Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-05-16

Richard M. Nixon would
have been a hero at the
women's National Press Club
pre-dlnner reception last eve
ming even II he had encoun-
tered nothing but sweetness
and light in South America.
For the Vice President had
said before he left for South
America that he would make
an appearance even though he
couldn't stay for dinner and
even though he would be step
ping OF the plane the same
day after q fatiguing overseas
trip. He didn't know how
erueiling 9 trip II would be.
but still he came.
Mr.. Nixon knew the club
had irst asked the President
TO be It's guest Of honor at
its most brilliant party Of the
year. i. The dinner is ira
ditionally given for the Presi-
dent lwho prefers week night
parties to week end ones).
and the Invitation went out
10 him Ia January.
WHEN MR.. EIsENHOw-
ER's REGRET came in mid
April. there was not another
single evening this spring
available at the hotel. Second
fiddle or no, inconvenient or
no-still Dick and Pat Nixon
came.
But alas. the v. P. missed
seeing himself portrayed by
yours truly in the skits that
followed dinner. That man Is
Just plain luckyt
Club members didn't know
until two weeks ago. when
some Of its key guests dropped
out, who was responsible for
the important party that
would keep the Vice Presi-
dent from attending their
stunt dinner. 1t turned out
to be President Eisenhower.
AS always. putting this show
of individualistic female head
liners together was a little
akin to bringing Marshal
Tito, GeneraliSsimo Franco
and Gen. De Gaulle together
and saying, Nov which one
should have the lead part?"
1t reminds you of that story
about the battalion that was
asked for volunteers for a
dangerous war mission and
1t looked as though no man
had offered because the whole
battalion had taken q step
forward
The surprising thing is
that a cast of 81 women in
volved in journalism. radio
and TV only added 10 min
utes to the production after
rewriting their own parts.
That was due. no doubt, to
everybody's willingness to
trim a little here and there
mostly there, If you know
what ! mean. and ! can tell
by your expression that you
do.
EDITH GILBERT. the
customarily calm and reas-
surfing head of this years
stunt dinner. had her worries
late Wednesday evening. A
photographer had been sum-
moned for the dress rehearsal
and when it was announced
he wanted a group picture
OF the whole cast, the rush
to the front line resembled
a mass attack That is not
TO say any bodies were
strewn around. but If any
of us looked battered last
night, now you know why.
AS usual our costumes
caused some confusion in the
halls of the Statler. Dorothy
Tuttle had on one of the
military's brand new space
suits-bright yellow gadgeted
coveralls loaned by the PEN
tagon for the service secre-
taries" to wear-when she
rushed down to the drugstore
for q quick coffee between
numbers. A male Gus
toner stared in amazement
and worriedly inquired about
her get-up as soon as she
slipped away. That's a
space suit" the drugstore
clerk told him. Thank
heaven" sighed the stranger,
II thought maybe it was a
new version of the sackl"
THE NICE THING ABOUT
THIS-let's face it-extraor-
binary production of the
Women's National Press Club,
is what's happened to the
director Of the Marine Band,
Albert Schoepper, and his
pianist Tony Matarrese. 4.
No doubt there were other
contributing factors in their
military careers. but it's in
teresting to note that since
Tony started rehearsing with
us off-key damsels a month
ago he's been promoted to
master sergeant. and Mai.
Schoepper will be upped to
lieutenant colonel July /!
For some reason. our one
night hilarious musical
comedy reminds me of
Clare Luce's remark the
other evening about her last