Evening star., 1946-11-15


Imposing foreign embassies, privat
setting there Is nothing to equal th
Presidents House.
And ii is not an overstatemei
luncheon Mrs. Truman gave yesterd,
when she entered the state suite sh
@Tell us about the luncheon, z eve
Executive Mansion. How do they 81
how do they manage a White House
o full account was honestly desired
I told about the guard checki
The north door-that's really the +
luncheons.
White House aides In full dress
fegalia escorted us to a chart in the
red corridor. Here Mr.. Charles x.
Claunch, one of the ushers, showed
us where we would find our places
In the state dining room. And then
we were directed to the blue room,
where Mrs. Truman had such q
warm and friendly greeting for
every one.
Mrs. Truman has made few
changes In time-honored traditions
at the Mansion. But she does like
simplicity and so the customary
arrangements for receiving guests
have been changed. In past admin
istrations guests at formal lunch
cons were instructed to stand in q
circle to await the entrance Of
their hostess. Yesterday Mrs. Tru-
man was In the blue room before
her first guest arrived-and there
was q pleasant mingling of friends
before the luncheon got under way.
After Mrs. Truman had received
her last guest, she linked arms with
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson and led the
way to the state dining room. The
Marine Band Orchestra played then
and later gave q charming musical
background to the hum of voices.
The table was lovely. Bronze
and white chrysanthemums filled
six large silver bowls placed at in
tervals about the table. Similar
flowers were used on the deck of
the huge silver shiplike centerpiece.
I believe this centerpiece was pur-
chased during the Cleveland admin
istration at the Chicago World Fair
In 1893. Southern smilax trailed the
full length of the table and at each
end were large compotes holding
fresh fruits.
The silver nat service inscribed
with the Presidents House was used
along with handsome cut glass and
crystal goblets, historic china and
white linen napkins all bearing the
Presidents seal.
Corn soup with crispy popcorn
floating on top opened the well-bal-
anced meal. There was breast of
chicken, potatoes In rosettes, fresh
asparagus and carrots glazed and
cut in fancy shapes. The saladl
That is q bit difficult to describe. It's
probably one of Mrs. Truman's very
own recipes-it was delicious. Tasted
like cranberries mixed with nuts and
favored with orange 1t was nodded
In q ring and served on hearts of
lettuce with a tasty and well-sea-
soned dressing. Hot rolls and but
ter, olives and celery were on the
menu.
Then for dessert there was O.
strawberry pudding favored with
almond. 1t was served with angel
cake and there were chocolates and
salted nuts on the table.
Coffee was served later in the red
room, where Mrs. Truman fingered
for some time The Presidents wife
doesn't smoke but she had cigarettes
for the ladies who do enjoy them.
Mrs. Truman's guests yesterday
were a widely interesting group.
wives of little cabinet officers,
women holding key positions in the
Government service and heads of
various important women's clubs
were included.
Pretty Mrs. Clifford Davis-her
husband Is a member of the House
from Tennessee-was seated on Mrs
Truman's right. Mrs. Wilson sat
Just opposite Mrs. Truman and on
her right was stunning looking Mrs:
Edward II. Foley, jr., wife of the
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
Others from the little cabinet
present were Mrs. John II. Hilldring,
whose husband Is Assistant Secre-
tary of State; Mrs. Edward r. Bar
telt, wife of the Assistant Secretary
Of the Treasury for Fiscal Affairs;
Mrs. Douglas w. McGregor and
Mrs. Davis L. Bazelon, wives of As
sistant Attorneys General; Mrs. VIII
liam John Kenney, whose husband
Is Assistant Secretary Of the Navy;
Mrs. G. Girard Davidson and Mrs.
Warner w. Gardner, wives of As
sistant Secretaries of the Interior,
and Mrs. David A. Morse, wife of
the Assistant Secretary of Labor.
Mrs. Julius Talmadge, President
General Of the OAR, was telling
friends how delighted she is that
the next Congress of her organiza-
ton will be held in Washington
sometime in May. Handsome Mrs.
La Fell Dickinson, president of the
General Federation of Women,s
Clubs, told of some of the interest
ing meetings she has attended both
here and abroad. Among other
club presidents there were Mrs.
Thelma r. Davenport of the BUSH
ness and Professional Women's
Club, Miss Anna Lord Strauss Of
the National League Of Women
Voters, Mrs. Alice r. Hager of the
Women's National Press Club and
Mrs. William M. Candy. Your cor
respondent represented the Ameri-
can Newspaper Women's Club.
Others at the party were Miss
Frieda s. Miller, director of Women's
Bureau, Department of Labor; DR..
Clara M. Boyer of the Division Of
Labor Standards, Labor Depart
ment; Miss Charl o. williams, di-
rector Of Field Services, past presi.
dent Of the National Educational
Association; Mrs. Ruth B. Shipley,
chief Of Passport Division, State De-
partment: DR.. Hazel K. Stiebeling,
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