Evening star., 1952-03-24
Society News:
By Katherine M. Brooks

Mrs. Truman received the ladies
Of the press yesterday afternoon
in the White House for the first
time since the presidential family
moved to Blair House in Decem-
Der. I046. She stood in the second
floor corridor. shook hands and
gave welcome to each one to the
new" White House. She was as
sisted by Mr.. Howell q. Grim,
chief usher at the White House,
and Mrs. James M. Helm, social
secretary at the White House.
There are many notable changes
throughout the house such as the
vast closet space in all bedrooms
where before there were no
closets. Especially is this true Of
the Presidents suite where there
Is one closet as large as g small
room with sliding doors of wood
to protect clothes, shoes and hats
from the dust.
Presidents Rooms
The private sitting room or
study Of the Chief Executive above
the Blue Room has not been COM
pleted as to furnishings. It Is
from this room that the, door
opens onto the much discussed
balcony. A crystal chandelier
hangs In the center Of the ceiling
with matching sconces on the side
walls. which are painted white.
The draperieS are q soft rather
deep blue. while in his bedroom
they are lowered chintz in tones
OF brown and tan matching the
wood Of the furniture and the
lighter shade Of the upholstery.
Mrs. Truman's sitting room also
has white walls with lowered
draperies of rose at the windows
and blue on a gray background
are the colorS picked up in. the
upholstery. In her bedroom. the
lowered draperies are beige, rose
and brown, with deep red rug.
Across the hall on. the north
side Of the White House is daugh-
ter Margaretss suite. Her sitting
room is green. walls and draperies
and rug, with even some Of the
furniture In the same shade. Her
bedroom is q very delicate shade
Of pale bois de rose, the walls hav-
ing q very faint tinge Of pink.
The west corridor, which has
been the family sitting room for
several administration has an
almost white rug with overstuffed
chairs and sofas In deep rose or
chintZ. The window, beautifully
fan-shaped, has straight hanging
curtains which look ike silk but
are opaque to all but light. Over
this are deep blue draperies with
q valance straight across which
completely destroys the fan shape
Of the window-but seems to give
much more light. The window in
the east corridor has been given
the same treatment.
It is in this east end Of the
building that suites for distin-
guished guests have been ar
ranged. Following the doing over
Of the White House by Theodore
Roosevelt, there were fiVe or six
steps to this east end Of the COR
ridor. These were made necessary
by raising the ceiling in the East
room. The ceiling has now been
lowered several inches. the stairs
done away with, and d slight and
easy ramp gives access to these
special guest rooms.
The Monroe Room at the top Of
the stairs in this east end of the
mansion now is a comfortable re-
ception room which it is expected
will be used by the President for
extra private personal confer
ences. This is the room which
Mrs. Herbert Hoover restored to
its original furnishings as nearly
as was possible at that time. She
kept 1t for small groups Of guests
at the tea hour and more than
once received the Green Room
Group" as she called the women
who covered state receptions for
the press.
Stoirwoy Altered
The change in the stairway Is
one OF the very marked improve
ments to be seen on the first floor
Of the mansion. Following the
changes made by President Theo-
dore Roosevelt. these stairs
brought one down from the second
floor into the red corridor facing
the green room. Now there is q