THE PRESIDENCY: Parties & Visitors

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The busy season for Washington valets, ladies' maids, society reporters and the President of the U. S. opened last week. With the Cabinet Dinner and the Diplomatic Reception, President & Mrs. Roosevelt started their annual round of state parties in the White House. Red-haired young Mrs. Ickes in vivid green satin shot with silver was a cynosure at the Cabinet affair, her official debut. The diplomats' party glittered with the uniforms of chargés d'affaires but only ten out of 19 Ambassadors were present: Mexico's Francisco Castillo Najera was absent in Lima; German Hans Dieckhoff had been called home; moose-tall Sir Ronald Lindsay, dean of the diplomatic corps, was vacationing in Britain, but Lady Lindsay attended, holding a little court of her own in the Green Room instead of going down the handshaking line.

> Of keener interest to Washington was a one-man social performance put on between the Roosevelts' parties by Captain Anthony Eden of England. Continuing his "looking and learning" visit to the U. S. (TIME, Dec. 19), he went to Washington as an ordinary member of Parliament, but popular excitement could not have been greater had he still been Foreign Secretary. The press mobbed him at Union Station. Women workers at the State Department and White House left their desks and cubbyholes to gather in adulating clusters around him.

At the White House he talked for 45 minutes with the President but did not reveal their subjects. Besides touring Washington's historic spots with vigorous Lady Lindsay, the handsome Captain teaed with Mrs. Roosevelt, called on Chief Justice Hughes, was escorted through the Capitol by Chairman Key Pittman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (in morning coat), lunched with Acting Secretary Welles at his country estate. Before sailing for home he said glibly: "My visit has been many times worth while."

>A few hours before returning Captain Eden marched up the Queen Mary's gangplank in Manhattan, down it marched Ambassador Joe Kennedy. He denied that his second return from London within six months had any high significance: he was just going to spend Christmas with son Jack at Palm Beach, rest for six weeks. The idea that he was in disfavor at the White House for having applauded the Chamberlain policy of "appeasement," he laughed off by asserting that his speeches in England were read in advance in Washington. Then he shed some of the celebrated Kennedy gloom:

"I truly think that nothing has been accomplished in the way of appeasement. But we must keep trying for peace or we shall have only two alternatives—and both are very bad: first, economic chaos and second, war.

"What do I think ot the latest Nazi outbreak? I think it's terrible, the most terrible thing I ever heard of! And I'll probably lose my job for saying that. But it stands. You might also say that I am only sharing the sentiments of our President. Oh, how I would like to say a lot more! . . . Meet me on the day that I resign."

After talking with his President, Mr. Kennedy added: "Last summer I predicted there would be no war in Europe. Well, I'm going out of the prophet business on December 31."