Evening star., 1949-01-15

Lady Berendsen's reception yester-
day for their Prime Minister was
a fitting climax to the parties that
have been given for the Right
Hon. Peter Fraser during his very
brief stay in Washington.
And if nothing else had been
gained by the gathering of so many
diplomats and officials, it certainly
proved that the Berendsens hold
an enviable place in the hearts of
Washington society.
There isn't enough space to
mention all those at the party, but
there were several hundred guests,
including members of the Presi-
dents cabinet, Ambassadors and
Ministers of foreign governments,
State Department officials and
dozens from residential circles.
Lady Berendsen. who stood with
Sir Carl and the Prime Minister in
the drawing room to receive the
guests, wore a lovely new gown of
gun metal satin and a spray of pur-
pie orchids.
After the guests had gone down
the line, they followed the crowd
into the dining room, where de-
lectable buffet awaited them. There
were turkeys and hams and special
little New Zealand sandwiches
made with white bait and toheroa
(fish and a sweet called ''pavlova. j"
Later it was discovered there was
more elbow space in a room beyond
the reception hall, and here, as in
the dining room, there was bar
where one could order any kind OF
drink.
When Sir Carl and Lady Berend-
sen concluded that the last guests
had arrived. they and the Prime
Minister left the receiving, line to-
join the throng in the dining room,
With much pride and excitement
Lady Berendsen told Of the visit OF
her son, DR.. Keith Befendsen, who
is due here Tuesday from New zea-
land.
Glancing around the room, if you
were there at that time, you might
have seen the former Secretary OF
Agriculture-noW the new Senator
from New MeXico-and Mrs. Clinton
Anderson, and not far away, tall,
handsome Pat" Hurley and his
striking looking wife. In diplo-
matte group nearby were the Cuban
Ambassador and Sonora de Belt
and the Ecuadorean Ambassador,
Augusta Dillon. The French Am
bassador and Nine. Bonnet had
come and gone a bit earlier as had
the British Ambassador and Lady
Franks and the latter's parents, Mr..
and Mrs. Herbert Tanner OF Bristol,
England Mrs. Thor Thors was
telling of her recent flight from
Europe (she's been across the At
lantic by plane Is tines, and in
another group the Finnish Minister
and Nine. Jutila spoke proudly OF
their countryman. the great COM
poser, Sibelius. and OF several OF
his contemporaries.
The Soviet Ambassador, Mr.. Alex
ander S. PanyuShkin, made one OF
his fairly rare appearances, and the
center Of one group of friends after
another we're the Chairman of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
and Mrs. Tom Connally and Rep
resentative Charles A. Eaton, for
mer head of the House Foreign Al
fairs Committee.
Yesterdays reception not only
honored one Of New Zealand's FORE
most statesmen-a modest man
with a kindly manner and quiet
sense of humor-but it turned out
to be the wedding reception of two
of the guests.
Mr.. John Scott. trade officer of
the New Zealand Embassy, and Miss
Elsie Frederick had been married
in the Dumbarton Methodist
Church just two hours before the
party, and Mr. Robert Marshall,
Commercial Attache of the EN-
bassy, had given the bride away.
Mr.. P. J. D. Cronin, procurement
officer for New Zealand. served as
best man. The attractive brunette
wore a beige silk dress, embroi-
dered in gold beads. and a corsage
of purple orchids. She said that
she and her husband would be leav-
ing in March for wellington. Yes
terday also was the bridegroom's
birthday.
Others spotted around the room
were Mrs. William o. Douglas, deep
in conversation with the Barnet
Movers; Mrs. Claude Pepper whose