Evening Star Newspaper, January 5, 1930, Page 5

TELLS OF PAINTING KING'S PORTRAITS Noted Artist, Here, Did Work for Boris and “Gave Or- ders” to Kaiser. BY GRETCHEN SMITH. Humorous and interesting glimpses | of many of the world’s famous per- | sonalities were given recently in an in- | terview with the noted Bulgarian por- trait painter, Nicolas Michailow, who has arrived 'at the Mayflower Hotel, where in a temporary studio he is en- gaged_in painting the portrait of Sim- | eon Radefl, Minister from Bulgaria; | Frau Priedrich W. von Prittwitz und| Gaffron, wife of the German Ambassa- | dor, and a number of persons prominent | in Washington society. One of the most recent notables painted by Michailow was Boris, the | bachelor King of Bulgaria. “King Boris is one of the most loved | monarchs in Europe today,” Mr. Mich- | ailow remarked. “He possesses many | characteristics admired by Americans— | he is exceedingly democratic and has a fine sense of humor. The first day that his majesty posed for me in a studio THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON., D. C.. JANUARY .5; placed for my use in the palace, I found that in leaning against a table, where I had asked him to pose, he appeared to be in a position a trifle too low to make a well balanced portrait. So I placed a wooden case on top of the table upon which his majesty was to sit. The box was fragile and poorly balanced and, fearing that the King might fall from the precarious position in which he was sitting. I suggested that I change the case and give his majesty a more secure King Fond of Americans. ““This is all right,’ the King replied with a smile. ‘T am quite used to sit- ting upon places of uncertain balance, inciuding the throne.’ “King Boris has always been par- ticularly fond of Americans,” the Bul- garian _painter continued, “from the time when, as a little boy, he was pre- sented with a beautful toy train by for- mer Senator Charles Crane of Chicago. It was that toy train which first aroused the King's interest in locomotives, and now one of his majesty’s greatest hobbies is personally running a loco- motive. Frequently, while traveling on an offical visit to some district on the Black Sea, a considerable distance from Sofia, the King will don the overalls of a mechanic, get into the engineer’s cab and take his seat at the throttle until their destination has been reached. Then, when officials and _dignitaries arrive in state to meet the King. out he will climb from the engineer's cab, greasy overalls and mechanic’s cap, and greet the officials of his realm.” In addition to King Boris, Mr. Michailow painted King Ferdinand. who abdicated the throne in favor of his son at the conclusion of the World War. Michailow, several years ago, was also “commanded” to paint the portrait of Wilhelm, the former Kaiser of Ger- many. “T think,” Mr. Michailow said, “that that was one of the rare occasions in his life, that the Emperor received commands instead of giving them. ‘When he afrived for his first sitting he seemed quite nervous and it was diffi- cult to ve him keep still. I said: ‘Your majesty, this is one time that I will have to ask your permission to give you orders. It will be necessary for me to tell you how to hold your head, how to stand and what not to do while you pose for me.’ “The Emperor laughed and readily granted my request, and he seemed to enjoy thoroughly the fact that he was being given orders from somebody else.” Departed for Argentine. After painting many of the notable persons in Germany and his own coun- try Mr. Michailow departed for the Argentine upon the invitation of a well known diplomat to paint many promi- nent people of that country, as well as other South American naticns. It was during this visit that he painted the portrait of Arturo Alessandri. Mr. Michailow sandri during his visit to Santiago, and his close associations gave him an inti- mate knowledge of the former Chilean President. Mr. Michailow also painted Arthur Bernards, former President of Brazil, whom the artist describes as a “silent man of astute mind and a brilliant financier.” In addition to the foreign notables who have posed for the Bulgarian artist have been many Americans whose names are well known in social and public circles. Anna May Wong, the well known Chinese-American film ac- tress, was painted by Mr. Michailow while upon a recent visit to Europe shortly before the artist’s present visit to this country. After completion of the portraits upon which he is now working Mr. | Michailow will paint Senora Davila, the wife of the Ambassador from Chile, who is herself an artist of more than ordi- nary ability. Nicholas Michallow was born in| Choumen, Bulgaria, and at an early age manifested an unusual talent as an art- ist. Many of his school papers, which are now in the possession of his brother, chief of the section of the bureau of statistics in Sofia, were decorated and illustrated with clever pictures of his teachers. After completing his studies in the schools of his native land Mr. Michailow went to Munich and later to Paris and London. . In the English ‘was & guest of Senor Ales- | | Bulgarian artist. BULGARIAN PORTRAIT PAINTER AT WORK HERE Simeon Radeff, Bulgarian Minister, posing for his portrait, which is being executed here by Nicolas Michailow, —Star Staff Photos. '“LUNG” TO BE GIVEN | ASCENT SPEED TEST | Comdr. Saunders Experimenting at Navy Yard on New Cable. | | ‘Tests will be made at the Washing- |ton Navy Yard at a depth of 350 feet, and other depths, to establish the least time in which a satisfactory ascent with “the lung” can be made, the Navy De- partment announced yesterday, in dis- at work at the yard conducting experi- ments to shape a more simplified de- compression cable for use with the ap- paratus. The aim is to secure a cable that will be more easily remembered by the use of the apparatus in escaping from a disabled submarine. The tests were raised to 300 feet in 10 minutes and maintained for a period of three minutes to simulate time of flooding escape compartments and mak- ing preparations for ascent Friday, the department said. Pressure was then dropped to correspond to the various depths at which a person would hold himself when ascending to the surface by means of the escape line and buoy, the announcement declared. These tests were considered a success by the naval officials. —_— Mountain laurel belongs to America and does not grow in other countries except where it is imported and care- fully nurtured in garden: I or Repairing? You Always Save Money at Hechinger's i Lumber Roofing Plumbing Wallboard Doors & Sash Sheet Metal closing that Comdr. H. E. Saunders is | FOURTH ANNUAL DINNER FOR BISHOP IS PLANNED Rt. Rev. James Freeman to Be Hon- ored at Yearly Affair, Probably to Be Held in February. At a meeting tomorrow night at the Diocesan House, 1329 K street, final arrangements will be made for the fourth annual Bishop's Fellowship din- | ner in honor of Right Rev. James E. Freeman, Bishop of Washington. ‘The dinner probably will be held at the Willard Hotel on the fourth Tues- day in February. At a preliminary meeting the following officers were ap- pointed to make the arrangements: Maj. F. G. Munson, chairman; E. A. Heilig, secretary; N. W. Dorsey, treas- urer. The committee of arrangements is: H. D. Amiss, tickets; H. K. Nelson, decorations; Col. J. H. Finnery, guests; Admiral S. S. Wood, music; Harris Franklin, printing; H. C. Henry. In the Peabody Museum, New Haven, Conn., there are more than 70 dogs, famous in life, that have been mounted for future generations to admire. The latest addition is Togo, the big Siberian husky, who, four years ago, led the team across Alaska with serum for diph- theria-stricken Nome. RADIO BOARD NEEDS INGREASE OF SPACE 0ld Quarters Are Cramped and No Provision Made for Larger Offices. | The Federal Radio Commission has outgrown its present quarters. From a |staff of a few employes, quartered in | three rooms loaned by the Commerce | Department in February, 1926, the com- | mission has grown until now it occu- | ples more than 25 rooms in the Interior | | Department Building, and with further | | room space not available, now houses | | part of its staff in the corridors, which | have been screened off and thus trans- formed into office space. | | Further expansion of the commission | to meet the growth of its work and pro- | vide adequate quarters for the experts | | who form its staff is blocked, commis- sion, officials declare, by lack of .avail- able space in the building in which the radio control body now is located. The Public Bulldings Commission has in- formed officials of the radio body that it is not now disposed to rent quarters in privately owned structures and thus | impose a new burden of rent on the | Government. | Coupled with lack of office space and of immediate importance to the more | | than 90 employes of the radio com- | mission s the prospect that there may | not be money enough available to meet the next payroll. A payroll in De- | cember was met only by diversion of a | fund of $15,000 from the radio division | of the Commerce Department to the | Federal Radio Commission. But this | fund now is almost exhausted and dis- bursing officers of the commission can- | not see how they can meet the next | Government pay day_unless Congress | passes the deficiency bill, which would make money available for current sal- | arfes, Inasmuch as the Federal Radio Com- | mission now has the status of a con- | tinued body, the office space problem is | sald by officials to be a serious one, and one on which some action must be had shortly, if the work of the radio agency is o go forward without loss of time and great inconvenience. Offices of the commission are scattered through three floors of the Interior Department Bufld- ing, which, officials claim, mitigates 1930—PART ONE. Girl, 6, Embarks On Final Leg of 7,000-Mile Trip Fatherless Miss Journeys ! From Seattle to Live With | Relatives in Scotland. