Evening star., 1948-04-18
Exclusively Yours,
-BeHy Beale
Prominent Capitalites Broadcast
Democracy to People of Italy

Today the world awaits the out
come of the Italian elections. The
heroic efforts of the non-commercial
short wave station WRUL, which
has beamed democracy to Italy for
weeks on end, are about to be
proven.
Mrs, George Mesta, Mrs. John
Davis Lodge, Mrs. Charles Meehan,
Francis Biddle, Arthur Bliss Lane,
Ugo Carusi and Tony Muto are
some of the well known Capitalites
who can claim share in the sue
cess of this all important non
proflt-making enterprise. Each OF
these people has broadcasted story
of liberty to the Italian people and
all have contributed toward flnanc-
ing the station.
Perle Mesta told her husbands
success story and Francesca Lodge
translated it into italian as she
went along. George Mesta was born
in America but his father was
Italian, and it was his Italian as
we'll as his American spirit and
resourcefulness, said his wife, that
made him become independent Of
his father and create on his own
the Mesta Machine Co. She excused
herself for seeming to boast, but,
she said, "he was one of you," and
his story is symbolic of the spirit OF
both countries. The WRUL au-
thorities say that hers was one OF
the best and most articulate broad
casts.
Mrs, Charles Meehan, social sec
retary to Representative Frances
Bolton, has spoken frequently to
the italian people. The former
Countess Bevilacqua Nogarole, who
was presented at no less than six
royal courts-Austrian, German,
English, Belgian, Danish and Ital-
ian-assumes the role Of = peasant
woman named Bravo Massaia to
broadcast to the farm women OF
Italy. She is an old hand at radio;
has, in fact, been interested in 1t
since she knew Marconi as q young
girl.
Hers is an interesting story all
the way around. Her husband was
one of the most famous boy So
pranos in the world. Now living in
New York, he will move to Wash
ington as soon as their youngest
daughter graduates from the Con-
vent OF the Sacred Heart. Their
other daughter Is married to Clare
Timberlake, foreign service officer,
who will shortly leave the Capital
on a new assignment.
The Donald McKnews gave the
kind Of party yesterday afternoon
that Is almost q lost art in a great
big city such as the home town has
come to be. They entertained their
neighbors.
AS simple as that sounds, it is
rarely done in this official metrop-
oils called Washington. That the
old-time custom has the old-time
charm Of friendliness and gracious
ness was evident at the McKnews'
lovely home on Kalorama road. Ac-
tually the party was in the garden
which is abloom with dogwood, pink
azaleas, yellow tulips, etc. There's
a brick terrace off the drawing
room, steps down to another brick
terrace under a great oak and over
in one corner a little pool (dunkin'
size) with 4 cherub in the center.
Minus the digit from one hand,
she's casually referred to as -four
fingered Annie"
There must have been about a
100 of their friends on hand yes
terday. Taking in radius of sew
eral blocks, Billie and Don's neigh
bors include Mr.. and Mrs. George
Hamilton, Virginia and Monty
Blair, Capt. and Mrs. Charles Mad
dox, Dottie and Reber Littlehales,
Mr.. and Mrs. Spencer Gordon, the
Bill Sturtevants, Mr.. and Mrs.
Samuel H. Kaufman and Mr.. and
Mrs. George Maurice Morris. Alb
sent from the scene were the James
Lawrence Houghtelings, who are in
Chicago for two weeks, and the
George McGhee5, who left Friday
for Dallas to take their four chill