Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-02
A Photo FINS for The Freemans
BY RUTH DEAN
Star staff Writer

SAAS ~ NAAAS AANSAAAaAA AoAAAAJ
come June 10.
On that day both Freeman
children will graduate from
high school and junior high
school, Just the day after the
close Of the two-week long
World Food Congress, in
which the Secretary Of Agri-
culture and his wife are play
ing prominent planning roles.
To top that, their 17-year-
old daughter, Connie. q
senior at Bethesda-C hevy
Chase High, and their Is
year-old son, Mike, gradual
ing from Leland Junior High.
are in the midst of plans to
go to Europe - Connie to
study for a year as an ex-
change student in Germany,
and Mike with a Boy Scout
tour.
It's a tribute to their
mothers household manage
rnent that they're handling
most Of the details for their
travels including getting the
necessary incubation shots.
That's because Mrs. Free
man is herself in the midst of
the prodigious task of mobiliz-
ing a corps Of volunteers for
the World Food Congress
which convenes here June
4-i8.
She took on the chairman
ship Of the congress Hospi-
tally Committee the first
week Of April, and already
has things pretty we'll in
hand. She frankly describes
the past few weeks activity
as hectic" but says the re-
wards have been great.
Great Response
1--WE never worked on any,
thing in my life that had
people who responded so gen.
erously, and reacted to do
things so quickly" she said.
THE World Food Congress
offers such an unusual OPP
portunity to try to do some
thing useful for an unusual
group Of international visi-
tors, in spite Of home and
family problems" she said.
"The 1900 delegates COM
ing here represent not only
the more than 100 countries
they're coming from but
they will include economists,
teachers, doctors, scientists,
historians (Arnold Toynbee
is giving one of the congress
addresses), importers and
exporters and representatives
Of the agro-business COM
munity."
Secretary Freeman is
chairman of the United
States Government Host
Committee for the congress
which is sponsored by the
United Nations Food and
Agricultural Organization. 1t
marks the halfway point in
the FAO's five-year Freedom
From Hunger Campaign.
Mrs. Freeman brings to
her Job the experience Of
working with political con-
ventions and other large
scale activities such as
Minnesota's Centennial cele-
bration in 1858 when her
husband was Governor Of
Minnesota and the four-day
meeting of the World Health
Organization when it con-
vened in Minneapolis.
Long Conference
But she believes the biggest
challenge to her and her
committee is the length of
this congress - two weeks.
1t means planning every
thing for the 1900 delegates
from meeting them at air.
port and railroad station,
housing them in hotels and
private homes and orienting
them to a strange city to
providing them with infor-
nation and arranging sight
seeing tours, and entertain
ment. In short. everything a
thoughtful hostess would pro-
vide for her out-of-town
house guest.
The Agriculture Secretary's.
wife doesn't think she could
put In the 10 hours q day
she's averaging on the COM
mittee's work were 1t not for
the cooperation Of her fam
lily. I'VE live by lists In our
house." she says.
Nor does she think the
committee could have gotten
very far without the won
derful help" of organizations
already here and committee
sub-chairmen like Mrs. VIII
lard Writ. wife Of the Sec
Rotary Of Labor, who has
charge Of special entertain
ment with Mrs. j. Edward
Day. wife Of the Postmaster
General, as co-chairmen, or
Mrs. Hal E. Short, member
Of the board OF directors OF
the Welcome TO Washington
Club. who chairs q commit
tee for the conference In
formation desk. with Mrs.
George Hart, wife Of the
Judge Of the United States
District Court. as co-chair-
man.
Helping Hands
other sub : C ommittee
chairmen assisting In this
ms YVaFaatlN Nank Nv.ai,.Aa NHss