The Washington herald., 1908-01-02
VISIT WHITE HOUSE
Small but Brilliant Assem-
blage at the Reception,
MRS. LONGWORTH IN CROWD
Inspiring Music Of Marine Band
Gives Young Roosevelt Boys n
Chance for Dancing and Fun Rt
One End of Inner COFridOr-Kermit
Teaches His New York Cousin.

New Year at the Capital was ushered
| in by overcast skies and a suggestion Of
snow in the air, which. while in keep
ing with the midwinter season. did not
lend itself to the holiday humor that is
supposed TO prevail, and which usually
does.
| No doubt the weather was at fault for
the falling off in attendance at the re-
ception at the White House, which is
the gala occasion of the official year.
/ Whether the weather was to blame, or
the capricious temperament of the Wash
ington people who realize this is prob
ably the last year President Roosevelt
will be the Chief Executive, the attend
ance yesterday of the official reception
was the smallest in years.
Every one of the younger set attended
one Of the Ave large dances which marked
the New Years Eve. and doubtless that
was somewhat responsible for the non
| appearance Of many of the younger
crowd, all having been up too late to rise
early enough to get to a morning recep-
I ton at the appointed hour.
Whatever the cause. the reception was
! comparatively small, and the civil war
veterans had passed down the line and
were making way for the Oldest IN
/ habitants by 1870, when usually at that
hour they are slowly making their way
down Pennsylvania avenue, with tedi-
Gus wait before them before gaining ad-
mission to the mansion.
| The usual fanfare Of trumpets opened
! the reception, and was the warning TO
those already assembled that the Presi-
dent and his party were approaching.
The President and Mrs. Roosevelt.
/ leading the long line OF Cabinet officers
and their wives. had a smile and bow for
all along the line OF march, as they
| passed from the grand stairway down the
/ long inner corridor TO the Blue Room,
where. ranging themselves in the bay
/ window. the ladies in line with the Presi-
/ dent and the gentlemen behind them,
they awaited the coming Of the guests.
/ AS usual. the doyen of the diplomatic
/ corps was the first TO be received. IN this
| instance the d0yen was Baron Mayor des
/ Planches. the Italian Ambassador. who,
with the Baroness Mayor, was accom-
panied by his secretaries and the attaches
/ OF the embassy. and followed by the next
/ Ambassador in rank, the Baron Hengel-
muller. Of Austria-Hungary, and the Bar
I oness HeHgelmulier.
So on. each and every ambassador and
/ minister and charge of the many coun-
{ "a NJ r,nu-.r.- 1a dor
/ the line TO wish the President and his r.
ceiving line happy new year As they
I passed they were invited 20 Join those
/ especially invited guests assembled in the
/ Blue Room, 10 what used 10 be known as
behind the line"
! japan, which has just recalled her Tate
! representative here, was represented by
/ the counselor and acting charge. Mr.
| MiyaOka. who was accompanied by the
/ third secretary, Dir. Nagai. and the mill
| taTy and naval attaches. the other seCre.
/ taries Of the embassy being I'll with the
grip.
After the diplomatic corps came the
/ justices Of the Supreme Court, headed by
| Chief Justice Fuller who was followed
/ by the associate justices and then by
the judges Of the District Court and 9th
ers Of the judiciary. The long line OF
! handsomely uniformed officers of the
! army followed according 10 their rank
being led by Gen. J. Franklin Bel. Chief
! Of STAFF, accompanied by Assistant Chief
Of Staff Duvall
Admiral Dewey, accompanied by his
aid. Commander Spencer Wood. led the
officers Of the navy, the rear of which
was brought up by the Marine Corps
/ Immediately following the two branches
Of the service walked the President
pastor, the Rev. Mr.. Schick. Of the Dutch
Reformed Church
Commissioner Msefarland led the Off
cials Of the District. and so on till the
veterans Of the civil war. the Oldest In
habitants. and the general public had all
/ been admitted and passed before Presi-
dent and Mrs. Roosevelt.
Among the youngsters who came tc
shake the Presidents hand were the two
little children of Senator Reed Smoot
from Utah. two attractive and shy little
girls.
The only incident Of the reception. If sc
| IL may be called, was the fun the in
spring martial music the Marine
Band gave to the young Roosevelt boys
who were entirely too full OF holiday
humor and youthful animal spirits tc
keep still while all sorts or inspiring two
steps were being played. They accord
/ ingly had a merry little time by them
selves dancing together and alone Their
number was augmented by some of their
| young cousins from New York, and as
one Of these evidently did not know how
| to dance, Mr.. Kermit Roosevelt accord
| ingly took it upon himself to teach him
and an impromptu dancing lesson was
| accordingly given then and there at one
end of the inner corridor
Only simple decorations were used
about the corridor where corners were
filed with potted foliage plants In the
/ Green and Blue rooms, as well as the
Red Room, red carnations and roses min
gled with white carnations, stood in tai
vases on the mantels, while in the East
Room the mantels were banked with
white roses.
The Marine Band played a varied pro-
gramme. embracing all Of the popular
| operas and inspiring dance music. as
well as some very beautiful selections OF
more classic style
The ladies invited to the Blue Room
were:
Mrs NJ A. Fairbanks. Mrs. ". c. Fairbanks
! Mrs. John W Timmons. Mrs. L. S. Grant 3D.
| Mrs. Elihu Root, jr., Miss Hinds, Miss Ada Kinds
Miss Alice Never. Miss Julia Meyer, Mrs. Stanley
/ Brown. Mrs. Edward Shafer. Mrs. Leonard Hoch