D. A. R.

It was nice to be back in Washington. After six years of wartime exile, 5,500 Daughters of the American Revolution descended on Constitution Hall for their 56th annual convention, filled up the hotels, overflowed into most of the department stores, antique shops and restaurants, eddied discreetly into cocktail lounges. Then they settled down to the strenuous business of recording their views on national affairs and electing a new president. First came the resolutions. The ladies were against: world government (though "earnestly in support" of world organization), Communism, immigration, federal aid to education (as an invasion of states' rights) and radio shoot-'em-ups. They were for: merger of the armed forces, universal military training, the FBI, adequate pay for teachers, Secretary of State George Marshall, the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Then it was time for politicking. The most lavish candidate's reception was staged by Mrs. Roscoe C. O'Byrne of Brookville, Ind., who plied the delegates with sandwiches, cake, ice cream, deviled eggs and a compote initialed D.A.R. in green confectioner's sugar. Wary of mechanical voting machines, which spewed out a volley of blanks at the last election three years ago, the Daughters marked their ballots by hand, sat up till 3:25 to cheer sleepily for Mrs. O'Byrne, who had nosed out Mrs. Stanley T. Manlove of Newburgh, N.Y. by 55 votes.

Next day, retiring President-General Mrs. Julius Young Talmadge fondly embraced her successor (see cut) and the busy week was over. Sighed a happy page: "It was just as if a peace had descended over the auditorium--just like an Amen."

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