A BUSY HOSTESS

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 84, 8 April 1936, Page 17

A BUSY HOSTESS

POPULAR "FIRST LADY"

HOME AND A CAREER

The busiest hostess in the U.S.A. is Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt (writes Marion Ryan in the "Daily Telegraph"). How she manages to keep up. her various enterprises—that school for girls, that hand-made furniture factory, the articles for newspapers, and so on—is a mystery- She has always said that "any woman can manage a home and have a career as well," and she is proving it.

This is the gayest part of the season in Washington, and it is gayer this year than ever. There are parties every day at the White House, ranging from State dinners to the Sunday night informal gatherings that both the President and Mrs. Roosevelt like best of all. It is then that Mrs. Roosevelt scrambles eggs in a chafing dish, and cold meats and salads and delicious hot breads are . served and the guests are old friends, members of the family who happen to be in town, and writers, artists, or musicians who are weekend visitors.

Occasionally Mrs. Eoosevelt will have groups of women to lunch, and as she wants to talk-to', them'all'in turn she has lunch served at small tables, going from table to table herself as. each course is served, taking her soup here, her ice cream there, her coffee in ■'still'another place, talking all the tinie'and making everyone feel at home and interested. WASHINGTON SHOCKED. At first Washington was shocked at Mrs. Roosevelt's unconventionality. It was bad enough to have a President's wife who would go riding in the early morning without a groom, who would drive her own car and: do.her own marketing and shopping,- but when it came to informality in the White House that was worst of all. .' . . .

Nobody is shocked any more. 11l fact, most persons will tell you that the White House is "a. real-American home nowadays,',' and, more than that, it is the house of .the people'..of-.the IU.S.A. . . ........

Entertaining is easier ■ this year, states . Mrs. Roosevelt,- because the 'kitchens have been enlarged and renoivated. They ; have eyery conceivable 'gadget good cooks want,; new stainless steel tables, chairs, cupboards, and, best of all, a chromium and stainless steel electric cooker which cost £1000, where State dinners for

over 100 guests at a time can be pre> pared.

There is a new servants' dining-room, a new sitting-room, .pantries, ■ cold storage vaults, and so' on. In fact, every future President's wife will owe Mrs. Roosevelt a great debt for what she has done to the old-fashioned and inconvenient kitchen quarters of the White House. She enjoyed planning it all and seeing it carried out, and is pleased enough to lead people down to see that huge cooker just as she will lead them up to her own bedroom or down to the pool where the President swims.every day—his only form of exercise. GOSSIP ABOUT CLOTHES. There is considerable gossip about Mrs. Roosevelt's new clothes this sea-» son. As a rule she is indifferent to what she wears as long as it is presentable and has not been worn too many times. She has turned her attention to buying ultra-smart and becoming costumes, house gowns, and evening gowns. She has appeared in a new frock at almost every party so far, and, as she has ■ a tall, graceful figure, she looks exceedingly well. There has^never been a "First Lady" in the White House who was more popular with the servants than Mrs. | Roosevelt. Her own personal and social secretaries and her housekeeper would slave for her if necessary. She is never upset, never nervous about the arrangements for a party, and is always pleased with everything—and' says so. '