THE PRESIDENCY: Green Christmas

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After church and the mammoth noonday Christmas dinner—when "Grandpa" carves a 40-pound turkey—the fun really begins. Seated by the tree, and giving advice on horn-blowing technique to the jumping urchins, the President and the family attack the gift piles with cries of genuine or simulated delight, get lost in the billows of wrapping paper, like many another American family.

This year Mrs. Roosevelt may have crossed her fingers. Thus far there has been no sign of chickenpox or tonsillitis (Sister & Buzzie Dall, 1932), sinus (Franklin Jr. 1936) or other ill hap. On hand will be still-ailing Harry Hopkins, Secretary of Commerce, and his bright-eyed, motherless daughter, Diana, 7. And last to open her stocking—by custom—will be the President's 85-year-old mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt, still the belle of the Hudson Valley.

Last week the President:

¶ Told the press he will ask Congress to extend beyond next June the State Department's powers to conclude reciprocal trade agreements, thus coming to the aid of beleaguered Secretary Cordell Hull. >Mourned the death of President Juan Arosemena of Panama (see p. 57). ^ Presented to Mrs. Richard Aldrich of

New York City a Congressional Medal for her work in Puerto Rico as an Army nurse 40 years ago during the Spanish-American War, recalled, "I tried to enlist, but was taken with an attack of mumps before I could do it."

¶ Defended the right of WPA workers to join unions, but said flatly and definitely that no Government employe has the right to strike.

¶ Challenged, in bristling manner, Ohio Senator Robert A. Taft's ability to balance the U. S. budget; offered Mr. Taft "a handsome prize" if he would show the President how it could be done.

¶ Heard from U. S. Ambassador to Belgium Joseph E. Davies that a third term is necessary to save the U. S. from war involvement; pondered how to keep the politically influential Mr. Davies in the U. S.

¶ Checked over his Christmas-tree business on his 1,077 Hyde Park acres; selected especially perfect pines for Christmas gifts; sent 500 to the market.

¶Tried out his new "throne," a handsomely carved, high-legged walnut chair specially designed to seat him at eye level with those who file by him at official handshaking functions. Terribly tiring are all White House receptions, but worst is the diplomatic reception, social high light of the Washington winter season. With the aid of the "Siege Perilous"—so dubbed by Washington wits—Franklin Roosevelt came paint-fresh through the exhausting ordeal.

To the disappointment of Washington society columnists, who came this time not to jot down details of furbelows and jewels, but to spy out diplomatic incidents, Nazi, British, French, Russian, Finnish envoys avoided each other with frigid finesse. Near-incidents: 1) Russian Ambassador Constantine Oumansky almost bumped into Finnish Minister Hjalmar Procope, but just in time handsome Mr. Procope turned aside toward the chocolate cookies. 2) Rumors spread that the fancy pants of Mehmet Munir Ertegun, Turkish Ambassador, split slightly as he bowed before the President. No one could confirm this rumor, as the Ambassador stood poker-faced with his back to the wall most of the evening.