Presidential diplomacy took a unique turn when the Roosevelts entertained the King and Queen of England with hot dogs and beans served on paper plates, even though Americans can pleaded him not to do so! — “Hot Dog Au Fait – Since the King and Queen of England ate hot dogs at Hyde Park, there has been a sudden spurt in the sale of the ten-cent delicacies at the New York World’s Fair. They are being consumed at the rate of nearly 60,000 a day.”– National City Star-News, September 1, 1939
Rulers Enjoy Hot Dogs and Picnic Beans
Mrs. Roosevelt Serves Them on Paper Plates in Beautiful Hyde Park Grounds
KING TRIES HOT DOG AND ASKS FOR MORE
And He Drinks Beer With Them
Uses Own Camera to Snap Guests Photographing Him
HYDE PARK, N. Y., June 11. King George VI ate his first hot dog, was chauffeured by the President of the United States, and turned his own hand motion-picture camera against his photographers at a typical Roosevelt picnic party today on the slope of Dutchess Hill, where the Chief Executive's new stone cottage provided an informal backdrop for a high point of the visit of the British sovereigns with the nation’s First Family.
No reporters were present and regular photographers were barred from the party but every one present had a camera, and a detailed report of the party was given afterward by Michael J. McDermott, State Department liaison officer, who told how Mr. Roosevelt drove his own specially equipped automobile up Dutchess Hill from Hyde Park House with the King and Queen as his passengers.
The King himself clinched the informality of the outing by going swimming with the President in the swimming with the President in the spring-fed tile pool on the lawn of Mrs. Roosevelt’s Val Kill cottage, across the road from the family home. There were no other swimmers, other guests who came from the picnic to have tea at the Val Kill cottage remaining about the lawn.
After the swim the President, accompanied by the King and Queen and his daughter-in-law, Mrs. James Roosevelt, completed the afternoon by motoring down to the Hudson River banks of the Hyde. Park estate to view the first-growth timber in which the Chief Executive takes great pride. The group returned to the family home at 6:10 P. M. to prepare for dinner.
It was disclosed, meanwhile, that the King had gone swimming at the White House with the President on Friday afternoon in the pool in the west wing of the mansion. This occurred after the Friday afternoon tea given on the south lawn of the White House, it was explained.
The picnic was a big event for all concerned and the King and Queen rounded out a most democratic interlude shaking hands with the retainers of the Roosevelt homestead from the family cook, Miss Mary Campbell, to the keeper of the roads, Frank Drice, who was on hand with nine of his ten children. It would be difficult to imagine a more representative cross section of American democracy than was to be found among the relatives, friends and neighbors of the Roosevelts who received invitations to the picnic.
Nor is it likely that the subjects of the King and Queen will often see their sovereigns in such an informal mood. The King was attired in a dark brown sport coat and dark gray slacks with light colored shirt and four-in-hand tie, while the Queen wore a challis print with a light gray background.
Completing her costume was a gray straw hat with high crown. and straight, narrow brim trimmed in flowers. She wore gray stockings and slippers. There was one large gardenia on her left shoulder, the only ornament with which the Queen minimized the in formality of her attire.
The hundred and fifty persons invited to the picnic had been told not to extend their hands in meeting the King and Queen nor on being presented to the President and Mrs. Roosevelt and his mother. The Royal visitors set the tempo of the afternoon, however, by offering their hands to the first third of those in the reception line and the Roosevelts followed suit. Near the end this was abandoned at the President’s wish in deference to the fatigue which the Royal visitors have undergone on their long trip, and the guests bowed instead when presented.
The President's mother, Mrs. James Roosevelt, mingled freely with all the guests and occasionally left her table on the cottage porch to go down among the trees which grow in profusion in front of the President’s retreat overlooking the Hudson River about three miles from the cast bank.
Tables Set Up on the Porch
The royal visitors and the other principal guests did not have to hold paper plates in their laps. Tables had been arranged for them about the front porch under its gently sloping Dutch colonial roof. At the first table were seated the President, Queen Elizabeth, Mrs. Herbert H. Lehman and Secretary Morgenthau.
