Evening star., 1952-06-01
Washington
Welcomes
Old Friend
Mime. Grouitch
Is Guest of
Tuckern1ons
By Katherine M. Brooks

Dack IOr VlSlCS long aICer Cney may
no longer claim their diplomatic
status. Among these welcome visi-
tors is Nine. Grouitch, widow of
DR.. Slavko Grouitch. She is spend
ing few days with several of her
longtime friends here and just
now is with Mr.. and Mrs. Walter
r. Tuckerman at Tuxeden, their
home in Edgemoor.
DR.. Grouitch came to Washing
ton as the first minister from the
newly formed Kingdom of the
Serbs. Croats and Slovenes in
March, 1919. He was his country'S
first minister following it's estab-
lishment after the first World
War. The kingdom now is the
Federal Peoples Republic of Yugo-
slavia. Mime. Grouitch is a native
Of the United States, being the
former Miss Mabel Dunlop, and
made so many warm friends while
DR.. Grouitch was in the corps in
this Capital that she never fails
to receive a warm welcome. DR..
Grouitch was transferred to Lon
don during the summer of 1922.
He died there in 1887.
The perS onality of Nine.
Grouitch endeared her to many
and her tireless energy and will
ingness to help in all charities as
we'll as those benefits for the
people of her husbands land made
a deep impression in Washington.
She was active in many of the
benefits planned after the end of
the war and during her years as
a diplomatic hostess.
Entertaining for Nine. Grouitch
during her current visit is in
formal. This afternoon she is
having tea with Mr.. and Mrs. Ira
E. Bennett who knew her when
she first came here and were
sympathetic and helpful in the
good she was doing those many
years ago.
Although much of her time this
spring has been spent with Mr.. and
Mrs. Tuckerman she also is visit
ing others who have been friends
through all the years. During her
stay with the Tuckermans they
are asking four or five other old
friends to join them for cup of
tea or for dinner quite informally
and without making any of them
real parties, though each OCCASION
has a festive air. Much of this
is due to the lively personality
and alertness of Nine. Grouitch.
A Petite Figure
Hers is a petite figure, the
youthful beauty that was hers is
still plainly visible in spite of
white hair with traces Of its for
mer gold, and blue eyes that have
lost none of their sparkle. She
gives vivid word pictures of herl
life in the capitals of Europe be-
fore World War I as well as the
life she knew as a student abroad.
She was studying archaeology inl
o classical school in Athens when
she met DR.. Grouitch then an
attache of his country's 1egationI
there. They were married two
years later in Paris and went to
Moscow shortly after on a new
assignment for the rising diplo-
mat. They also were stationed inI
Switzerland and the Netherlands.
In each country Nine. Grouitch
made personal friends as well as
friends for her husbands country
and that of her birth.
Nine. Grouitch was in Belgrade
at the time of the German bonn
bardment and made a miraculous
escape a few hours before it fell
to them. She rescued and adopted
two children whose parents she
saw killed, and with them fed
to Switzerland. From there they
managed to reach Madrid and
the United States embassy. The
then Ambassador and Mrs. Alex
ander Weddell secured her passage
and passports to return to this
country. Since the death Of her
husband she has been successful
with her lectures though in recent
years she has made her home in
Summerville, s. c., coming north
in the spring for visits but talk
ing only informally and for small
groups.
One Of her first lectures was
given at Middlebury College in
Connecticut where she spoke on
"An American Emigrant in
Europe" In this she told Of her
own experiences when as a very
young girl she went abroad to
study art and ancient Biblical and
classical history. Before this talk
she had spoken in the Stock
bridge, Mass, home Of Miss Emily
Tuckerman, aunt Of Mr.. Walter
Tuckerman. She was introduced
to the distinguished company
assembled in Miss Tuckerman's
music room, by the former United
States Ambassador to England,
Mr.. Joseph E. Choate. A former
Secretary Of State, Mr.. John Hay,
and q former United States Am
bassador to France, Mr.. Henry
White, were in that audience and
ever after good friends of the
speaker.
Nine. Grouitch will 60 to New
York tomorrow and later will
spend some time in Connecticut
and other New England States.
She will be back in the fall for
another stay in the Capital.
Mrs. Townsend Not Expected
Another favorite in Washington
has by-passed the Capital this
spring and now is in New Jersey.
Mr.. and Mrs. Lawrence Townsend
who did not have their usual COM
Portable winter at Pass-a-G Grille,
Fla, went straight through to
New York instead Of stopping in
Washington. They are staying
temporarily at Madison and by
the middle or end of this month
will 60 on to Schroon Lake where
- 4.