The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-11-12
MRS. TAFT'S REIGN
IN CAPITAL TO
Be BRILLIANT
WHITE HOUSE EXPECTED TO
SHINE AS SOCIAL CENTER
KNOWS ms AND OUTS.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.-The most
brilliant social reign In the history OF
the White House IL expected from
Mrs. William Howard Taft when. on
March 4, she enters the historic man
sion that has housed the family OF
every American president and Is the
official center Of all social activities
In Washington.
Like her husband. who ''understud-
led" the Office of president till he un-
derstood its nature pretty thorough ly.
Mrs. Taft has 'understudied" The
work Of being the mistress OF the
White House and the social dictator
OF Washington. She has lived In
Washington for many years as the
wife Of one Of the members OF the
presidents Official family. She has en-.
tertained extensively. She knows all
the ms and outs of the social game In
Washington-and society at the capt.
tai Is peculiarly complex and delicate.
Add to this special training Mrs.
Taft's great natural social abilities,
and there seems reason for believing.
as official Washington does. that the
White House will be the scene Of bril-
liant social activity during the next
administration.
All this Is highly important thing,
for the long list of international So
cial Neutrality-suspicious., dinners,
balls and the hke-which oil the
wheels OF diplomacy and are suppos-
posed to make toward international
amity, are an important feature OF the
work Of running a nation and helping
II To get along well with other ma
lions.
Wives of presidents heretofore.
more or less unaccustomed to social
conditions at the capital. have been
forced to depend on their social secre-
taries and the presidents oflicial adj
wiser to avoid little blunders which
might prove annoying to foreign ma
lions. One White House mistress. a
couple OF decades ago. made a terrible
blunder that nearly caused compiled
lions with Austria, when she amiably
introduced the Mexican minister to
the Austrian minister.
Mexico and Austria are two nations
that do not speak, since the day when
the Mexicans executed the Emperor
Macmillan. who was a scion Of the
Hapsburgs, the royal house Of Aus
tria. The Incident was passed over,
but II was none the less humiliating.
and Is a good example OF the thousand
and one little things that a lady OF
the White House must know how not
to do.
Mrs. Taft, however, has gained an
intimate inside knowledge OF official
society in the capital. with its many
pitfalls, second to none, and her
friends declare this will aid her to
avoid all possible social blunders Of
the kind, and through the social pow
er she will WELD she will be enabled
to aid In preserving friendly interna-
tional relations.
Mrs. Taft has often shown her in
dependence I'm a social way. A couple
OF years ago the wives Of the cabinet
members were confronted with a lit
tie domestic crisis. They found that
the refreshments they were expected
to serve with their weekly Wednesday
and costly that they were entirely too
much for the very modest purses OF
some OF the members Of the presi.
dents official family. So Mrs Roose-
welt called meeting Of those involved
huu utClutQ tudI TtITcSuhtutS dt
these affairs should be abolished.
Mrs. Taft thought 1t over and de-
cided that she would not bow to the
White House decree. She determined
to serve very light refreshments any.
way-tea and water crackers-and
she did. II Is a small matter. but II
Ia quite characteristic Of the woman
who Is to be mistress Of the White
House for four years.
I'VE shall have strong and indie
pendent social reign when Mrs. Taft
enters the White House." said Mrs.
Corbin. wife Of the general. recently.
At the same time. 1t Is certain that
Mrs. Taft will not neglect the home
side OF the White House. She believes
that woman should be a wife and q
mother first, and other things after
ward, and there Is no doubt that Mr..
Taft will find the home part OF the
White House fully as much Of home,
and homelike home, as he found his
old residence in Cincinnati.