Evening star., 1944-12-15

Inc retlr1ng AmDdSSdQOT hIlQ Tile
Countess plan to leave at the end
of January or early in February and
go to the latter's former home in the
Argentine. She formerly was Sc
norita Devote of Buenos Aires, and
when they go to the South Ameri-
can republic they will live on the
ranch which Is the family home OF
the Countess. There their son, M.
Charles Albert van der Straten-
Ponthoz, and his wife, the former
Senorita Olivia Duggan, have made
their home since their marriage
in 1912. M van der Straten-
Ponthoz was badly wounded in 1910
in the Belgian campaign and spent
a short time in Washington with his
parents before returning to Buenos
Aires. His sister, formerly Mile.
Betty van der Straten-Ponthoz, was
married in Buenos Aires last year
and now is the wife of Senor Nor
bert Quirno Costa. The older
daughter, Marie Louise. is Countess
van der Burch, and with the
Princess de Ligne has established
and is managing the Restaurants
de Leopold in Brussels. These
restaurants feed 10000 or more
people daily. Princess de Ligne is
the wife of Prince Eugene de Ligne,
who was Counselor of the Embassy
here in 1884 and served as Charge
d'Affaires until the arrival of the
present Ambassador. Prince Eugene
de Ligne is a nephew of Prince
Albert de Ligne, who was an Am
bassador in the early 1930s.
The retiring Ambassador has had
distinguished career in the
diplomatic service of his country.
He has served as envoy to the
Argentine, Denmark and Norway,
and was delegate to the disarma-
ment conference in Geneva. He
also held posts in Bern, Paris and
Madrid, and before the war was
very active in sports, indulging in
salmon fishing, hunting and riding.
Since coming to Washington he has
played golf frequently at the Burn
ing Tree Club.
Countess van der Straten-Ponthoz
has been a leader in the relief work
of her country, and shortly after the
beginning of the war turned over
the ladies' cloak room on the ground
floor of the Embassy to the Belgian
Relief for the packing of gifts for
Belgian prisoners of war and warm
clothing for the children. Since the
war, although her wardrobe has
suffered from a lack of Paris gowns
and hats, she has maintained her
usual chic and perfect taste in
dress.
Baron Silvercruys has served sew
eral times at the Embassy here,
having come first in June, 1918. as
Attache, and in June, 1920, he was
appointed Second Secretary. He
was joined in 1921 by his sister, then
Nile. Susanne Silvercruys, who was
his hostess during the periods when
he was Charge d'Affaires. Baron
Silvercruys is the son of the late
Baron SilvercruyS who was presi-
dent of the Supreme Court of
Belgium, and he succeeded to the
title of baron after his last tour of
duty in Washington.
He will come here from Canada,
where he has been Ambassador since
last year, having served as Minister
to that country from December,
1886, until the legation was raised
to an embassy, when he became
the first Belgian Ambassador to the
Dominion.
Baron Silvercruys has been twice
as Chief of the Cabinet in the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
came here as Counselor of the EN-
bassy in 1926. He later was trans
ferred to the Embassy in London,
also as Counselor. 1t was after his
tour of duty in London that he be-
came Minister to Ottawa. The
Baron will find many of the friends
made in the years that he formerly
was here still in Washington to
welcome him back. He remains a
bachelor and probably his sister,
now Mrs. Edward Ford Stevenson of
Greenwich, Conn, will spend part
of her time with him here. She is
a gifted sculptress and has gained
many honors in her field, and is the
organizer and executive chairman
of the American Women's Com
mittee of the Belgian Relief Fund.
Mr.. and Mrs. Stevenson live at
Chinese Lanterns, their place in