Evening star., 1940-12-19
Crown Princess Signs as Band
Plays Netherlands Anthem
Tears Appear in Eyes Of Many in Crowd
During Visit to Red Cross Headquarters

A homesick crown princess heard
the Netherlands national anthem to-
day and sighed. Just like at home"
There were tears in other eyes as
the Navy Band played the anthem,
but Crown Princess Juliana stood
motionless, looking down on the
crowd gathered at American Red
Cross to honor the royal refugee,
head of the Netherlands Red Cross.
The President, Mrs. Roosevelt dis
closed at her press conference today,
mas tried to keep her royal highness
from being too homesick.
Talking with the princess, Presi-
dent Roosevelt called the roll of his
Dutch ancestors, speaking the few
words of Dutch he had learned from
an old Dutch Bible, Mrs. Roosevelt
said.
Makes Surprise Visit.
And the Princess, her face looking
drawn in repose, smiled a few times
this morning. She smiled on the
two old ladies from Amsterdam who
showed her piece of old lace, a
family heirloom they were giving to
the Holland Sailors Christmas
Committee.
That was during Princess Juliana' S
surprise visit today to the commit
tees headquarters at 1899 Connecti-
cut avenue. Dutch women of title
and a few simple countrywomen
had come there to show the Princess
what they were doing for the Dutch
men on British conveys. They
curtsied to the Princess, but she
insisted on shaking hands with all
of them.
They showered her with gifts, too
Dutch dolls to take back to her
two small daughters in Ottawa, pink
satin sachet, lavender and child's
book.
The book, "a Day on Skates the
Princess said. was little old for
her 3-year-old daughter, but. she
added hastily, She'll grow into it,
Princess Is Startled.
The newspaperwomen, who gath
cred at the White House earlier to
meet the princess, succeeded in
startling her almost to flight.
AS usual, as soon as the barrier to
the second floor was removed, the
women of Mrs. Roosevelt's press con-
ference started leaping up the stairs,
lodging the ferns and rushing to get
front row seats.
Eyorvfhiru u,oc ,cy1o1 fI,of &c
except for the fact that Princess
Juliana awaited them at the top of
the stairs, where Chief Usher Howell
Grim was waving a futile hand for
quiet.
Mrs Roosevelt patted the Princess
arm reassuringly and the women
filed by. shaking HANDS. Once in
side the Monroe Room, scene of the
press conference. and at one time
sitting room for the King and Queen
of England on their visit here,
Princess Juliana sat with her hands
clutched in front of her.
Reviews Crowded Schedule.
Mrs. Roosevelt reviewed her
crowded Christmas eve schedule and
wound up land I guess that's all"
The Princess joined in the laughter.
She didn't flick an eyelash when
one of the women asked Mrs. Roose-
welt to comment on the desirability
of sending relief to German-occupied
areas.
That is hardly something we can
decide, Mrs. Roosevelt replied, re-
iterating that Germany and Eng
land would be the ones to decide
whether the relief supplies would
get through to the countries where
they are needed.
From the press conference, the
princess went to American Red
Cross headquarters, where four chill
dren of the Junior American Red
Cross from Friends School gave her
bouquet and two gifts for her
daughters-the boxes of toys that
are sent to refugee children all over
the world by the Junior American
Red Cross:
The children, Gale Miller, Mollie
Kramer, Malcolm Kilduff and Rob-
ert King, bowed and made little
curtsies.
The princess was to attend a small
tea at the Netherlands Legation
late this afternoon.
Tonight. the princess three-day
visit to the White House will be
climaxed by a formal dinner there.
She leaves for New York tomorrow
at midday.
Sees Traffic in Action.
Her royal highness saw little of
typical America yesterday on her
way to Mount Vernon with Mrs.
Roosevelt. First, the White House
party was unable to cross Memorial
Bridge because the drawbridge was
up-to let tug 60 through. Then
the cars tried the Highway Bridge,
only to get tied up in traffic jam.
Travelling behind police escort.
the White House cars got to Mount