Evening star., 1945-03-10
Pen Women Urged
TO axe Interest
In Leqislati0n
By Gretchen Smith

Lack of interest in national legis.
lation, and intolerance are fall
ings which women must overcome
If they are to have voice in bring
ing about a permanent peace, Mrs.
John L. Whitehurst, past president
OF the General Federation of
Women's Clubs, declared yester-
day.
Substituting for Clare Booth
Luce, scheduled to speak at the
celebrity breakfast Of the National
League of American Pen Women
held yesterday at the Willard Hotel,
Mrs. Whitehurst called upon the
Pen Women to "use their God given
gifts of music and writing to elm
mate intolerance and to impress
people with the things they should
know regarding details of proposed
peace plans"
"Our club women are resolute."
she asserted, "but they do nothing
about it." Lethargy, the club lead
er warned, Is "the poison which will
bring peace not lasting,
Intolerance of others whether at
home or abroad must be eliminated,
she continued, and "isolationism
and nationalistic thinking" are
things of the past in a world that
hopes to bring about permanent
peace.
In these matters, women were
urged to make their opinions known
because" Mrs. Whitehurst empha-
sized, delegates to the Peace Con-
ference will not know what you
want unless you tell them"
Club women can mo- longer sit by
indifferently, intolerant of others
opinions, Mrs. Whitehurst con-
cluded, because we are going to
have to live in world of nations
whether we like it or not"
The celebrity breakfast, the first
given in six years was held to honor
four gifted and successful members
of the National League, Repre-
sentative Clare Boothe Luce, author
and playwright, member of the
Connecticut Pioneer Branch; Ethel
Hueston, nationally known author,
District of Columbia branch; Mary
Bruce Howe, composer. District
branch, and Minnie Briggs Raul,
artist, also member of the District
branch.
Mrs. Luce was unable to attend due
to her unexpected mission overseas,
but the other honored members were
seated at the head table, each
bringing word of greeting.
Several compositions of Mrs Howe
were played by Theodore Schaefer,
! pianist, while group of her songs
were sung by Henrietta Bagger-
Plum, accompanied at the piano by
Ellwood Hill.
Mrs. Hueston's subject was "Scrib-
bling My Way from Scratch" while
Mrs. Raul entertained with talk
on her work entitled, Etching Is
My Master" An exhibit of the ar
fists etchings were displayed in the
ballroom where the breakfast was
held.
Those who spoke briefly included
Mrs. Blanche Smith Ferguson, ma
tional president of the league, who
came from Baltimore; Mrs. Victoria
Faber Stevenson, Junior past ma
tional president, and Dr. Winifred
Willard, editor of the leagues publi-
cation. THE Pen Woman"
Mrs Grace Boles Hedge, first ma
tional vice president, presided and
introduced the speakers. Several
out-of town distinguished members
were introduced by Mrs. Cloyd Heck
Marvin, member of the committee
which planned the breakfast.
Out-of-town visitors included Mrs.
Alva Scott, president of the Los
Angeles branch; Mrs. Mildred c.
Jacobson of Oil City Pa, Mrs. Irma
Hotchkiss of Pittsburgh, Mrs. Elva
Cooper Magnusson of Seattle, Mrs.
Albert l.. Lewis of Philadelphia, Mrs.
Florence Kahn of Baltimore, a
member of the national board; Mrs.
Margaret Ward, national recording
secretary, of Baltimore; Mrs. Helen
Bayley Davis of Baltimore, Mrs
Louise Hathaway of the Manhattan
branch. New York, and Mrs. John
Lehman of Memphis. Tenn,