The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-11

golf as usual, we have been fighting with one hand tied behind us" wrote MT. Hopkins.
 "Rationing and priorities far more widespread than at present will determine the kinds of food .. we shall have and will affect every detail of our daily lives. Under total war our overall standard of living will be as low as it was at the bottom of the de- | preSsion in 1882.
 Most adults will not be fed quite as well as the men in the armed services, which is as it should be. No family should object to meat rationir1g when they realize the beef and bacon they don't get is being served to their sons and brothers in the Army.
 Why should there be men to open taxicab doors in front of ho- tels aud night clubs? Why should there be cooks in night clubs when cooks are needed in the Army?"
 Such were MT. Hopkins choicer, selected sentences.
 MRS. HOPKINS
 WEDDING PRESENT
 No one in Washington realized how much social significance there was in the Hopkins article until a few days ago, when tongues began to wag around Washington of a hard-times party thrown at one of the capitals snazzier hotel-night clubs, in honor of who else but Mir and Mrs. Harry L. Hopkins. Then it became apparent that here was a new New Deal magma charta.
 This function, reflecting at every turn the wartime curtailments of which Mr. Hopkins had written so feelingly-with one hand tied be- hind his back, no doubt-was given by MT. Bernard Baruch. But it is perhaps unfair to bring him in on this, as he was merely the man on whose cuff the party was thrown.
 The gossip in Washington is that MT. Baruch asked Mrs. Hop- kins what she would like for a wedding present, and she told him she'd like to have him give her a party. Mrs Hopkins was appar- ently told to go ahead and arrange 1t, inviting whenever she pleased, and the Baruch cuff blanche was extended on which the guest of honor could write her own menu, as on blank check.
 Now never let it be said that the new Mrs. Harry Hopkins, the for mer Mrs. Louise Macy, nee Brown, is not an ingenious person when it comes to arranging a party on a war economy basis for a reduced standard of living. No cocktail parties as usual for her. Mrs. Hop- kins had no doubt read every word of her husbands article, and she had approved. She used to write articles for the slicker and thicker paper magazines herself. always with emphasis on how to avoid be- ing vulgar or in bad taste.
 Some say there were 60 guests invited, some say 30. Either way, there definitely were not 100 peo- pie present, unless you counted the orchestra. the walters, all those cooks which MT. Hopkins wrote were so badly needed by the Army, and the man who opened the taxi doors as the guests drew up in front.
 CAVIAR, CHAMPAGNE
 AND BEEF
 As for food, since MT. Hopkins bad written that adults would not be fed as well as men in the armed services, the menu was held down to simple buffet supper. There were only 30 dishes, leading off with caviar and pate de fois gras.
 Knowing that all the guests had read MT. Hopkins article and were therefore prepared to get along on reduced rations of beef and bacon so that their sons and brothers could have more in the Army, the meat courses were held down to just five-beef a la mode, corned beef in jelly, cold tongue, calves head, and Virginia ham.
 To show how the ingenious housewife can get along with sub stitutes in wartime. however, the shortage of meat was made up for with two soups, three kinds of sea- food-baked oysters, trout and ter- rapin; chicken fixed four ways, to say nothing of turkey and duck: three salads, three ice creams and I petit fours.
 Any civilian defense volunteer who has left the children with the neighbors so she could take a course in nutrition knows that all these foods are filled with vita- mins. and just what the govern lnent has been telling war workers they should eat to make them strong SO they could help win the war quickly. And oh, yes-another meat substitute on the menu was assorted cheese.
 The ratloning effect that Mfr Hopkins had warned his readers about was evident at thi Sfunction in that the only coffee served was demi-tasse.
 The real war touch. showing how people will have to get used to Q standard of living as low as it was at the bottom Of the depression in 1882. was most noticeable in two Fespects-FFeneh champagne, vIn- tage Of 1926. flowed like water and every lady there was given q large bottle of the rarest French perfume as a souvenir.
 You will recall that back in te32, at the depths of the depression, you could get French chaInpagnes and French perfumes.
 Mfr. Hopkins should write pieces for the magazines more often.