Evening star., 1955-02-24
1op-Leve| Push
Puts 7 Parrots
On nWaytoD.
First Ludy's Aside
Had Reverberotions
Down in Guatemala
By Richard RODGERS
BY Richard Rodgers

Two macaWS are SWeaClng on
quarantine here in the final stag
of Operation Feather Mer
chant" launched nearly tw'
years ago by a casual commen
from Mrs. Eisenhower.
The First Lady's small tall
reverberated all the way II
Guatemala. The echoes arr
scheduled to subside some tim,
next month. when the two par
rots take up residence in the Par
American Union Building.
In the last four months, tn,
deal has involved Guatemala
President and Ambassador in {
Observation-Disclosures gesture
Of good will toward Uncle Sam
with assistance from our Foreign
Operations Administration, Pub
lie Health Service, Zoo and 9
startled airline hostess.
On Pan American Day. Apri
IA, 1858, President and Mrs
Eisenhower attended a ceremony
in the Pan American Building al
Constitution avenue and Seven
teenth street NV.
Paul Murphy, the unions spe-
cial services chief, escorting Mrs.
Eisenhower through the build
ing, inquired whether it was her
first visit.
Notices Absence.
"Oh, no." she said. 81 used to
come here often during the wal" "
But where. she asked, were
those gorgeous macaws that used
to be in the place? Mr.. Murphy
told her all but one had passed
on to the aviary in the sky. And
Mrs. Eisenhower murmured that
that was too bad, because the
big parrots were SO beautiful and
lent so much atmosphere to the
building.
Time winged on, and the Pan
American Union got along on q
single macaw, until last Novem-
ber.
That was when Mr.. Murphy
mentioned his chat with the Ma
tons No. / bird lover to Marion
N. Hardesty. FOA,s regional di-
rector for Latin America and
acting president of the Institute
for Inter-American Affairs, a
Point Four project.
"Mr. Murphy asked If there
were something I might do to
remedy this situation" Mr..
Hardesty wrote in his report on
Operation Feather Merchant.
The FOA man then asked
Guatemalan Ambassador Cruz
Salazar if Guatemala would be
interested in donating a brace
of macaws. Relaying the request
to President Castillo Armas, the
Ambassador was told Guatemala
would be delighted.
Importing Restricted.
But regulations restrict i'm
porting psittacine birds to the
United States. However, the
Public Health Service agreed to
an exception in this instance Of
inter-American amity, feathered
department. provided DR.. Will
liam M. Mann, the Zoo director,
consented to house the birds for
their 30-day quarantine. DR..
Mann agreed.
Then another high level snag
developed. Airlines can be leary
Of hauling possible parrot fever
carriers. But terms were reached.
Since Mr.. Hardesty had to go
to Guatemala. he was appointed
,birdwatcher to babysit the ma
caws. y
Leaving Guatemala City air.
port, he received the birds from
the Minister of Agriculture, who
is also boss of the ZOO there.
Customs and Immigrations Of
ficials in New Orleans, fore
warned, permitted the big par
rots to pass. and even had six
men ready with cardboard hoods
for the cages, protection against
the weather.
Upset Airline Hostess.
In flight, "the only untoward
incident was when one Of the
birds let out a loud squawk as a
hostess walked down the aisle"
Mr.. Hardesty reported. This
unusual noise made the hostess
q bit junpy."
Guatemala's First Secretary of
the Embassy met the macaws at
National Airport about 10 pm.
Friday, February IL. He and Mr..
Hardesty TAXED them to a warm
Embassy bathroom for the night.
Next day, DR.. Mann's men
transferred the macaws to the
Zoo. The birds have about three
more weeks to serve before they
can move to Constitution avenue.
Mrs. Eisenhower should be able
to see them next Pan American
they don't pass
quarantine. remote possibility
which could make Mr.. Hardesty