The Washington times., 1904-11-14
PICTURE OF SOCIAL
SIDE OF WASHINGTON
Leader in Smart Set Tells the Truth About Capital So
ciety Diplomatic Corps, and "Cave Dwellers"

at times. We have no ancestral trees
imposing and duh. We have, neverthe-
less. an aristOcracy Of brain and Drawn,
one which has done and is doing things.
'.It would be mistake 70 assume that
wealth alone opens the doors OF the
metropolitan Club. On the contrary. II
mas happened more than once that
wealth IN the hands Of the wrong man
has proved fatal 70 its DossessOr in
the attempt to secure admission 20 the
club- Neither IS official rank guar
antee that It's bearer Will be made wei
come, as the friends Of a distinguished
| oIflcer OF The army had occasion 10 find
out not long ago
Nor Is the fact that you are in the
diplomatic service accented as emitting
foreigner 10 admission 70 the club.
though II may be regarded as prima
facie evidence of his being a gentle
man Not so many years ago the gov
erIors Of the club declined 10 mass ia
vor ibly upon the candidacy OF a GER
/ tain secretary OF embassy, now a full
/ fiedged envoy and minister plenfpoten-
tiary at a European court. who as a
result OF the action OF the clubs gov-
ernors. asked his home government 10
transfer him 10 some other port.
Etiquette of White House.
An invitation 10 the White House
twenty years ago. would have been re-
garded as one to be accepted or declined
10 suit the convenience Of the person
invited II Is today regarded IN the
light Of a royal command. As against
il no other engagement is permitted TO
stand. And IL is not merely confined
/ % invitations Issued directly BIZ the
/ President. An attempt is now being
niads 70 extend the rule so as to include
members Of the Presidents family.
/ We nave reached the point indeed
where a debutante about 10 give a din
ner 10 other debutantes Of the season
having Issued Invitations 10 lt some four
weeks ahead, absented herself from the
Edlnner al her mothers direction and
vent 10 the White House, because tie
tday before she had been asked over the
telephone BY the Presidents daughter TO
join a theater party
The Diplomatic Corps.
+-The Diplomatic Corps, always an i'm
f pOrtant factor IN the social life OF the
caplrsL has become more 50 since the
great powers Of Europe began sending
ambassadors 20 our Government. instead
- ministers Indeed, / know OF no
/ capital IN the world where the dlplo-
mats are as much made OF as they are
- Washington Neither in London nor
T il Paris and certainly not ia Vienna.
does The fact that you are a diplomat
Z open The doors Of single private house
E - -DA-
In no hrst-class London club are its
E privileges extended 10 a diplomat as
! such No self-respecting woman IN Ber-
i In or 81 Petersburg would thrust
/ thrust. that the WOFd-her hospitality
upon strangers for no other reason. ap-
parently. than that they happened 10 be
/ In the diplomatic service Of their eoun-
/ tries
/ Yet. here We have homes, not manys
/ fortunately. which fairly yawn 10 ad-
NIT within their walls any foreigner,
provided he be a diplomat. IL IS one OF
/ the worst evidences OF Washington so
| cietys provincialism.
THE truth Is. that too many Eu-
! rOpean governments still regard Wash
ington as a sort OF Botany Bay. and
that too many diplomats prefer going TO
| q comparatively obscure part OF Europe
rather than go To Washington. No one
would pretend 10 say that the men who
represent their countries IN London
Paris Vienna. or Berlin would ever vol
unfairly come here. The reasons do not
concern US The facts remain TO set Us
thinking