Evening star., 1950-06-08
By Betty Murphy

ny pStty VlotPHy
Ever since the former Director
of the Budget Frank Pace, jr., mad
become Secretary of the Army, the
Chief of Staff and Mrs. J. Lawton
Collins had been wanting to enter
tain them, to introduce them to
the other officers and their wives
with whom they will be coming
in contact.
It was Gen. Collins who finally
picked the date, and he chose
yesterday because the Army Com
manders were in town for their
semi-annual conference and he
knew it would be a good oppor-
tunity for them to meet the new
Secretary.
Perhaps he consulted the Ha-
gerstown Almanac too, to be sure
the weather would be good for a
garden party. In any case, it was
a perfect day for the reception
that he and Mrs. Collins gave on
the lawn behind their quarters at
Fort McNair.
More than five hundred guests
dropped by between $50 and 7::30
while the Army Band played a
musical accompaniment in the
bandstand on the parade grounds.
The hosts and honor guests
received in the drawing room, and
across the hall Mrs. Wade Hais-
lip supervised the tea and coffee
pourers in the dining room.
Mrs. Arthur w. Vanaman and
Mrs. Charles L. Bolte were the
first to preside, Mrs. Alexander
r. Boiling and Mrs. Harold r.
Bull were next, Mrs. John E. Hull
and Mrs. William H. Arnold had
their turn between $50 and Z,
and Mrs. Floyd Parks and Mrs.
Matthew B. Ridgway completed
the list.
Hostess in Oreondy
Mrs. Collins chose for the oc-
casion ballerina-length gown of
white organdy with an all-over
pattern of delicate black tracery.
A purple orchid trimmed the
dropped-shoulder neckline. Mrs.
PAGES navy blue chiffon gown
was accented by a white orchid,
presented to her by the hosts.
The Secretary and his wife, who
Is very blond and has becoming
suntan, were guests later at a buf-
fet supper given in their honor by
Gen. and Mrs. Collins.
Others who remained for this
were the Undersecretary of the
Army Archibald S. Alexander and
Assistant Secretaries Karl R.
tBendetsen and Earl D. johnson,
whose wives were out of town;
Gen. and Mrs. Haislip, 1t. Gen.
| and Mrs. Matthew B. Ridgway
and the Army commanders.
These latter included Gen. Mark
Clark and his mother, Mrs.
Charles c. Clark, who were up
: from Fort Monroe; Maj. Gen.
/ Roscoe B. Woodruff who was
down from Governors Island, 1t.
Gen Leonard T. Gerow, in town
from Fort Meade; 1t. Gen. Alvan
. c. Gillem, jr.. who had come up
from Fort Mcpherson, 1t. Gen.
Leroy Lutes who had flown in
from Fort Sam Houston, 1t. Gen.
Stephen j. Chamberlin who had
arrived from Chicago. 1t. Gen.
and Mrs. Albert C. Wedemeyer,
here from San Francisco; 1t. Gen.
and Mrs. Henry S. Aurand from
Hawaii, 1t. Gen. John r. Hodge. up
from Fort Bragg, 1t. Gen. Manton
S. Eddy and Maj. Gen. Joseph M.
Swing, both checking in from
Fort Leavenworth, and Maj. Gen.
and Mrs. Thomas w. Herren who
are stationed in Washington.
Supper consisted of cold turkey,
a sweet potato dish favored with
nuts and sherry wine, cranberry
rings. tossed salad, hot rolls and
vanilla ice cream served with
chocolate or strawberry sauce.
Tall, good-looking Gen. Swing,
accompanied from Kansas by his
pretty daughter, Mary Ann, and
young aide, 1t. "Coots" Mitchell,
had found much to talk over in
the garden with Undersecretary
Alexander.
Others here and there about