Evening star., 1943-07-04
Ability to Put Things Over
Attributed to Mrs. Coiioos
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

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BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.
In Washington, whenever q help
ing hand Is needed to further in
terest in women's civic and human
itarian causes or In good will efforts,
this comment Is apt to be heard:
Lets get Anna Cajigas. She'll
help put this thing over"
The Canadian-born wife Of DR..
Tomas Cajigas, a native Puerto
Rican who is today one Of WASH
ington's leading pathologists, has
furthered friendly relations and a
better understanding between the
peoples of our sister republics to the
south of us and our own country.
One of the motivators of Washing
tons successful, nonproflt- making
course of Latin America lectures,
which last year was continued as
the United Nations series, she has
long been an unomcial builder Of
good will.
Home Center Of Hospitality.
Her interest In Latin America and
Latin Americans goes back to the
romance OF her own marriage, and
her realization Of how little she and
her friends knew Of the countries to
the south OF us, and Of the kindred
interests which should be developed.
AS a result, the Cajigas home be-
came a center Of ter-American
hospitality.
Visiting school boys and girls from
various Latin American countries
are frequent visitors on nearly all
holiday occasions. 1t has long been
the custom for their Sunday dinner,
or Sunday night supper gatherings
to be augmented by as many as
seven or eight young persons with
their parents, from as many differ
ent countries.
Many of the young persons who
are now achieving brilliant careers
in public service In their homelands
frequently write members of the
Cajigas family to express apprecia-
ton for their hospitality and to tell
how much 1t has meant to them in
understanding our way of life and
customs.
The day. we interviewed Mrs.
Cajigas In her new home at 4605
Charleston terrace NV. she was
reading a letter from the former
Graciela Estagarriba. daughter Of
the late Gen. Jose Felix Estagarriba,
former President of Paraguay. Now
the wife of the former Minister of
Paraguay to the United States,
Senor Horacio Fernandez. she ex-
presses gratitude for all that Mrs.
Cajigas and her family meant in
helping her Ito cross the bridge OF
understanding" between her own
country and ours.
Can Speak Spanish.
Or. Cajigas speaks and reads
Spanish so well that his services
often are requested as an interpreter.
His wife admits to holding her own
In Spanish. Some day she means to
study Spanish exhaustively, she said.
Whenever Mrs. Cajigas under
takes a civic responsibility, the whole
Cajigas family, from DR.. Cajigas to
their children. Tomas Robert. Paul
Anthony and Beatrice Anita. join
up too. Their Joy in helping Is an
extraordinary exhibition of family
teamwork and solidarity. As one
of Washington's civic leaders put 1t.
Just to watch the Catigas family
in action for a good cause is to feel
you are missing something, If you
don't help"
Mrs. Cajigas also has the happy
faculty Of keeping the hearty sup
port and interest Of those who work
with her, 50 that they willingly
re-enlist when the next request
comes.
Two summerSago, when the Inter-
American Institute was holding its
summer session at the University
Of North Carolina, she organized
the sightseeing and entertainment
for the l25 delegates who came
as visitors to Washington. This in
cludei an interview with Vice Presi-
dent Wallace and a reception at the
White House. where Mrs. Roosevelt
entertained the delegates and auto
graphed their tickets Of admission.
Served Pen Women.
Her service to the League of Amer
lean Pen Women as a local and
national officer has been outstand-
ing. When the league met here
in national convention just before
the war, Mrs. Cajigas was chairman
of the Dinner Committee, with a
successful Puerto Rican- n-American
dinner as q climax to the final
session.
Asked If she had any particular
recipe for accomplishing all she
does, along with her home and
family responsibilities, she said, II
don't know that I have any. After
thinking over the best and quickest
way to get a job done, I just 60
ahead and help do it. with as little
lost motion as possible"
Active in the Puerto Rican-Amer-
ican League. Mrs. Cajigas is chair
man Of the Save the Children Com
mittee" for Puerto Rico. Its peo-
pie. particularly its children, are
suffering acutely from shortages in
foodstuffs, brought about in part by
the war and the resultant dearth of
shipping. To alleviate this, her par
ticular summer work for this Or
ganization will deal with making
500 baby layettes, obtaining 5000
pounds Of clothing and transporta-
tion of soybeans and dehydrated
foods.
Met Husband at Hospital.
Interested in the George Wash
ington University since the days
when she met her husband, then an