Evening star., 1945-04-15
Fifty Years Ago

Mention Of other social occasions in
this column recently prompted Charles
c. De Atley, 1865 Kennedy
De AtIey street NV, to consult the
Porty files of The Star in search
of a paragraph concerning
"a pleasant surprise party" which he
remembered over five long decades.
Nor was the quest unavailing. Mr.. De
Alley discovered what he was looking
for in the society notes for March q,
1895. The honor guest. it seems, was
Miss Eta Wright; the hosts were her
grandparents, Mr.. and Mrs. J. c. De
Alley, who then resided at ITO Seventh
street S.W., and among those present
We're: The Misses King, Carpenter
Wright, Willard, Mr.. and Mrs. L. H.
CogsWeu and c. A. Cooper.
There never has been any question
y about the great talents possessed by
Richard Mansfield, the
Monsfield's most notably popular
Genius tragedian Of grandfath-
ers day, but the explana-
ton of his genius perhaps never has
been revealed. A clue to it possibly may
be found in these words of appraisal re-
produced from The Star of April 6,
1895 Mr.. Mansfield is restless and un-
tiring. There are a half dozen characters
in his repertoire. any one of which he
might have played constantly for an un-
limited period with satisfactory pecuni-
ary results but he no sooner wins sue
cess in one part than he puts it aside
for new one; he is constantly creating
he never copies and when he takes up
character, which predecessors have pre-
sented, he defles tradition and travels
far from the beaten track" The great
actor, let it be remembered parentheti-
cal :. loved Washington. 1t was here
thai he chose to have a unique concert
of his own songs played and sung in
1891.
The Star for April 8, 1895, published
an editorial which now is reprinted in
this space because it
SIonderinq is more meaningful in
Presidents l945 than when it first
appeared. Referring to
a specific incident, it said: The clergy
man who accused President Cleveland
of public intoXication has run up against
some solid and positive denials from men
of high character and will probably be
more careful in the future. 1t is
serious thing to assail the reputation of
the President of the United States, who,
no matter what his political beliefs or
personal idiosyncracies, is the Chief
Magistrate of this Nation. From the
foundation of the Republic Presidents
suffered more or less from the assaults
of scandalmongerS, and it is only rea-
sonable to presume that Presidnets to
come will also be targets for venomous
shafts, but, while those who revel in
gossip may enjoy malodorous discus
sion. the great majority Of the American
people will only condemn purposeless
endeavors to discredit those who have
been called by the popular voice to oc-
cupy high places. President Clevelands
indignation is quite natural, yet it may
be said that it would have been better
TO permit Ine assault 10 pass Dy uIl1lO-
ticed; his denial has given it and its
author undeserved prominence"
X X X
When President Roosevelt joined with
Prime Minister Churchill and Gen
eralissimo Chang
Korean Kai-shek at Cairo in
lndenendence a declaration to the
effect that Korea
must be a free and independent nation,
he but echoed the traditional position
of the United States in that matter. The
Star of April 10, 1895, carried 'front.'
page story about the terms of peace be-
tween China and Japan, stipulating
among other things that the integrity of
Korea was to be guaranteed. This, said
the anonymous writer of the article,
brings out the curious fact that the
United States is the only power which has
hitherto recognized Koreas independ-
ence and has received diplomatic del
egation from that country" Korea at