Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. We pursued correspondence, and I intended to
marry her, and go back to Mexico. But there is no way of getting back
to Mexico.
Mr. JENNER. The records indicate that you made some effort here in
Washington to obtain reentry into Mexico, and you were unable to do so.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. That is right.
Mr. JENNER. And that Lilia attempted to assist you.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. And she attempted to come into this country?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. That is right.
Mr. JENNER. She also was persona non grata at the moment, is that right?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. She had two sons?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. One of them was in Racine, Wis.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Both of them were in military academy--young boys.
Mr. JENNER. And in any event, that eventually petered out?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. That is right.
Mr. JENNER. And you met Dorothy Pierson in Palm Beach, Fla.?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. And you subsequently married her in New York City, on the
16th of June 1943?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. That is the date. The dates of my marriage are
very vague now in my mind. I am taking your word for it.
Mr. JENNER. Well, I don't want you to take my word for it.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. It is probably correct. You must have it some
place.
Mr. JENNER. Do you recall your daughter's birthday--it was on Christmas
Day, was it not?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. 1943?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. That is right.
Mr. JENNER. During the period you were married to Dorothy in New York
City, what did you do, if anything, other than work on your proposed
book?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Well, I had an exhibition of my paintings.
Mr. JENNER. Now, I want to get into that. While you were in Mexico, did
you do some painting?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. I did a lot of painting--a whole tremendous file
of paintings in Mexico.
Mr. JENNER. And did you subsequently exhibit those paintings?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Where?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Newton Gallery, New York, 57th Street.
Mr. JENNER. And did those paintings receive comment from the critics?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. The newspapers wrote about them, that they were
original, but the sales were hardly successful, if I may say so.
Mr. JENNER. Do you still have some of those paintings?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes; some I have given away, but I still have
some.
Mr. JENNER. They are water colors?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Water colors, washes; yes. But no military
installation--the tropical jungle. Girls, tropical jungle, Mexican
types--I am very fond of Mexico. Roderick MacArthur and I tried to make
a trip at the time through the wilderness of Mexico together in an old
Ford which belonged to him; the road did not exist yet, so we went
together in this old broken down Ford, drove, drove and drove a couple
of days with no roads, and finally one evening----
Mr. JENNER. This is in Mexico?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes; during that time.
Mr. JENNER. During the 9 months you were there?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes; we hit a steel pole sticking out in the
middle of the trail, and the whole car disintegrated under us. So we
walked back a couple of days in order to get back to Mexico City. We
left the car right there.