Evening star., 1949-03-06
lust Between
Ourselves
BY Philip n. Love-


Can you imagine a Russian
getting up at a dinner at which
Stain is the guest of honor and
telling a joke about him? And
what do you suppose would hap
pen to the comrade who, before
Stalin's very eyes, gave a humor-
GUS imitation Of the dictator
making a speech?
Americans frequently crack
jokes about the President Of the
United States-not only in pri-
vate, but on the radio, in night
clubs, on the stage and even in his
presence-and all that happens is
that everybody, including the
President, laughs. At National
Press Club party this winter, for
example, a member of the White
House secret service detail imi-
tated President Truman making q
campaign speech, and none of the
several hundred persons present
applauded more enthusiastically
than the Chief Executive himself.
That nights entertainment also
included a burlesque of Margaret
Truman singing by a performer
from the Capitol Theater. I
watched Mr.. Truman and his
daughter throughout the perform
ance, and If they didn't think it
one of the funniest things they'd
ever heard. they ought to be
awarded Oscars for the best act
ing of the year.
At the dinners Of the Gridiron
Club and the White House Cor
respondents Association, our
Presidents also have to take q
great deal Of ribbing. And not
only do they appear to take 1t
good-naturedly, but they keep
coming back for more.
Through a dozen White House
Correspondents dinners, I watched
the late President Roosevelt al
comedians tossed wisecracks in his
direction. and I can still see him
with his head thrown back, laugh
ing heartily Even when the war
was going badly-as 1t was for
a discouragingly long time, in case
you've forgotten-he retained his
sense of humor.
I never come away from one
Of these presidential funfests
without feeling that it couldn't
have been held in quite the same
spirit in any other country on
earth. And that 50 long as our
can laugh with us-and
at themselves-our democracy is
in no real danger.
+ 4
About month and a half ago."
Eleanor Ansberry. 8416
Elmhirst drive. Bethesda, II wrote
to the Irish Legation and asked
if they would send me the name
of girl who would like to cor
respond with me. They were very
gracious and sent me the name
Of a newspaper. the Irish Inde-
pendent. which would publish my
letter. Well, it seems as
If all the girls in Fire wrote to
me. I have picked the one be-
lieve to suit me best. I am will
ing to send the name and address
of one of the others to any girl
or boy who will send me self
addressed, stamped envelope. .
I have six letters from 1i-year-
olds, IS from 12-year- -olds. from
13-year- -olds, 2 from 14-year -olds.
one from a 15-year-old and one
from a 16-year-old."
4 X X X
Junior jottings: CIeverest name
for a quartet to come to my at
tention is the Cleft Dwellers-
Hank Gibson, Harry Yeide, Dave
Parker and ROLAND Hurst, who
sing at Woodrow Wilson High
School. {. . Two checks signed by
Abraham Lincoln will be included
in a collection of historic docu-
ments exhibited at Wilson for
five days beginning next Friday.
The papers are a loan from the
Riggs National Bank. . Members
of the German Club at Eastern
High School sing in German and
get out their own German langu-
age newspaper under the direc-
ton of their teacher, Mrs. Lottis
Kaplan. Coralie Hurley, VII.
son correspondent of the j. S., re.
ports that she was "entranced"
by the articles displayed on the
French Mercy Train"
A D..:of Visit