The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-07-27
Observations
M'Lean Residence
Offered For Use
of Soldiers.
BY HELEN EssARY

Mrs. Eyalyn Walsh Mclean has
offered her residence at 2020 Massa-
chusetts Ave, Washington, TO war
veterans as a club house.
The Massachusetts Ave. home OF
the fascinating Mrs. Mclean, Wash
ington's most exciting hostess, has
been used for the past few years
as a Red Cross center. Now Mrs.
Mclean thinks the need OF the hun
dreds OF returning veterans for
central gathering place is so great
that the District Of Columbia Chap
ter OF the American Red Cross So
ciety will be glad to relinquish its
occupancy.
The Red Cross society has paid
no rent on the house. The taxes,
far from small approximately
$50, 900 a year,. have been carried
by Mrs. Mclean and will continue
TO be carried when the veterans
take the place over.
Twenty twenty Massachusetts
avenue is a fine old house, II was
built by Mrs. McLean's father, Tho
mas W. Walsh. the fabulous bonan-
"a king. Records show the house
cost SS35,00O. Quite a sum OF
money in 1903, when the mansion
was completed and its doors were
first opened for an era OF elegant
hospitality at THE Walsh House.
The Walsh House was then one
OF the few really luxurious resi-
dences in the capital. Its location,
on the edge of Dupont Circle, was
the smart address of Washington
and continues TO be an important
residence neighborhood.
Tom Walsh spared no dollars and
cut no corners in making his Wash
ington home as near a palace as
the taste OF the day allowed. He
went even further than his con-
emporaries in such handsome man.
tells and carved woodwork.
Mrs. Mclean has taken most of
the furniture from the Walsh
House TO her Georgetown estate.
Friendship. Undoubtedly. how
ever, there will be ways of furnish
ing Walsh House TO suit the wishes
and needs OF a Veterans Club.
AT present there is no spot In
Washington which returning fight
ing men can call their own. Hotel
space continues TO be very scarce
indeed. The Massachusetts Ave.
house will easily accommodate %
men in its bedrooms. The down.
stairs OF 5000" is spacious. Large
drawing rooms. libraries and dining
rooms will make agreeable recrea-
ton rooms and cafeterias.
Part of the Tom Walsh man
sion is already being used for the
entertainment OF women govern
ment workers. This building was
the old carriage house and garage
and stables. Now known as the
Walsh Club. II has been a charm
ing and badly needed center for
women war workers newly come TO
the capital.
Naturally the Veterans Club will
need a wise and clever head. Mrs.
Mclean hopes to persuade Mrs.
Omar Bradley to take over its
management. General Bradley Is
now back from Europe to run the
Veterans Bureau when Mrs. Brad
ley directs the Veterans Club. The
general and his lady will make a
busy and helpful team OF workers
in the cause OF war rehabilitation.
Mrs. Bradley would be the per.
feet person to direct a Veterans
club. watched her Saturday
night at Friendship. where Mrs.
Mclean held one OF her weekly
parties for convalescents from the
hospitals at Walter Reed, Forest
Glen and Bethesda.
Mrs. Bradley knew exactly how
TO talk to the soldiers. She was
gay, friendly and very patient.
She gave her autograph a hundred
times at least She had particular
ly personal words for some OF the
convalescents who had been my
husbands boys"
II met your husband That Isl
sort Of met him in Germany" said
one fellow with bandaged arms.
What | mean is, saw him at a
distance. Some OF the boys shook
hands with him. But wasn't that
lucky" Mrs. Bradley listened At
tentively and then wrote on the
postcards OF Friendship, given
TO each guest by Mrs. Mclean:
Love and the best OF luck to
you and Edith edith was the best
girl from Gen. Omar Bradley's