Evening star., 1952-01-27

NIldl lCStUkI tkl. ~ ACNoPAPSA.t
Mr.. Light is the only survivor. Il
The name was suggested by the Il
men from Agriculture, There are i
two explanations. One is that the
alfalfa is the plant that can sur i
vive the longest without water; /
the other, that the alfalfa which ]
sometimes sends its roots 80 feet j
into the soil, is the plant that
goes farthest to get drink.
It was Mr.. Light, who later be- 1
came assistant manager of the I
Hotel Willard and then Of the ]
Mayfiower, who kept it going and 1
built it up. Mr.. Light is a man
who loves a good party and he
lived for the annual Alfalfa din |.
ner. Now in retirement in Lexing- +
ton, Va. he is missed in WASH
ington.
Continues Tradition.
The club has sought to continue
a tradition of generations past.
the dinner speech.
Joe Cannon. Speaker Of the
House in the Theodore Roosevelt
and Taft administrations, was a
guest of honor at an early din
|ner. John w. Davis, Democratic
candidate for President in 1924,
has the second oldest membership
in the club. He Joined in 1916.
In 1929, Gene Buck of New York
joined the club. Mr.. Buck is presi-
dent OF the American Society OF
Authors, Composers and Publish
ers, the famous copyright pool. He
brought talent to the dinners that
few other organizations could
command. George M. Cohan, viii
Rogers and Irving Berlin enter
tanned at one dinner. At another
Mr.. Buck introduced an unknown
performer with the guaranty that
he would soon be famous. He was
Edgar Bergen who was living OFF
Charlie Mccarthy in night clubs.
/ Corcoran Thom,: one Of the
older members Che Joined in
1919, delights in recalling nota-
bile acceptance speeches Of past
Alfalfa Party presidential can
didates. One of his favorites was
the speech of the late DR.. William
'lMather Lewis, former president of
George Washington University
and president of Lafayette Col
Iege. With brazen nepotism, DR.
Lewis proposed an all-Lewis cab
Iinet with Joe Lewis Louis, If you
Iinsist) as Secretary of War and
John l.. Lewis as Secretary OF
!. Labor.
MY first official act" he said
Twill be to place the Secretary OF
War and the Secretary of Labor
in a locked room and hope fol-
the best"
: Hosiery Statistics Recalled.
Another of his favorites was q
speech by Mr.. Byrnes which be-
gan with recital of the hosiery
statistics issued by the Secretary
of Commerce. He gave the num-
bers of silk, nylon, rayon anc
cotton hose American womer
were wearing year by year.
!, II am not trying to emulate
his statistical ability" Mr.. Byrne!
said, 'but I do envy his powers o1
observation" D.
i In the summers the Alfalfa
members usually are entertained
J. at picnic at the farm Of Mr.
: Hines near Frederick where many
!, Iof them discovered for the frs
time what the alfalfa plant look.
like.
: Throughout its history mer
have come from a distance tt
participate in the activities of tht
J club, One Of the founders wa!
! from Charleston, s. C. The nev
! president. Mr.. O'Brian, was Buf
falo lawyer when he joined il
1917 Winthrop Aldrich, head O
= the largest New York bank 9TH
" Chase, who is new member, i
: faithful in attendance.
II The names MI. Light brough
Il into the membership of his littl
e Organization (the number is linn
tied to 150) are impressive. Amonl
n the departed members are thos
;e three exemplars of Southern ora
II tory in the Senate, John Sharl
e Williams, Joseph T. Robinson ant
Pat Harrison. Nicholas Longworth
1.-THE well-remembered Speaker o
: the House, was member as Wa
: a later speaker William B. Bank
e head. Gen. Pershing was a mem
IS ber. as were Robert Low Bacor
: Admiral Cary T. Grayson, 7
!. Coleman du Pont. Frank J. Hogan
Albert Cabell Ritchie and Henr,
d st. George Tucker.
: Mr.. Truman accepted member
:. ship when he was Vice President
In the present membership ar
!. Dean Acheson, Alben w. Barkley
4 Leslie L. Biffle, Hiram Bingham
. Oscar E. Bland, Harry Flood Byrd
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