Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-02
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Annual Reception of the President iss
Brilliant Affair.
VICE PRESIDENT FAIRBANKS HEADS LINE
First Time for Six Years This Office Has
Been Represented.
lPLoMATs FOLLOW THE CABINET
Head of Each Legation Personally lntrs-
duces Members of His Staff.
DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS CONE FOURTH
These Are Followed by Army and
Navy and other Societies
and the General
Public.

49,
WASHINGTON, Jan. New Years day
at the national capital was observed today
with all the traditional brilliancy which
time and custom have decreed shall char
aterize the official greeting of the New Year
and another was added to the long line of
receptions at the White House where the
president and Mrs. Roosevelt received the
people of the world. whatever their rnce
creed of station high and low who
filled past till their numbers reached UP into
the thousands each of them bringing II
Happy New Year" The first day of the
year dawned bright and crisp: heavy
frost was melted away in the early morn
ing by flood of sunshine. BY Q o'clock
the long line of citizens who were to be re-
ceived after the representatives of the SOW
ereigns of the world and the various on
cials of the American government had
passed down the receiving line, began form
ing in front of the White House gates, and
by II o'clock the hour for the reception to
begin. the column stretched along the front
Of the State War and Navy building and
gave promise of one of the largest recep-
tions in the history of the White House.
Eleven o'clock was the hour set for the
reception of the vice president, the MEM
bers of the cabinet and their families. For
the first time in six years today president
received the good wishes of vice presi-
dent on New Years day, the late Garrett
A. Hobart having been the last vice presi-
dent present at the White House on this
occasion.
Shortly before II O'Clock the president and
Mrs Roosevelt preceded by the military
and naval aides to the president and the
several White House aides, all In special
full dress. descended the marble stairway
leading from the second floor. Entering the
Blue room they took up their position to
the right Of the door leading from the Red
room.
Vice Presidential Party Arrives.
The first to wish them happy New Year
were the vice president and Mrs. Fairbanks.
who passed behind the receiving line and
stood to the right of Mrs. Roosevelt. Next
came Secretary and Mrs Root, who, while
! nc Attending ttteir fret New Years re-
ception as members of the presidents on
ciai family today for the first time held
the ranking position.
| In the order named there followed Secre-
tary of the Treasury and Mrs. Shaw, Sec
| retary of War and Mrs. Taft. Attorney
General Moody. Postmaster General and
Mrs Cortelyou, Secretary Of the Navy and
/ D.
White House on New Years., Secretary OF
| the Interior and Mrs Hitchcock. Secretary
| Of Agriculture Wilson and Secretary OF
! Commerce and Labor and Mrs Metcalf. All
| took up their positions in the line to the
| right of the president and Mrs. Roosevelt.
At the presidents left was his military
aide Colonel Charles S. Bromwell, superln-
| tendent OF public buildings and grounds,
who made the presentations to the pres-
dent Nearby was the presidents naval aide,
Lieutenant Albert L. Key. Opposite Mrs.
Roosevelt was Major Charles l.. McCaw-
ley T. S. NJ, who made the presentations
! to her In single line facing the president
and the receiving party We're members of
! the presidents staff young officers OF the
army, navy and marine corps The uni
form for the day was special full dress.
which is always worn by officers when at
the White House. The aides were Captain
A. E Harding L. S. NJ: Captain Dan T.
, Moore or the artillery, Captain Fitzhugh
Lee of the cavalry, Lieutenant Robert l..
Berry of the navy; Lieutenant Ulysses 8.
Grant, third, of the Engineer CORPS; Lieu
tenant Phillip II. Sheridan of the cavalry
and Ensign Adolph Andrews Of the navy.
Diplomatic Corps Comes.
AS soon as the president had gathered
! about him his official family the doors
of the Red room were again swung open
and in clear voice Col. Bromwell announced
the acting dean OF the diplomatic corps.
Ambassador from Austria Hungary and
Nine Hengcmuller. For the first time in
five years the familiar figure of Count
Casslni the Russian ambassador, was miss
ing and in the absence OF Baron Mayor
| Desplanches the Italian ambassador who
succeeded to the deanship the place Of
IL a -
held by Mr. Hengelmuller, who was in
full uniform. After the Austro- Hungarian
ambassador and Nine. Hengemuller had
bowed before the president and Mrs. Roose-
welt and shaken their hands Mr.. Hengel-
1 muller stepped back pace He then pre-
sented, as did other ambassadors. the
members OF his stan personally to the
president. This was an innovation at the
White House suggested by Col. BromwelI
and which has been approved by Secretary
Root IL has always been the custom at
other capitals for the head of an EN-
bassy or legation to present personally
the members of his stan.
This was the third New Years reception
attended by the ambassador from France
and Nine. Jusserand who were next pre-
sented.
The ambassador from Germany and
Baroness Stcrnburg returned from Aiken,
S. c., where they spent the holidays, I'm
time to attend today's reception. The pic
turesque uniform of Baron Sternburg, OF
sky blue cloth with silver trimmings with
the tartar cap and white aigrette was
perhaps the most unique worn at the re-
ception.
Wearing not only decorations conferred
for diplomatic victories. but a long row
OF war medals, Sir Mortimer Durand. the
British ambassador, looked the soldier as
well as the diplomat as he entered the
Blue room with Lady Durand on his arm
and followed by Miss Durand and the
members of the embassy stan. OF great
interest was the next diplomat, the first
amba ssadOr from Brazil his eXcolency
joaquin Nabuco who appeared al his first
p diplomatic reception accompanied by Nine
Nabuco ana the members Of the embassy
staff. whom Senor Nabuco personally pre-
! sautad.