Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-15

ton society is kept busy acquainting itself
with new faces. with new titles and with
the wearing of insignia on new uniforms
military or diplomatic. Social Washington
knows no smart set" Its society is
made up Of numerous coordinate sets
whose limits overlap. as suits pleasure,
and each of which, inspired with the true
American spirit, considers itself quite as
smart" as any other clique or clan. OF
the $4,000 government employees at the
capital about two thousand comprise, So
cially speaking. the Official set" To this
circle men are elected or appointed and
their wives belong ex officio, SO to speak.
1t includes the presidential household, the
Supreme Court Of the United States, the
federal judiciary in the District Of Co.
lumbia the cabinet, the Congress, the bu-
reau heads and the assistant secretaries of
the executive departments. Technically in
cluded. but really holding themselves as
distinct, are the diplomatic. army and navy
sets-glorif1ed because of their gold lace
and brass buttons. All of these combine to
form the republican court Of Theodore
Roosevelt The next most heralded Is the
heterogeneous rich civilian set. Far more
exclusive Is the "old resident SET, but SUI
perior to all in that sort Of brilliance which
flashes from within is the scientific and
literary set.
The strength Of the official set is large:
ly ION paper" Out of the 4s0 members of
the two houses Of Congress, only about
thirty are millionaires, and these Join most
ly with the rich civilian set. The great
state IunctlOnS or ceremony are tHc only
occasions when the Official set is brought
together as a whole. Such regular func-
tons during 1.-THE season. are the New Year
reception, state reception to the diplo-
matte corps, q state dinner to the same
body, a state reception and state dinner,
given separately, to the judiciary, and state
receptions to Congress and to the army
and navy, all taking place at the White
House and at the Presidents expense. They
are prescribed by precedent reaching back
through a century, and the President who
would omit one of them would be branded
as parsimonious.
Wars Over Precedence.
At these affairs Washington's bitter wars
over precedence are annually waged. They
are, however, settled when needs be by our
republican courts official censor Of ETH
quette, Mr.. Alvey A. Adee, the second as
sistant secretary Of state. a shrewd and
learned diplomat, who has been in the serv-
ice of our foreign office since 1870, when
appointed secretary of legation at Madrid.
In President Clevelands second admins
tration Great Britain, the first power to SO
honor u.s. raised the rank of her representa-
tive from that Of minister to ambassador.
The British ambassador was given social
rank above the Vice President during that
time, but when Mr.. Hobart became Vice
President he would not yield his social rank
to any one except the President himself.
The British ambassador protested that in
rank next to blood royal Mr.. Adee ruled
that the Vice President had the same social
status as a crown prince, for he was the
heir apparent to the presidential chair.
This clever stroke of social diplomacy was
upheld by the British foreign Office.
According to the international code of ETH
quette recognized by foreign nations, royal
or republican, the order of precedence at
Washington is as follows:
The President
Vice President,
Ambassadors,
Chief justice.
President pro tempore of the Senate,
Speaker,
Associate justices. Supreme Court,
The cabinet,
Foreign ministers,
Senators.
Representatives,
This order has been objected to by Chief
Justice Fuller, who contends that inasmuch
as he is one of the three equal and co-ordi-
nate branches Of the government-execu-
tive, legislative and judicial-he has rank
above the foreign ambassadors Mr.. Adee
backed by the State Department, has al
ways contended that the ambassadors, as
personal representatives Of their sovereigns,
should, as in foreign countries, rank next to
the chief executive and the heir to his of
flee and above all legis'ativ and judicial
officials. Even at White House receptions