Evening star., 1961-05-28
BY BETTY BEALE

A letter from a Negro
reader asking a question
about Washington social life
has prompted this columnist
to answer in detail and in
print. What follows is in ef-
feet the social side of Star
Reporter Haynes Johnson'S
picture of THE Negro in
Washington"
A faithful follower of
Washington happenings, the
writer says, I'VE do have,
however, one unsatiSfied
curiosity. We would like to
know about the Negro guests
at these parties, luncheons,
teas, etc. Do Federal HouS-
ing Administrator and Mrs.
Weaver and Assistant Press
Secretary and Mrs. Hatcher
attend? Are they warmly &C
cepted? AS Negroes we have
a vested interest, not only
in the performance of these
persons in their appointed
positions, but also in their
. social experiences in Wash
ington society. Please let us
know what you have OBJ
served"
This question comes at q
time when Washington ap-
pears to be entering q new
social phase.
For instance, 1t didn't re-
ceive a lot of attention be-
cause Of the bulk Of news
that week end, but the joint
African Chiefs Of Mission re-
ception for President Bour-
guiba Of TuniSia was some
thing of a milestone in
Washington diplomatic life.
IT WAS VIRTUALLY A
COLLECTIVE social debut
for the new Africa. Every
independent African republic
having diplomatic relations
with the United States, with
the exception Of the Union
Of South Africa, was repre-
Sented in the receiving line.
AS one went down the line
of % countries, it was like
getting a social look at half
a continent. These Joint par
ties have been given before
but never was the united
front on such a scale.
Some Of the countries
represented were very old
ones-such as Ethiopia or
the United Arab Republic
which embraces Egypt-but
most of them were so new
the American public does not
even know their names. And
three-fourths Of them were
: Negro.
To illustrate. here Is the
list Of nations whose ambaS-
sadors received standing in
! front Of the names and flags
of their countries: Liberia,
Morocco, United Arab Re
public. Libya, Guinea, Sudan
Ghana, Central African Re-
public, Togo, Malagasy. Sem
egal. Mali, Nigeria. Cameroun.
livery Coast Republic, Tu-
nisia, Congo CBraZzaville),
Gabon, Dahomey, Niger, Up
per Volta and Sierra Leone.
This considerably in
creased injection Of the Ne
gro race into the diplomatic
picture is bound to have q
social impact here. Diplo-
matte life in Washington.
because Of its consistent mo-
. mentum. quantity and high
level Of officialdom, forms to
q great extent the hard core
Of Capital social doingS.
THAT THE NEW AFRICA
has already had an impact
is apparent in the comments
of a Negro diplomat. II was
very lonesome once" he said,
admitting the picture was
different today. "The change
. started two years ago. but
now it is more rapid"
Lonesomeness Is one OF the
problems of the new African
ambassadors. '"They expected
to be welcomed with open
arms by the colored popula-
ton Of Washington" said
one of their frank colleagues,
but apparently no such thing
occurred cat Representative
Frances Bottoms party Tues
day, an Ivory Coast diplomat
could not understand why
it was that he knew more
white people than coloredO
"The higher type Of Wash
ington colored person prob
ably thought they might look
like social climbers" was
the ambassadors explanation.
But he added, "They (the
new African diplomats) are
more inclined to speak freely
with the colored group than
with the white"
An illustration Of how all
people at social doings grav-
itate toward those who share
common interests and COM
mon problems is a Washing
ton reception. Government
officials will chat with gov
ernment officials, ambassa-
dors with other ambassadors.
press with press. and so
forth.
And that's only the be-
ginning. Observe the ambas-
sadors and you will note
that the European ENJOYS
are swapping comments,
with each other, the Latin
American ENJOYS are clus-
tered together, the Asians
are chatting with ASians,
and the Africans with Afri-