Evening star., 1951-04-02

as TO why guests naQ 70 WalG OUT
side the French Embassy Friday
night for an hour and q half be-
fore getting in to be received that
la little clarification seems Ia Or
der. There's one faction speaking
as though it had 1t straight from
the horses mouth that says no-
body was allowed in the Presi-
dent Of Frances party till Presi-
dent Truman had left. but that is
absurd.
Both the Trumans and the
Auriols started receiving at the
appointed hour Of 10:30 and there
was never a gap in the line till it
was stopped for about five min
utes at 11:15 when the Trumans
took their leave. They never stay
the entire time unless it's their
own party. The Secret Service was
in complete charge and they let
only as many enter as made it
possible to keep a controlled and
fairly short line inside. Probably
for security reasons anyhow they
know their business. Mime. Bon
met had suggested a circuitous line
inside which might have kept such
people as Boston Symphony Con-
ductor Charles Munich, Indian
Ambassador Mime. Pandit and
members Of the Little, Cabinet
from going home without ever
having set foot in the embassy.
The truth Of the matter is there
Is no way to get $500 to 1900
people through a receiving line in
short order. There are only two
methods Of shaking hands with
such numbers. There is the White
House technique which has been
developed over the years through
stark necessity and which whisks
the guests by SO speedily the Chief
Executives face; becomes blur
and they feel that they've been
given the brush-off. And then
there's the usual home technique
which the French chose and
which permits each guest to be
greeted with a word or two Of
recognition. This of course is the
gracious way to greet any one and
1t affords the host a personal con-
tact with his guests, but 1t is In
flnitely slower. So there's the
problem--it's a difficult choice to1
make.
Why don't you wheestle?"
asked diminutive Lily Pons last
night Of her audience at Walter
Reed midst the loud applause that
followed her concert with Thomas
Hayward. Despite the fact that
1t was Sunday night and every
man who's able to walk and can
beg. borrow or steal q pass for
the week end does so, the Red
Cross hall was packed to standee
degree. The enthusiasm that
greeted the soprano who was dag
zling In a pink satin concert
dress by Balmain and gorgeous
jewels. was solid but Lily missed
the wolf calls she's heard from
servicemen all the way from the
Burma road to Paree. The pa
tients grinned then and began
to "wheestle."
Preparatory to sprucing up her
residence for the Georgetown
House Tour last Friday. Louise
Heiberg sent some paintings toI
q well-known gallery to bel
cleaned. One was a very fine
picture by Sir Henry Raeburnl
called "A Lady With q Shawl" n
A little later the head Of the
gallery called her up excitedlyI
and said, did you know there's
another painting under the Rae
burn and one Of the lady's eyes
Is also the eye Of the man that's
underneath?" Louise did not
know. Did she want the top
painting scraped off to reveal the
one underneath? No, she did not.
TIN eurious," said Mrs. Heiberg.
"but not curious enough to give
up the Lady With q Shawl We
love her" Then she added, at
know which eye it is, thoughts
the droopy one with the enticing
look" II enough Of her friends
are curious and persuade her,
Louise says she'll sacrifice the