Embassy Binge

In London gaunt, shy U.S. Ambassador John Gilbert Winant never gave a party unless he had to. He lived in a quiet house in Mayfair and turned his magnificent Morgan-donated Prince's Gate mansion into a dormitory for girl clerks.

But last week it was the Fourth of July; Winant and the girl clerks were gone; and Prince's Gate rang again with the tinkle of party glasses and the blare of a dance band. G.I.s had come with their girls--a few clerks; a few debutantes, and many a "five-shilling touch" from Piccadilly in full war paint. Hedda Hopper of Hollywood was there (in one of her hats). So were Wellington Koo, Sir John (now Viscount) Simon, Lord & Lady Mountbatten and General Spaatz. With cautious restraint, Clement and Mrs. Attlee sipped gin and lemon. Herbert Morrison wandered pixy-like and alone through the garden to the huge refreshment tent, sampling a brave but pallid collation of austerity sandwiches and hors d'oeuvres. Through it all stood friendly, broad-shouldered Ambassador Averell Harriman, shaking hands with each of his 2,000 guests. Once in a while the Ambassador would collapse into a nearby chair.

To make the blowout a success, Harriman and Assistant Paul ("Piggy") Warburg had worked overtime bullying caterers and procuring gin, bourbon and some synthetic fruit juices. There was no ice or Scotch to be had. "I thought Americans always had ice and Scotch," muttered a few disgruntled Britons, but for others the plebeian spirits did well enough. A few drunks were soon reeling here & there. The dignified staggers of U.S. junior officers drew many a disparaging glance and word from moralizing chauffeurs clustered at the entrance. Only the waiters and bartenders seemed unhappy. As the afternoon wore on they grew progressively ruder, slopping fresh drinks into dirty glasses and brushing away all complaints.

By 7 o'clock, when the party was supposed to end, attendants had to circulate around murmuring "please, please," to guests reluctant to call it a day. "Please what?" asked one uncertain lady; "you mean please go away?" "Please!" said the waiter.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.