Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-06
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Are Embassies Here Losing
Their FOREIGN Character?
BY BETTY BEALE

It's a sad commentary on
Washington social life but the
national character of foreign
embassies seems to be dete-
riorating.
Perhaps it's the penalty of a
close-knit world. But more
likely it's the result of mass
production. BY that, of course,
mean parties on the mass
production scale. With the
greatest mass of officialdom
ever accumulated in one city.
Washington has come to see
social life organized on almost
a factory line basis.
Many of the foreign en-
bassies still cling to foreign
dress-uSually for the ladies
only-but what's happened to
the foreign food?
The Arabian countries prob
ably make the greatest effort
to give Americans a taste of
the delicacies for which they
are noted. But for the most
part the Capital contingent
who travel the party circuit
find the same dishes prepared
by the same caterers day in
and day out no matter which
nations ground they tread
upon.
Have ambassadors and their
wives forgotten that the way
to a mans heart is through
his stomach?
And that a nation is made
up of many men? Don't they
know that the government
biggest bigwigs would think
twice before skipping a party
where awaits a rare mouth
watering connection they have
tasted on their travels and
long to sample again?
Alas for Foreign Food!
Does the Chinese Embassy
suspect what a disappointment
1t is to their guests to walk
into a party and find typically
American finger rolls stuffed
with ken salad, when
everyone knows the Embassy
can produce Chinese food so
heavenly to taste that anyone
sampling same wants to take
the first plane to Formosa?
Did the A orleans who
swarmed into the Japanese
Embassy on Emperor Hirohito'S
birthday find one of the most
superb dishes ever designed by
mankind-suki yaki? No. They
found an excellent and ample
buffet but strictly American.
To produce a foreign dish
In this country for hundreds
at one swoop may elicit a
superhuman effort but isn't it
worth it if it better acquaints
visitors with the distant coun-
try?
BY the same token, think
what a treat it would be for
Americans If the very foreign,
foreign land furnished its en-
basSy exactly like the hand
some home of a wealthy native.
CThink what a kick it would
give the cabinet to recline on
silken pillows and watch native
dancing girlsD
Should not an embassy,
after all, be showcase of
the country's culture and way
of living? Or should every
party be a rubber stamp of the
one the day before and of the
day to come?
Pet Peeves at Parties
Some Of these comments
came out Of a conversation
some party-trotting women
had the other day on the
merits of one party versus an
other. Before long, the ladies
had rolled up their sleeves and
pitched into all the things
that annoyed them most at
any party, American and for
eign.
In case you give an occa-
sional do and would like to
know what to avoid-here are
some of their pet peeves.
In this day when nearly
every hors d'oeuvre is pitched
upon the end of a hygienic
toothpick. why doesn't anyone
ever provide trays for dispens-
ing with the toothpickS2
Also the olive pits? Remember,
hostesses, the most frustrated
guest is the one who has to
be his own garbage carrier.
Also. why is it at big recep-
tons there are almost never
any ashtrays or matches? If
your friends are not old
enough to play with matches,
don't invite them. And if you
don't want them to smoke. put
up a sign saying its forbidden.
otherwise the ashes will 60 on
the fine Aubusson rug for want
OF a better repository.
II you have to invite four or
five hundred don't try to serve
them all from one buffet or
one bar, unless you want to
turn your dining room into a
scene Of the hunger and
thirst-mad frantically fighting
for sustenance. An average
buffet can't comfortably serve
more than 200 people. And
whatever you do, don't keep
the doors to the buffet closed
after the first guest has
arrived. He feels he must be
awfully insignificant or you
would certainly offer him the
full treatment.
II you're going to invite
hordes. you'll need more than
one coat check counter with
at least two checkers at each.
A busy Official who's whipped
through your to-do in 10
minutes can't wait 20 minutes
for his or his wife's coat. One
experience like that and he