The Detroit times., 1908-11-12
ms. TAFT'S REIGN
IN CAPITAL TO
Be BRILLIANT
<sHlTE HOUSE EXPECTED TO
shiNE AS SOCIAL CENTER
WHEN SHE TAKES HOLD
KNOWS ms AND OUTS.

"a WASHINGTON, Nov. / The most
militant social reign In the history OF
the White House Is expected from
: Mrs. William Howard Taft when. on
March A, she enters the historic man
<>uion that has housed the family OF
'<overy American president and is the
offcial center Of all social activities
I'm Washington.
Like her husband, who "understud-
He'd the Office of president till he UNI
derstood its nature pretty thoroughly.
Mrs. Taft has "understudied" the
work of being the mistress of the
white House and the social dictator
{of Washington. She has lived in
xWashington for many years as the
wife of one of the members of the
4president's official family. She has en-
ttertained extensively. She knows all
<the ms and outs OF the social game In
Washington--and society at the CAPT
,tal 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-
<ltaut social activity during the next
administration.
u All this Is a highly important thing,
tor the long list OF international so
<cial functions-reception dinners,
1balls and the like-which oil the
wheels OF diplomacy and are suppos-
.>Dosed to make toward international
|<amity, are an important feature of the
work Of running a nation and helping
lt to get along well with other ma
tIons.
Wives of presidents heretofore.
more or less unaccustomed TO social
oonditions at the capital, have been
forced to depend on their social secre-
&11ries and the presidents official adj
Wiser to avoid little blunders which
might prove annoying to foreign ma
Mons. One White House mistress, a
<oouple OF decades ago, made terrible
&b1under that nearly caused compiled
|ftions 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
*<he Mexicans executed the Emperor
&uaximilian, who was a scion of the
d Hapsburgs, the royal house Of Aus
7trla. The incident was passed over,
<but IL was none the less humiliating,
land is good example OF the thousand
1ond one little things that lady Of
fthe White House must know how not
ITO do.
n Mrs. Taft, however, has gained an
Intimate inside knowledge OF official
}Gociety In the capital, with its many
IDttfalls. second to none. and her
1Y1ends declare this will aid her to
0ojd all possible social blunders OF
~ al ~ 81
The will WELD she will be enabled
- aid In preserving friendly interna-
Eonal relations.
Mrs. Taft has often shown her in
1ependence In a social way A couple
IN years ago the wives Of the cabinet
'<1nembers were confronted with lit
|5kIo domestic crisis. They found that
{fhe refreshments they were expected
40 serve with their weekly Wednesday
INSCRIPTIONS had become SO elaborate
and costly that they were entirely too
mach for the very modest purses OF
|&oome Of the members of the presi-
dents official family. So Mrs. Rbose-
welt called a meeting OF those involved
0nd decided that refreshments at
'<these affairs should be abolished.
AZ Mrs. Taft thought 1t over and de-
<clded that she would not bow to the
80
Khite House decree. She determined
NO serve very light refreshments any
<Wzy--tea and water crackers-and
<ohe did. II Is a small matter, but 1t
1u quite characteristic Of the woman
who is to be mistress Of the White
House for four years.
I'VE shall have strong and indie
Doudent social reign when Mrs. Taft
1uters the White House." said Mrs.
Corbin, wife OF the general, recently.
81 At the same time. II Is certain that
s 1rs. Taft will not neglect the home
1jde of the White House. She believes
Mat a woman should be a wife and
another first. and other things after
&ward. and there is no doubt that Mr..
(Ioft will find the home part of the
Yhite House fully as much Of home,
IND homelike home. as he found his
ia residence In Cincinnati.