The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-01
WILL HAVE FIFTY LADIES.
THEY WILL BE GUESTS AT THE
DEWEY BANQUET.

Lady Guests VIII he Admitted Upon
the Same Conditions as the Gentle
men-The Prospective Orators for
the Dinner-The Chinese Minister
WI Ting Fang, One of the Invited
Guests and VIII BE Urged to
Accept.
After much discussion. the Dewey Ex-
ecutive Committee has decided TO include
ladies' among the guests at the banquet,
provided the plan meets the approval of
Admiral and Mrs. Dewey Steps have been
taken to ascertain their views in the mat
ter. The committees plan provides for
seats for fifty ladies, IL being estimated
thar this is about the number which will
attend. II is expected that some of the
invited guests viii be accompanied by
their wives or daughters. as the invita-
lions have been so worded as to include
lady members of their families.
This departure viii be quite a decided
innovation in the customs which have
governed previous banquets. The COM
mltee decided to make the departure for
the reason that its entertainment extend
ed TO Mrs Dewey as well as TO the Ad-
rniral, and it was not desired TO exclude
her from any portion of the festivities.
Naturally if Mrs. Dewey should be pres
ent II would be necessary to invite the
ladies accompanying other invited guests
and necessarily this involves the presence
of local women also.
The members of the Executive Commit
40 10 adj n no M %
of their gray hairs by attempting 10 Sc
lect a lst of desirable lady guests from
the number in the city who are eligible
for che honor. The unpleasant results
which might follow such an attempt are
easily foreseen. The ladies VIII be adj
mtted 10 the banquet on the same condi-
tons as the gentlemen, and the cost of
invitations will be the same TO members
of both sexes AZ the same time il is
hardly expected that any ladies will pay
for their own invitations. Their husbands
will do that for them, and in this way
the desired hist of fifty will be made up.
Among the prospective speakers at the
banquet are Judge Emory Speer, to the
toast of Woman" Postmaster General
Charles Emory Smith, whose subject will
be Commerce" Congressman Brantley,
upon the Press" Secretary Long of the
navy and Secretary Root of the army up
on subjects to be assigned them should
they accept Mayor Myers will deliver
the address of welcome and Hon. F. G.
duBignon will present the souvenir vase
to Admiral Dewey in behalf of the city.
Among the distinguished official person.
ages who have been honored with invita-
lions to the banquet is Minister WI Ting
Fang, the representative of the Chinese
empire al Washington. The Chinese min
lister has obtained considerable popularity
at the national capital, and has shown
disposition to mingle with the people of the
country He was one of the distinguished
guests at the Mardi Gras festivities in
New Orleans this week, and 1t is not I'M
likely that he may be prevailed upon to
honor Savannah with his presence. In
view of the great importance which the
Chinese question has assumed among the
civilized nations and the stake which this
country now has in the Orient through its
possession of the Philippines 1t would be
specially apropos that the Chinese should
be a guest at an entertainment in honor
of the man who IS more largely responsible
than any one else for the present relation
of this country to the Eastern situation.