Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-21

The diplomatic circle in Washington iG
a pretty wide one and very interesting to
these permitted to see the inside of it. II
is exclusive, clannish, except to the few
who are brought in contact with it either
in official or social relations. Your ave-
rage diplomat is fond of society and its
loaYes and fishes. He can shine at a So
cisl event as brilliantly as the most IA
vored and can do as ample justice to
"sWelP' dinner as any. Yet aside from
state occasions and formal events, in which
foreign names read well in the published
accounts, the foreign representatives here
are little known except araOng themselves.
Their personal relations are mostly con-
fined to their own circle. "YOur average
diplomat" said a gentleman thoroughly
acquainted with their ways to your cor
| respondent. sis not nearly so much So
cial person as the public generally sup
poses. There are three or four in the
large diplomatic circle here who entertain
largely, but that is all. or the represent
atiVes of all the civilized countries here
there are not half dozen who give more
! than perhaps couple of entertainments
year. OF course they go and come, and
| their names are in print often, and in that
way the public gets the idea that they are
always entertaining or being entertained.
But that is a mistaken idea. Indeed, the
majority of them do not get enough salary
! that they may do so, even if their incli-
nations led them In that direction. There
are perhaps a half dozen whose govern
ments allow them a sufficient sum to per-
NIT them to entertain handsomely. Of
! course they go where they are invited,
/ but they are not expected to entertain
/ lavishly in return"
This is about the key to the situation in
regard to the relation of the diplomats
| to the social world of Washington. The
/ British Minister, the Russian Minister,
/ the German Minister, and the Minister
/ from Sweden and Norway do most of the
| entertaining. Even the first and last
mentioned Of these do comparatively lit
! tie. Minister West, the British represent
ative, who has palace in which to enter
tain, gives no more than three or four
| large entertainments during the year.
| His allowance from his government for
| this purpose is ample, but he apparently
! does not enjoy this sort of thing.
The Russian Minister and his amiable
and accomplished wife entertain more
elegantly and frequently than any othe
of the diplomats. They have a hand
some home on X street, one of the most
/ fashionable residence streets in the city,
and their weekly entertainments last yea
son were the marvel of the social world
here. In one case at least they were
| little too much so for those participating,
| for very nice but rather innocent society
! young man got very drunk at the legation
! one evening from testing the Russian in
ternatiOnal drink, and scandaliZed the
whole company by laying his head in the
lap of a very precise old lady and going
off to sleep in double quick time.
Count Won Eisendecker, the German
Minister, also entertained very hand
somely, though not in quite the elegant
style that the Russian Minister, Mr.. de
Strive, did.
Running on through the list, Mr.. Pres
ton, the Haytien Minister, who is 'dean
of the diplomatic corps by reason of his
term of continuous service being longer
than that of any other, spends compare
lively little time here, preterring New
York to Washington. He is usually here
a part of the winter when the social sea-
son is at its height.
Count Carl Lewenhaupt, representative
of Sweden and Norway, is a very popular
gentleman and, with his pretty wife, is
more frequently seen at the numerous So
cial events OF the season than most Of the
diplomats, emitting, perhaps, Vlsc0unt
NOguieras and wife, Of Portugal, who are
extremely popular; Senior Godoy and
wife, of Chill, and Senior Dominguez
and wife, of the Argentine Republic.