The Wilmington morning star., 1946-09-22
JULIA McNINCH SLEAR

ton, pin : pointing interest dlrectly
to the North Carolina Colony ano
more particularly to that very
feminine = yet capable and eff
ficient woman soldier, Col. West
ray Battle Boyce, director OF the
Women's Army Corps. native Of
Rocky Mount and one time resident
of practically every sectlon of the
state. Last spring this very atrac-
tive head of the WAC was award
ed an Oak Leaf cluster to the
Legion of Merit received in 1914
for meritorious service as a staff
officer. At the moment she is re-
ceiving plaudits = but for a very
different achievement" A dozen
or more American Generals and
their wives at n small party!
That's the score she rolled up at
teh buffet supper she gave the other
evening in honor of the Undersec-
rotary of Wal and his wife, Mar
garet Royal. Dimlnutive ard de-
mure the hostess looked so charm
ing in her white dress uniform OF
the WAC that you just couldn't
call her Colonel that evening in
spite OF those Silver oak leaves on
hershoulders. And she dispensed
perfect hospitality d gracious
ness-"with no hostess pains" she
l. aghingly declared when COM
ment was made on the ease with
which every thing was being done.
1t was a lovely house-the set
ting for her party. Great trees lent
their cooling shadows to the ap-
proach-you could walk for hours
down terrace after terrace of sod
as smooth and soft as velvet, BIZ
sected by a pathway bordered in
Century old box woods. The house
itself was Wide-Winged red brick,
with white trimmed portico and
with all the airy spaciousness and
dignity so often found in the large
old homes in Carolina - which is
the greatest compliment that can
be paid any lovely house! Built
IN the long ago about 1900 by John
Laird, it. was then his son-in-laW,
John Dunlop. After the Civil Wal
it was bought by Robert Todd Lin
coin, son of the President, ano
later by the present owner, Mrs.
(Col.) Arthur Woods, deputy di
rector Of the WAC under the dis.
tinguished Tar Heel, who with hel
daughter spent the summer ir
Connecticut, while Westray ano
her vivacious daughter ''Wessie'
enjoyed the comfortable old room.
and dreamed a little of the ga,
parties held there-the bellies ane
beaux, the fine hunting horses ano
dogs the great statesman who
stopped in for hot punch or a COO
stirrup cup-a glass OF Sherry OF
a dish Of tea
Garden Hour
Guests gathered in the pleasanr
garden for an hour or more over
Old Fashions" and included the
honorees, the Uruersecretary anc
his wife. the Secretary Of the
Treasury and Mrs. John W. shy.
der, also a very charming WON.
an; the Comptroller General of the
United States Mrs. Lindsay
Warren, whose attractive hat, -:
couple Of red roses to be exact
was the envy Of all the femme
guests; General and Mrs. Alber'
L. Cox, General and Mrs. A. Ha
Turnage, quite happy over the FAC
that they would be here until
Chrlstmas-any way; General ane
Mrs. X. D. Nichols. General anc
Mrs. E. S. Hughes. General ane
Mrs. William Dryden, General ant
Mrs. A. D. Surles, General an,
Mrs. Howard Snyder, Col. and
Mrs. Sidney Morgan, Major an,
Mrs. F. F. Bernsdor, Judge New
man A. Townsend and Mr.. ane
Mrs. John K. Slear. AS we SAID
our goodnights we found Miss
Meadows from New Bern. Wit
was up for the Presidents Gu,
Regatta and had dropped in witt
friends. A minor note was strucl
during the evening only when /
became known almost all of tn,
Generals would be accompanyin.
General Eisenhower on his neg
tour of the "occupied' countries
and that usually the wives leav,
the Capital for visits home Will,
their army husbands are away.
The evening before, t h e sam,
group greatly augmented wer,
guests o. General and Mrs. Eisen
I mower in the garden of the Chic
OF staff at Fort Never, to NEE
the British hero of North Afric;
and European campaigns, Fiel,
Marshal Viscount Montgomery
chief Of the British General staff
Because of the death of hi
mother, General Eisenhower re
NAMED upstairs during the re
ception, while his wife greete,
their guests and introduced then
to the quiet a n d smiling visito
from Great Britain. The mucl
MI