The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-03-13

enumerated. Any official of Importance
who is d busy man this summer will be
obliged to have his visits ~prearranged, If
he makes any at all.
AS for private calls on public persons,
with a view to further acquaintance, the
question settles itself between such per-
sons 1 mean to say that If a private in
dividual makes a call on a dignitary or an
official in IN position, he does so In either
Of two capacities. He is either calling on
the Official in that PERSONS official posi-
ton. or else he pay the visit TO the per-
son behind the official and with no state
relations whatever. Let us suppose a
case. to illustrate my point:
DISTINCTION BETWEEN
OFFICIAL AND PERSONAL CALLS.
Suppose Mr.. and Mrs. Lindell Boulevard
! wish to pay their respects to Mr.. and Mrs.
Sugawa. of the Imperial japanese Com
, mission. They probably will 20 about it
in a correct manner-that is. get Mr.. AL
bertini or some mutual friend, who already
knows the sugawas. to introduce them,
and then make their call. Now. this call
the Japanese Commissioner may regard as
one paid to the Government which he rep
resents. and. thus regarding, he may re-
IA II III tAdClIy lit SdIilc OlllCldl lldlI-
ner. and there the acquaintance may cease.
4 Or, if he likes the appearance of the
Lindell Boulevards. and II he ind they
have mutual friends and things are alto
gether interesting, he may return the call
with Nine. sugawa in his purely personal
capacity and continue to meet the Boule-
wards with every evidence that he desires
to number them among his friends, accept
their invitations. and all that they may
proffer in the way of hospitality.
But, on the other hand suppose the CaSs
Avenues. who have never seen the Jap
anese Commissioner and his wife, but who
are simply dying to meet all these lovely
foreigners. don't you know" go out some
fine day and send in their cards to Mr.. and
Mrs. Sugawa. the latter having never be-
fore heard their name. Now. the suga-
was have Il choice.
They may refuse to even see the Cass
Avenues. not recognizing the names on the
cards. They may receive their visitors,
and, supposing that the Cass Avenues ap-
pearance is pleasing. may return the call
and continue the acquaintance. But they
are not required by any social law ever
formulated to do anything of the sort
unless it pleaseth them so to do. If the
~ f'AAAN u SuCu Ddu IOGHl rs 10 1Ot-
low their call the very next day with an
invitation TO the Sugawas for dinner, the
invited ones have every right to ignore II
completely. If the Sugawas accept such
hospitality they do it at their own risk.
These questions are bound to arise this
summer as never before. There has been
some conversation since the large jap
anese reception which Mr.. Ota gave a
fortnight or so RECOMMENDATION as to
whether a call on the host of that even
ing was required from those who received
and accepted invitations. Certainly not.
MIR. Ota sent out his invitations, worded
In the most formal fashion, with the func-
uon to commemorate a Japanese i'm
perial anniversary. 1t was, you see, really
an Invitation from the Mikado himself. 1t
had no personal bearing whatever. Any
guest at that reception would not call on
the Mikado: or. at least, he wouldn't be
received in his private capacity, If ne did
call. Therefore, an invitation to said re-
ception is not in the least binding in a
personal way. The guests went and paid
their respects to Japan's Government, Mr..
ota representing the same.
You may set this down as an infallible
rule: Any stranger who calls on another
stranger does 50 at his own risk, and he
need have no expectations as to further
relations.
Social hangers-on and pushers. who de-
sire to gain access to distinguished visit
ors in town this spring and summer will
have their own methods to adopt, of
course, but the best people always 90
about making new acquaintance in the
right and proper way-that is, in the way
counter anced by good form and common
sense. A man and woman of social i'm
p%ortarce in st. Louis. whose name or
names bear instant witness of the fact
that they are somebody may be uncon-
ventional If they like; but the best peo-
pie, II you have observed, are in times
such as we have before US never uneon-
veEtional.
They act by the book"
SERENA LAMB.