CALIFORNIA: Queen Helen

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The difference between "clean and dirty practical politics" was the point the jury had to say it understood last fortnight before it began hearing evidence of criminal wrongdoing against Mrs. Helen M. Werner of Los Angeles.

Practical politics in Los Angeles have produced no more colorful figure than plump, blonde Mrs. Helen (''Queen Helen") Werner, who was an apple-cheeked Tennessee mountain girl when she went West to make good. She has lived in Los Angeles since 1920 when she married Erwin P. ("Pete") Werner, an indifferently successful lawyer, who she determined would someday be Governor. As she pushed her husband onward and upward, Queen Helen became adept at the solid kind of political maneuvering that women master infrequently. In 1929, after she had managed Pete Werner's successful campaign for city attorney, Queen Helen was so important politically that she found it necessary to open a downtown office to handle the stream of political callers. She widened her circle of friends tremendously after she acquired Magnolia Farm outside of Los Angeles and built a fine colonial home. There she entertained all the bigwigs she thought might help her to realize her political ambitions. Her lavish parties became common talk among Los Angeles newshawks, but they were never fortunate enough to attend, as Queen Helen always shunned publicity. Once they were able to report second-hand accounts of an elaborate bridge party she gave for a large group of ladies. The guests appeared wearing gaudy pajamas and blonde wigs if their hair had not been bleached as had their hostess's. Queen Helen outdid all of them by wearing black lace pajamas over white tights. On another occasion she courted future votes by inviting members of a victorious University of Southern California football team to Magnolia Farm and treating them to a seven-course dinner that began with nine rounds of cocktails and included all the champagne the happy athletes would drink. Soon Queen Helen seemed to have made herself more important in her unofficial position than many an elected officer.

She slipped from her lofty position for the first time in 1934 when Federal prosecutors preparing mail fraud cases against certain oil company officials heard that an attempt had been made to bribe other Federal officials in the interest of the defendants. Their investigation resulted in indictments against Queen Helen, Justice Gavin Craig of the District Court of Appeals and a minor politician named Joseph Weinblatt. Last year Justice Craig and Weinblatt were convicted and sentenced, but Queen Helen was freed.