
twaddle of the year." the picture
lived up to its billing.
Voice Like Roosevelt's.
In the background against the
monologue of "The Unknown His
torian," whose voice sounded
strangely like that of Mr.. Roosevelts
best 1reside warbling. the aim pre-
sented Mayor La Guardia of New
York, Senator Wheeler Of Montana,
Postmaster General Farley, Secre-
tary of State Hull, Vice President
Garner, Federal Security Admin
istrator McNutt, Secretary of Agri-
culture Wallace, Attorney General
jackson, Senator Vandenberg of
Michigan, Senator Taft of Ohio.
District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey,
Publisher Frank Gannett and Rep
resentative Martin of Massachusetts,
1t. Charles Benter mustered out
the Navy Band Orchestra and so
students OF the Navy School of
Music to provide medley Of sea
chanteys and incidental music
through the dinner.
After the responsibilities of eat
ing and watching the movie had
been completed the entertainment
program was taken over by the Co.
lumbia Broadcasting System. The
radio personalities we're:
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello,
comedians; Jane Froman, singer;
Giovanni, gentleman pickpocket;
Estelle and LIE Roy, dancing team;
the Briants, comedians; Ken Har-
vey, guitarist; John Jarvis and
Frank Craven, accordionists; the
Bernard and Freddy sisters, Joe
Rines and his orchestra and Dan
Seymour. master of ceremonies.
Several introduced.
introduced during the course Of
the evening were Senator Bridges,
Republican presidential aspifant
from New Hampshire, who s"missed"
the movie; Capt. Harry A. Badt,
commander of the U. S. S. Tusca-
loosa presidential yachtl, and
three former White House secre-
taries, George B. Christian, jr.;
Everett Sanders and Lawrence
Richey. FE
Only one event Of the evening
was ION the record, transfer of the
association presidency from Earl
Goodwin Of the Washington Times
Herald to Felix Belair, jr., Of the
New York Times Washington bu-
reau.
Other new officers taking over
last night were Thomas F. Rey-
nolds. United Press, as vice presi-
dent; Paul Wooton, New Orleans
Times-Picayune, as secretary treas
urer; John c. OBrien, Philadelphia
Inquirer: Claude A. Mahoney, Wall
Street Journal, and Douglas B. Cor
nell, Associated Press, as Executive
Committee members.
The guest list follows:
The President of the United States |
The Secretary of State
The Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of War
The Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary Of Agriculture
Mr.. Justice Douglas
Mr.. Justice Murphy
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