Evening star., 1944-02-07
Families Of Former Officials
Add Interest to CabitaL
By KATHARINE M. BROOKS.

Washington society, made up so
largely Of officials and their families,
also has large quota of families of
former officials who have returned
here to live or who have remained
in the fascinating atmosphere OF
the National Capital. Mrs. Wood
row Wilson is the only widow Of a
President living here, Mrs. William
Howard Taft having died within the
past year. Mrs. Wilson has made her
home here since her youth when
she came here as the bride Of the
late Norman Gait. After his death
she did not return to her Virginia
home but continued to live here as
she had done since the death of
President Wilson. Mrs. Taft also
had spent the greater part OF her
married life in Washington serving
as a cabinet hostess, the chatelaine
Of the White House and later was
the wife of the Chief Justice.
Mrs. Cantazuene,- granddaughter
of President U. S. Grant and born
in the White House. also lives here
and last week had with her her
older daughter, Mrs. w. Durrell Sic
bern of Cincinnati. Mrs. Siebern
formerly was Princess Bertha
Cantacuzene and made her debut
in Washington. Mr.. Siebern came
with his wife, his trip being on busi-
ness, but he returned to their Gin
cinnati home early in the week leav-
ing her to have longer visit with
her mother. Mrs. Cantacuzene's
brother, Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant, III,
has returned here for duty. Mrs.
Grant formerly was Miss Edith
Root, daughter of the late Secretary
OF State and Mrs. Elihu Root.
Mrs. Harry S. New, widow of the
former Postmaster General, who
has lived at the Westchester since
she sold their home, Hemlock Hedge,
In Bethesda, has been working on
some of her late husbands letters
with view to writing recollectionS
of his life The work has been de-
layed owing to the war which has
made a SCARCITY of stenographers
and typists for work unessential to
the war effort. Mrs. New was the
sponsor of the first mail-carrying
plane which she christened while the
late Mr.. New was Postmaster Gen.
eral. The ceremony was the inau-
guration Of the present airmail sys-
tenn, and the bottle which Mrs. New
broke over the prov OF the plane
was filled with water, the prohibit
ton amendment being then in force.
Another administration repre-
sented in resident circles is that of
President Harry A. Garfield whose
granddaughter, Mrs. Herbert Feis,
came to live here when Mr.. FeiS took
the post of economic adviser to the
State Department, a position he
recently relinquished. Mr.. and Mrs
Feis will go to their former home in
Cincinnati the middle of next week,
Mr. Feis to speak before the Foreign
Policy Association February II, and
will return here Immediately after.
Mrs. Feis, however will remain there
for visits among her friends made
while Mr.. Feis was professor of
economics at the University of Gin
cinnati Mrs Feis' mother, Mrs
Joseph Stanley Brown, the former
Molly Garfield, is in her California
home for the winter and probably
will stop here for a short stay on her
way back to her New York home
In the spring.
Representatives of many other
Presidents families live in Wash
ington as we'll as scores of former
members of Congress and lesser
officials of the Federal Government |