Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-03-17
Plans to Cancel Bonquets Here
Await Word From White House

inc Emergency Committee would
not be met if these dinners con-
formed to the same conservation
standards as the hotels have ar
ranged to apply to individual meals
No further word came from the
White House during the day, how
ever, and most of the hotel man
ayers said they were inclined to al
low restricted banquets and lunch
cons until some more specific de-
mand was made on them.
One manager pointed out that
out-of town delegates to conven-
tions must eat and probably would
consume no more food if they ate
together than they would individ-
ually. This also, he felt, would apply
to local luncheons, since most bust
ness and professional men eat down
town at restaurants or hotels. The
same argument. he conceded, might
not be extended to dinners by local
organizations.
Two Dinners Daily Average.
Mr.. Harnett said an average OF
two large dinners was held at Dis
trict hotels every day. No move to
cancel any appreciate number OF
these had reached him yesterday.
Such functions were curtailed
sharply during the war, and con-
ventions bringing out-of- town dele
gates were eliminated almost en-
tirely. But since the close of the
war, the booking of conventions has
been resumed at brisk rate, and
local organizations have resumed
functions they dropped or held in
restricted form.
The manager of one of the larg-
est hotels, who did not want to. be
quoted, said it would depend largely
on the customers wishes as to how
far this hotel goes toward STAN
dardizing curtained meals. Organi-
cations still can have all the frills
If they ask for them, he added.
This hotel already has intro
duced such measures as one roll to
customer instead of a basket with
in reach. In compliance with other
requests, toast no longer will be
used to garniSh dishes and cruStS
will not be trimmed from bread
The manager said emphasis should
be placed on the real purpose of
the programme conserve fats,
wheat and oils. Too many people
are getting the idea that all goods
should be curtailed, which is not
true, he explained.
Red Meat Seldom Listed.
Another hotel executive pointed
out that chicken was the traditional
and usual piece de resistance of a
banquet. Poultry is more plentiful
than it has been for years, he said
Red meat, which is scarce, seldom
forms the entree of a big dinner
he added.
William F. Mast, maitre d'hotel al
the Willard, said he would follow
any program set up by the American
Hotel Association.
Mr.. Mast added that If he had his
wy AN Nouio SuC OdlluuclS W Three
courses instead of the usual five tc
seven. What actually will be done
in this direction he did not know.
The Willard has banquets booked
into October. The menus are con-
tracted for, Mr.. Mast pointed out
and it would be hard to do anything
about them, unless the organizations
giving them ask to have them cur
tailed. These constitute only about
to 10 per cent of the total volume
OF dinner business anticipated. The
dinners yet to be arranged doubtless
will be planned on a less elaborate
scale, he said, with the emphasis or
saving fats and not using breads te
excess.
I'VE will avoid any practices that
would interfere with furthering the
cause of feeding the European peo-
pie" he added.
The big thing, in Mr.. Nast's opin.