Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-14
By Isabelle Shelton

Martha Taft has come back
to the, city she loves, the. city
where she made her debut and
met and married young Bob Taft,
and where both she and the late
Senator were for so long i'm
portant actors on the political
stage.
The Senator's quick witted,
clever-tongued widow, very much
a political personality in her own
right until a stroke forced her
into semi-retirement in 1850.
surprised her family and friends
in Cincinnati last December by
announcing firmly that she
wanted to go back to Washing
ton, for at least a part of each
year.
Life was more interesting and
exciting in the nations capital,
she declared, and she wanted to
be present where things were
going on.
The Tafts' house on 31st street
already had been sold, and all
their household possessions had
been Grated for shipment to Gin
cinnati. But these were mere de-
tails which Mrs: Taft airily
brushed aside.
Roomy Apartment
BY January 16 she and Mrs.
Darrah Wunder, a longtime
friend from Cincinnati, were in
stalled in a roomy. four bed
room, four bath, apartment at
$500 Massachusetts, avenue.
Seventeen boxes of flowers. in
Guiding one from President
and Mrs. Eisenhower, arrived
that first day. and there has
been a constant stream of both
visitors and flowers ever since.
Never completely recovered
from the effects of her illness,
Mrs. Taft nevertheless has stood
the strain and excitement of her
return much better than her
friends fondest hopes. She hopes
to stay for about another three
months this time, and to return
again next year.
you know Martha was a part
OF the political world for so
long, that she really thrives on
It," says one old Washington
friend. In spite of her long
illness. and all the tragedy of
the Senator's death, it Just
wouldn't be like Martha to 60
home and crawl into her shell
and feel sorry for herself. She
has q bright, alert mind, and a
keen interest in what is going
on in the world. This is the
place she ought to be, and we all
love her and are so glad to see
her"
The Senator's widow has been
up to the Capitol several times.
to lunch with friends in the
familiar Senate dining room.
and she and Mrs. Wunder fire.
Quently attend small dinner par
ties at the home of old friends.
Mrs. Taft takes in an occasional
movie and she even attended the
massive reception given by
Turkish Ambassador Erkin for
the Turkish President, where
she held a sizeable court of her
own. of in one corner.
Martha thinks we lead a very
quiet life. I think we lead a
pretty gay life," says Mrs.
Wunder with a smile. I'VE try
not to schedule both a lunch and
a dinner on the same day. But
we usually go to one or the
other each day."
Troffic Problem
In addition, Mrs. Taft fire.
quently has four or five visitors
In an afternoon. Mrs. Wunder.
who usually answers the phone
tries to schedule the callers so
that they don't all arrive at
once.
The callers include many of
Senator Taft's former Senate
colleagues and their wives, plus
many members of "old Wash
1ngton" society, who remember
the former Martha Bowers from
her debutante days, when Will
liam Howard Taft was Presi-
dent and her father, Lloyd
Bowers, was Solicitor General.
Another caller is witty. anus
ing Mrs. Alice Longworth, who
entertains Mrs. Taft with her
well-known talent for mimicry-
one OF her most popular per-