Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-06-01
DIPLoMATIcALLY SPEAKING -~I~-
All Washington Didn't
Desert the Du PlessiS
BY AMELIA YOUNG
star stan writer

4AiC OAAiOll VI OuubiA Mir
cas- national holiday fell on
the United States Of Amer
ica's long Memorial Day
week end this year. so the
South African Ambassador
and Mrs. du Plessis had oc-
casion to wonder If anyone
would be in town.
But the envoy and his wife
received 600 acceptances for
the party which they gave
yesterday to celebrate Union
Day-and that's pretty good,
even in midwinter.
The reception. held in the
residence, began at $3.50
o'clock. Mr.. and Mrs. du
Plessis stood at the top Of
the stairs to welcome their
guests. who then moved on
into the three second-floor
drawing rooms and out onto
the veranda and lawn. The
Embassy is set against a hill
off Massachusetts, avenue,
and the lawn is pleasantly
secluded.
Rambling roses are bloom
ing in the garden, and in a
far corner there is a, rustic
archway and a fountain with
fish pond. Tables and chairs
had been set out for the
party.
Cold canapes-caviar, an
chovy, salmon, pate de foie
gras, cheese Buches and
stuffed celery-were served,
and at 1880 the guests were
invited into the beautifully
paneled dining room for a hot
buffet supper.
The featured dish was 'Ba-
botie," a lamb curry served
with rice and chutney which
is very popular in South
Africa. According to an en-
bassy official, it is actually an
Oriental food, which origi-
mated in Malaga and was in
troduced in South Africa
about 800 years ago by the
early Dutch traders.
The Ambassador and Mrs.
du Plessis last night said
good-by-for- awhile to their
friends here. They are de-
parting with their daughter
Barbara Thursday for several
months of home leave. The
family will sail first to Lon
don, spend a few weeks in
Europe and then go on to
Pretoria.
Planning for the party in
addition to packing (both
lightweight clothes and WOOL
ens--for summer in Europe,
winter in South Africa has
kept Mrs. du Plessis extremely
busy these last few weeks.
She also had to fit in a trip
to the hospital for a minor
operation, but is recovered
now.
Eighteen-year-old Barbara,
by the way, recently received
a citation from, and honorary
membership in, the American
Chemical Association, for her
straight-A record in chemis-
try at the University of
Maryland. She is completing
her second year there.
Almost all chiefs of mis-
sions here were among those
accepting the du Plessis' in
vitation. Others we're the
Secretary of the Army and
Mrs. Brucker, Justice and
Mrs. Douglas and Justice and
Mrs. Burton. Senators, Lyn-
don johnson, William Full
bright, Alexander Wiley, An
drew Schoeppel and Mike
Mansfield and their wives,
House Minority Leader Jo-
seph Martin. jr. and Mr.. Ar
thur S. Lord, a director Of
the Export-Import Bank, and
Mrs. Lord.
Also. former Ambassador
to the Union of South Africa,
Gen. Thomas Holcomb and
Mrs. Holcomb, the South
African representative to the
World Bank and Interna-
tional Monetary Fund, Mr..
B. B. Callaghan and Mrs.
Callaghan; Undersecretary
of State and Mrs. Christian
Herter; Chief of Protocol
and Mrs. Wiley T. Buchanan,
jr.; Deputy Undersecretaries
of State Robert Murphy and
10y Henderson and their
wives, and Assistant Secre-
taries Roy Rubottom, William
Rountree and Francis o.
Wilcox, the former two with
their wives. Also, the Director