Evening star., 1946-05-29
Patriarch Feted
By Mrs. Bacon
At Reception
Congress Set
Attends Party
By Betty BeaIe

young, heavy set man with the
dignity of rank and the ease of
good birth was the center of atten-
ton at reception yesterday after
noon. His aquiline nose, close CROP
ped black beard and long black
clerical robes identified him as an
eastern prelate. He was, in fact,
his holiness Mar Eshai Shimun
XIII, catholicos patriarch of the
East and of the Assyrians CXIX, and
he was the guest of honor at the
party given by Mrs. Robert Low
Bacon in her home on F street.
In giving this party Mrs. Bacon
revealed once and for all her claim
to her reputation as a successful
Washington hostess. Her guests had
received about 10 days ago large en-
graved invitations to a reception
from to 8 o'clock and they rather
expected to find one of Washington S
enjoyable but jammed social affairs
On the contrary, the fine, old home,
that is predominantly red both in
side and out. so comfortably accom-
modated all those invited that every
one could converse with whomever
they chose for AS long as they
wished. Conversational ease, some
one remarked, is the keynote of this
hostess parties.
His holiness Mar Shimun said he
would be in Washington for another
day before returning to Chicago
where he has made his home since
1910, and where one of the largest
groups of Assyrians in this country
are gathered. AS religious and
temporal leader of the Assyrians,
the 18th of his line, he represents
the oldest dynasty in the world with
the exception of the japanese.
lingering his heavy gold cross as he
spoke, the eastern patriarch said |
that his was the oldest Christian
church in the world and he ex-
planned why. incidentally, the
"catholicos" preceding his. title of
patriarch means universal
There was marked political at
mosphere at this party. Capitol
Hill was we'll represented on the
first afternoon in many days that
Congress has not been in late ses-
sion. Senator and Mrs. Leverett
Saltonstall chatted with Maj. Gen.
Philip Fleming and his daughter,
Miss Jocelyn Fleming, while Repre-
sentative Frances P. Bolton of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee
and Representative Robert Hale had
a long talk with the guest of honor.
Senator and Mrs. j. William Full
bright were there, too, and Senator
and Mrs. c. Wayland Brooks. Rep
resentative and Mrs. Ralph Church,
Senator Theodore F. Green, and
Representative and Mrs. Karl
Mundt having a word with Mrs.
Lawrence Kuter, who said she has
never gotten tired of the way her
last name sounds and the conse-
quent puns it brings forth.
One of the most agreeable and
attractive personalities this writer
has ever met was present in the
person of Mrs. Wendell Willkie. She
was in Washington just for two
days in order to take part in the
broadcast of last evening on atomic
bomb control, called Operation
Crossroads" And one of the most
interesting persons present was Mr..
William ziff, author of former best
seller, Coming Battle of Germany
and his forthcoming latest work
that will be out in a month, Two
Worlds"
Mrs. Stanley Reed looked stun
ming in black dress and black hat
with touches of pink on both. And
others on hand were Mrs. Robert
Woods Bliss, Mr. and Mrs. Barnet
Mover, Mrs. Tom Clark, who was so
excited because her son would be
home that evening, back from his
trip to Paris; Mrs. Truxtun Beale,
Mrs. Eugene Meyer and Maj Gen
and Mrs. Leslie r. Groves, the |
general just off the plane from
Minneapolis