At the No. 2 table were the King, the President's mother, Governor Lehman and Mrs. Morgenthau. Sir Ronald Lindsay, the British Ambassador, did the honors at the third table, around which sat Mrs. Vincent Astor, Mrs. Henry St. George Tucker, wife of the presiding American Episcopal Bishop, and the Canadian Prime Minister, W. L. Mackenzie King.
Lady Lindsay, wife of the Ambassador; Mrs. Price Collier, sister of the President's mother; Bishop Tucker and Gerald Morgan were at the fourth table. At the next were Mrs. Morgan, Lady Nunburnholme, the chief Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen; the Earl of Eldon, Lord-in-Waiting to the King, and Lydig Hoyt.
Mrs. Myron Taylor was at the sixth table with Mrs. Lydig Hoyt, the Earl of Airlie, Lord Chamberlain, to the Queen, and Lieut. Col. the Hon. Piers W. Legh, equerry to the King.
Lady Katharine Seymour, Lady-in Waiting to the Queen, was at table No. 7 with Mrs. Tracy Dows, Major Henry Hooker, a long-time friend of the Roosevelts, and James Roosevelt, eldest son of the President, whose wife joined her mother-in law, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, in going from table to table and among the guests on the lawn to see that all were comfortable in their folding chairs.
King Enjoys the Fare
It was with some obvious misgivings that Mr. McDermott first conceded, in answer to questions, that the King had eaten hot dogs at the picnic. He said that it was safe to assume that the King had done so since he had announced that he had been looking forward to the chance of sampling the favorite American snack.
Later it was ascertained that the King not only came back for more hot-dog sandwiches but that he drank beer with them, the beer being served from a tap manned by experts from near-by Poughkeepsie.
Added to the picnic fare were cold ham from various sections of the country, smoked and plain roast turkey, lettuce and tomato salad, soft drinks, hot and iced coffee and iced tea. The orange and lime soda pop seemed the favorite beverage of those who stood or sat about the lawn or amid the shade trees, although a number of guests followed the example of the King and drank beer.
The President was attired in a light gray suit and wore a four-in-hand tie at the party. His mother did not change from the costume she wore at the church services in the morning and appeared at the picnic in the same white figured dress with black background.
The President, accompanied by the Queen in the front seat of his open car, and with Mrs. James Roosevelt beside the King in the rear seat, left Hyde Park House about 1 o’clock, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt had gone on ahead to complete preparations at the cottage. The dusty dirt roads leading up to the Dutchess Hill cottage were alive with army regulars standing at attention as the President’s car passed by. Portable telephones had been posted on trees along the roads to signal the approach of the party.
Entertained by Indians
It was not until a few minutes before 4 o’clock that the party left the Dutchess Hill cottage to again motor down the hill, with the President at the wheel of the first car, to the Val Kill cottage of Mrs. Roosevelt for the tea at which the President and the King found the opportunity for their swim.
A feature of the picnic was a typically American entertainment program at which two native Indians alternately gave interpretative readings on Indian folk lore and the tribal songs of a by-gone age.
Princess Te-Ata did the readings. much to the delight of the royal visitors, and Ish-Ti-Opi American. Indian baritone, gave the songs. Edward Pflegler played the piano, and Kurucks Pahitu, another Indian, the tom-toms. The Indian artists were dressed in full tribal regalia.
Near the end of the party the King noticed many of the guests. training their cameras on him. Apparently on the theory that sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander the King picked up his own hand camera and photographed his photographers. He had been using the camera earlier to take pictures of the Indian entertainers.
Among the happiest guests of the Roosevelts at the picnic were the ten women members of the White House executive staff who were singled out by the President to be introduced to the King and Queen. They included Miss Marguerite Le Hand, his private secretary; Miss Malvina C. Thompson, secretary to Mrs. Roosevelt; Mrs. James M. Helm, White House social secretary; Miss Grace Tully, Miss Roberta Barrows, Miss Louise Hachmeister, Mrs. Mary A. Eben, Miss Toinette Bachelder, Mrs. Dorothy J. Brady and Miss Edith L. Rowley. – The New York Times, June 1939 and the National City Star News, 1939
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