Evening star., 1947-04-20
Women S Press Club
Lampoons President
In National Circus


In National Circus
With President Truman as an
amused spectator. the Women's Ma
tional Press Club last night lam
pooned the Washington national |
circus" and even the Chief Execu-
tive did not escape the feminine
jibes.
More than 500 club members and |
guests, including members of the |
Cabinet, Congress and the diplomatic |
set, attended the clubs first stunt |
party since the war.
Another feature of the dinner was
the presentation OF engraved scrolls
to five women selected by the club |
for outstanding achievements in
1916.
Truman Presents Scrolls.
Club President Alice Rogers Hager
read the citations and President
Truman presented the scrolls to DR..
Esther Caukin Brunauer of the State
Department, for international rela-
tions; Mrs. Beatrice Blackmar
Gould, co-editor of the Ladies Home
journal, for magazine editing; Miss
Eva LeGallienne, actress-director, for
creative arts; Mrs. Agnes E. Meyer,
writer and joint owner of the Wash
ington Post, for public service, and
DR.. Helen Brook Taussig of Johns
Hopkins Hospital, noted for her
part in developing the blue baby
operation, for science.
A posthumous award for journal
ism to Miss Dixie Tighe, who died IN
Tokyo while covering China and
Japan for the New York Post, will
be presented to her mother, Mrs.
Josephine Tighe Williams.
President Truman, in brief talk
after the circus presentation, COM
mented with a laugh that the con-
versation he was portrayed as hav-
ing with Mrs. Truman in one OF the
skits was almost true to life" He
referred to the skit In which he and
Mrs. Truman bemoan all the hand
shaking required by their official
life.
Writers Jump Ahead"
Telling the newspaperwomen they
were t.lways Jump ahead of him,
he continued in joking vein: /
When / read your columns l
know just exactly what I'm going
to So."
Tse ballroom of the Mayf1ower
Hotel was transformed into circus
scene with varicolored balloons,
souvenir bags of popcorn and side
show to carry out the theme OF the
national circus"
Doris Fleeson Is Ringmaster.
The President, Mrs. Truman and
Miss Margaret Truman saw them
selves satirized in skits ranging from
a warning to the President, Don't
20 in the lions cage, Harry" to a
mythical incident involving MISS
Truman's singing debut.
With Miss Doris Fleeson as ring
master. the circus started with
Three little headstrong gals trying
to scoop their pals.
Three little lambs who all too wary
Know how to make some dlgnltary
Feel like committing Hari-Kari
Three little headstrong lambs
Trying to scoop the rams"
Society dowagers seeking social
lions and trying to balance on the
flying trapeze" of politicians
changing social fortunes came IN for
their share of kidding. SO did men
and women who have written books
about Washington.
Morgenthau Is Chided.
Dressed as clowns. Miss Ida Jean
Kahn and Miss Sara Marcia Lam
port bemoaned the difficulties Of get
ting news from those who are
Saving bits of history" To the
tune of Doing What Comes Natu-
rally" they sang:
Morgenthau caught every flaw
In every conversation,
Filmed 1t all from A to 2
And sells 1t as his history. Il
And then. of course, there's Elliott
Who came out with a book.
He tells us How He Saw tt
ALL he hadda do was LOOK!
Fannie froze and gave us Nos" Ii
When we were asking questions
Now she's telling all she knows
And does. it very naturally.
You don't have to know how to read
or write
When you're wired for sound on a
Washington site,
You don't have to know where the
periods go,
To know many facts, or weigh the
anti and pro,
For your history. =
Several darts were shot at Sena- {
tor Taft, Republican, of Ohio, and {
other Republicans mentioned as
White House aspirants. Il
Vandenburg in Skit.
Another skit had Senator Vanden-
berg. Republican, of Michigan, as
portrayed by Esther Van Wagner ,
Tufty, standing solidly in the center
of the stage while clowns puffed out
their cheeks and blew at him and i
operated bellows to work up breeze.
Spontaneous draft" observed the
!
In one sequence. Senator Ken
meth McKellar" was discovered see
ing" a pink, six-foot rabbit labeled ]
Harvey Lilienthal."
Eight Try White House Door.
In a take-off on the White House
ambitions of eight men, a door to
resemble the White House entrance
was moved onto the stage. The
explained that the door
was locked.
The eight White House aspirants .
then proceeded to try to get the
door open as the Marine Band Or ,
chestra played open the Door, !.
in the background. Por- :