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, January 4—The liner Transylvania sailed today, bound for Glasgow, Scotland, carrying among her passengers & 6-year-old girl, Isobel Mc- Phail, who is on the last lap of a jour- | ney of approximately 7,000 miles, which | started in Seattle. ‘The child, who is traveling alone, was placed on board a train in Seattle Mon- day by her mother, Mrs. Jemima Mc- Phall, and when she arrived here last | night she was met by her aunt, Mrs. Jack Rutter of Astoria. Isobel, who was born in Scotland, came here two years ago with her | mother. They went at once to Seattle | to join her father, Robert McPhail, who had preceded them by a few months, A month later Mr. McPhail was killed in an automobile accident. | Forced to go to work, the mother ob- ' tained employment in Alaska in the fisheries. The work took her away from Isobel for eight months each year. | Mrs. McPhail's cousins, Mr. and Mrs. James Watt, offered to rear the child | in their home at Fraserburgh, Scotland, | and the mother finally agrzed to send | Isobel to them. For pedestrians who must walk on | the public roads at night an Edinburgh man has patented a safety belt. It is of strong leather with reflectors at- tached front and back which catch the light of approaching automobiles FOR RENT Three Rooms, Kitchen, Bath and Reception Ro om. Electric Refrigera- tion. 2001—16th St. against interoffice efficlency and prog- Surplus Stocks of Several Shoe F Now go great “Clea High-Grade actories into our rance” Sales Not in years have we been able to offer such wonderful values! “w\. RSt 5 BRIDE ASKS ANNULMENT. Mrs. Harriett A. Blair, a bride of three months, asked the District Su- preme Court yesterday to annul her marriage to Roy J. Blair, whose ad- ! dress she savs she does not know. ‘Through Attorney George k. McNeil the wife tells the court she was mar- ried October 15 last, and on the fol- lowing day Blair induced her to go to a bank and vouch for a worthless check for $600. As soon as he received the i money he disappeared, she avers, and jshe later learned the check was not good. She charges that her, consent to the marriage was obtained by fraud and declares her husband had no idea of assuming marital obligation: FOR RENT Two Rooms, Kitchen, Bath and Reception Room. Electric Re- frigeration. $67.50 THE ARGONNE 16th & Columbia Rd, $50 Suits from our fin- est makers; and every OUR FINEST SUITS! L] EVERY OVERCOAT! LJ Our entire stock of $35 Two-Trouser Suits and $ z 6.25 $35 Overcoats, now re- duced 25%............ + .+ Saks Values Are Never Exaggerated . . . Our entire stock of $40 Two-Trouser Suits and $ $40 Overcoats, now re- duced 25% . ... Saks Values Are Never Exaggerated , . . Our entire stock of $45 Two-Trouser Suits and $ $45 Overcoats, now re- duced 25% 3 «.. Saks Values Are Never Exaggerated , . . $50 Overcoat, now re- $3 2 duced 25%................... . ... Saks Values Are Never Esaggerated , . . O sweeping are the reductions, they embrace our entire Third Floor clothing stock—uwith only these exceptions: Formal Clothes, plain Blues, “Honor Seal” Suits and Chauffeur Apparel. Saks—Third Floor capital he devoted much of his time to | the study of the great English painters, | Gainsborough and Reynolds. Aithough | the German and English.school exerted | the greatest influence upon the Bul- | garian painter, throughout his entire work he has retained his individual style and independence as a painter. After several weeks in this country Mr. Michailow will return to resume work in his studio in Berlin, Germany. ROCK-BOTTOM PRICES 3—Branches—3 Main Office—6th & C Sts. S.W. Camp Meigs—5th & Fla. Ave. N.E. Brightwood—5921 Ga. Ave. N.W. OPEN A CHARGE ACCOUNT __$35,540 & $45 SUITS & O’COATS Now reduced in our After-Chr stmas sale to these low prices 24 1337 Pay Weekly or Monthly as Desired Little Boys’ Overcoats Reduced from $12.95 and $14.95 N extraordinary value in Little Boys’ OT since the “break” following the World War have shoe factories been so overstocked at the end of a season, so eager to sacrifice splendid shoes at almost any price. Came about in this manner. Back in November, when there was almost uni- versal uncertainty and alarm about business conditions, many retailers and department stores cancelled their orders. Overcoats of high quality. Even a number of Chinchillas are included. Besides, there are the wanted patterns in Tan and Gray. Sizes 3 to 10. Saks—Second Floor Boys’ Wool Golf Knickers From Our Higher-Priced Stock E\ ERY pair is splendidly made of the $].45 durable materials. Even some Serges are included. All are all wool; full lined: full cut; with bartacked pockets The Avenue at 7th Being very optimistic about business prosperity in Washington—we couldn’t resist the opportunity to snap up some of these tremendous bargains. So we bought thousands of these excellent shoes —far below their worth—and we're now going to save you a lot of money! We repeat, haven’t been able to duplicate the values in this great $3.95 Sale for many years and taped seams. Sizes 7 to 18, Saks—Second Floor S } Making your selection NOW not only means you can save a substantial amount, but you can open a charge account and pay as convenient. There are no extra charges whatsoever for our liberal credit plan. EISEMAN'S SEVENTH & F STS, 4, 7th & K 3212 14th (Not at F St. Shop)