Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-25
BY BETTY BEALE


1t must have been a blow
to the British that the weather
in Bermuda was so bad Presi-
dent Eisenhower never even
got in a full round of golf.
A good three weeks before
the Bermuda Conference, the
ultra chic Mid-Ocean Club be-
gan to do things to its golf
course to make it easier and
more pleasurable for the Pres
ident to use.
The championship course is
not only one of the most beau
tlful anywhere, it's one of the
five or six best in the world,
along with st. Andrews in
Scotland. Pebble Beach in
California and Pine Valley
outside of Philadelphia.
1t is also hilly and rough.
In fact. a golfer couldn't have
gone around it on a motorized
golf cart. He couldn't. that is,
up until a couple of weeks ago.
In order that Mr.. Eisen-
hover might play the whole
course and play it frequently,
around the end of February a
crew of men was put to work
building narrow roa d ways
(about four feet wide) wher-
ever the course wasn't smooth
enough to support a golf cart.
The fifth tee which is extremely
high got special treatment. A
little snake-like road was con-
structed up one side to carry
Ike's cart to the top.
But with all that advance
thoughtfulness on the part of
the British hosts, the Presi-
dent did almost no golfing
outside Of practice shots.
Incidentally, the reputed
1900 pounds the British were
supposed to have paid daily
for the sole use of the Mid
Ocean Club is much higher
than the actual figure. says
a member of the British En-
bassy.
VICTOR PURSE. deputy
chief of protocol. has returned
home after living we'll as a
guest of King Saud's from the
time the King left here until
Vic completed his three day
visit in Rlyadh, capital Of
audi-Arabia. After that he
was a guest of Aramco lara
bian- American Oil co.. which
treated him to a weeks tour
of the country and a study of
oil from the drilling period
till it's loaded on a boat. They
also roller coasted him up and
down 500 foot high sand
dunes at 30-degree angles IN
a sandmobile. 1T was like a
roller-coaster only worse"
One of the most fabulous
experiences took place en-
route to Saudi said
Vic. recounting the boar hunt
he went on with the Sultan
of Morocco. when huge tents
were pitched on the edge of
the forest and they sat on
Persian rugs and dined off
foot-high tables.
In Saudi-Arabia where the
Kings new palace. estimated
TO be worth $50 million TO $50
million. is under construction.
he stayed at the Kings guest
house which is a hotel as
modern as the Statler and
furnished in similar style.
He dined each night, how
ever. in the Kings temporary
palace. But there was no sit
ting floor dining there.
1T was just like the White
House, only a little more
elaborate"
The dinner was stag always.
Il didn't see a single unveiled
woman in Saudi-Arabia except
the Aramco employees" The
only yelled ones he saw were
on the streets. There's MOTH
ing more beautiful than an
American girl" said the pro-
tocol officer, glad to be home
again.
The King. pleased with Mr..
Purses handling of his trip
that promoted better under
standing and respect between
the Arab people and the
United States. presented him
with gold dagger. It's like
those he gave President Eisen-
hover and Secretary Dulles.
On his way home he lunched
in Tokyo with Ambassador and
Mrs. Douglas Macarthur who
are "tickled pink" with their
new post The fabulous en-
baSSy which Vic says must be
our most beautiful embassy in
the world and which was once
termed "Hoover's Folly" be-
cause it cost so much. has
saved the United States Gov
eminent money, he said" 1t
was so we'll built it's never had
to have any maintenance"
Doug had made 60 official
calls when he saw him. but
still had some to 90
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