Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-05
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Scene of Dinner
Under STARTLED Skies

What with Nixon being
Stassenated, Clare arsenated,
the Andrea Doria inundated,
the Suez confiscated, and Estes
eliminated - conversation in
this town has waged undated.
OF course, talking is Wash
ington's strong point year
around. But it does seem to
come in to full flower under
the relaxing influence of sum-
mer informality. under fam
ciful depths of summer skies.
Despite proverbially insult
ing remarks about summer in
Washington, this is the season
of our greatest social charm.
Night after night everybody
who has a patch of garden big
enough for two chairs and a
table is entertaining. They
know that summers back
drop will lend the necessary
enchantment.
If that is true of q patch,
picture the enchantment of
an outdoor seated dinner on
the sweeping green grounds of
Nelly Gusts Woodlawn plan
tation. the Potomac River in
the distance. star-filled dark
ness overhead. In the back
ground lights glow from within
the house just as it did in the
days when Nelly and Lawrence
Lewis entertained the Marquis
de Lafayette.
Such was the scene the other
night when Hardinge Scholle,
consultant to the National
Trust of Historic Preservation
guardian angels to Wood
lawn, gave a farewell dinner
for the new handsome bachelor
president of the national
trust, Dick Rowland. Dick,
until recently on the architec-
ture faculty at Johns Hopkins,
was explaining the next day
for month in Greece.
Garb around the table
varied. to say the least. When
Hardinge said picnic on the
lawn" Peruvian Ambassador
Fernando Berckemeyer. who
lives in an embassy marked
by the formality of liveried
servants. took him at his word.
He wore a tieless sports shirt
under his sports jacket. On the
other hand Hardinge failed to
say picnic to Laurence Robbins,
so the Assistant Secretary of
the Treasury automatically
put on the evening uniform
for Washington-black tie and
UtilIleT Jacket.
With Fernando came his
good-looking young nephew,
Oscar Berckemeyer. who is
definitely a feminine eyeful.
Fresh from 3la months in
Paris and Spain. he has been
playing polo over there and
counting Spanish girls against
such competition as Porfirio
Rubirosa.
The dinner was a farewell
for almost everyone. John
and Annemarie Pope an
nounced they were leaving on
the 18th for Japan. Formosa,
Hong Kong. Indonesia. ETC.,
to be gone until next March.
John. assistant director Of the,
Freer Gallery. is going to that
part Of the world to study
Chinese porcelain. Annemarie.
director Of travelling exhibit
tons for the Smithsonian, will
collect q few exhibitions to
appear here and throughout
the United States at q later
date.
The Robbinses leave Tuesday
for a month in Jamaica
against the advice of friends
and dire warnings about hur-
ricanes. Ambassador Bercke-
meyer will soon join his wife
in San Francisco for two or
three weeks stay. They'll be
there during the G. o. p.
convention and may open
Claribel's family home in or
der to do some entertaining.
The rest - the host, Mrs.
George Maurice Morris and
Helen Macondray will stay
put. The latter. who assists
Mrs. Randolph Burgess. direc-
So - NWy14SIo,,n eotA &Aa