Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-27
MRS. TAFT PLANS
For the Coming Series Of
White House Receptions.
Several Changes Which viii
Make Guests More al Home.
No Distinction Between Guests and
Red Tape Abolished.


completed her plans for the state re-
certions at the White House, and the
new arrangements promise to make
these affairs more enjoyable for all
who attend them than they have been
in many years. There will be no dis
tinctiCn between guests. all of whom
VIII share the hospitality of the Presi-
;!ent and Mrs. Taft on an equal footing.
The tedious awaiting in line before
reaching the President is to be done
away with, and every change promises
to make for the greater pleasure of
the guests.
AT the New Years reception the
President the Vice President and the
members of the cabinet, with their
wives, will form the receiving line,
Mrs. Taft expecting to be present for
at least part of the time They will be
the sole occupants of the Blue room,
and the guests will pass by them, and
then be free to stroll through the
other apartments.
At the four state receptions the
President attended by his naval and
military aids and Mrs Taft, when she
feels equal to the strain, will be the
sole occupants of the Blue room. The
guests will enter the Fast room as soon
as they reach the top of the stairs
leading from the long east corridor
There they will have an opportunity
to meet their friends and be free to
stroll about as long as they wish be-
fore greeting the President and Mrs.
Taft. After passing through the Blue
room they can go into the state dining
>rhnro 10
served, and can then return to the
East room, or stop in the Red Room
and other apartments, all of which
viii be at their disposal, including the
private dining room, which is used as
a smoking room on the occasion of
large dinners
To appreciate the advantage of the
new arrangements it is only necessary
to recall the fact that for many years
it has been the custom to issue "spe-
cial Invitations to the personal
friends of the hosts which invitations
entitled the holders to remain in the
Blue, Red and Green rooms, which
We're carefully roped off, while those
not so favored had only the East room
and the main corridor in which to move
about. This created an embarrassing,
rot to say invidious. distinction be-
tween the guests, which certainly de-
tracted from the pleasure which many
of the invitations to the White House
might otherwise have afforded
Moreover, the custom in the past has
been to form the line in the lower cor
ridor and maintain it through the pri-
vate dining room, the state dining
room and the Red room, until the
President was reached in the Blue
room. Those holding special invitations
were received first and We're directed
into the Blue room, while all others
passed OH into the East room, once
described by clever Washington wo-
man as 1.-The chamber of exterior dark
ness wholly analogous to the Catholic
conception of purgatory.'
The old arrangement resulted in
many persons spending by far the
greater part of the evening standing in
line, it being by no means unusual for
them so to stand for upward of an
hour. That rigidity will be obviated by
the general informality of the East
room, the largest of the apartments
which will serve as an anterOOm to the
Blue ,rcom, where the President will
receive.
The diScontinuance of the custom of
asking the women of the cabinet to
stand in the receiving line is the oc-
casion of qualification to them. and
will make materially for the pleasure
of the guests, as the wives of the cabl-
net officers will now move about, "as-
CT r o'' Inv crrnatino fhniy. frippfS and
making it pleasant for ALL precisely
as they would do in a private house.
On the other hand, the members of the
cabinet and their wives will enjoy the
privilege Of remaining in the Blue room
with the President when they 50
choose.
The invitation lists have been cut
down by avoiding duplication. so that,
with very lew executions, no person
will he invited to more than one re-
ception-a plan which is expected to
add greatly to the comfort and enjoy
l,.unt of the receptions. In all the new
arrangements Mrs. Taft has sought to
promote the pleasure of her guests ana
to make Invitations to the White
House recertions moro of an honor
than they have been hitherto. Those
familiar with the arrangements are
confident that her efforts Will be
crowned with success.
The invitations to the diplomatic re-
cepticn, which will be given on Jan. 6,
were sent out Friday They differ from
those of previous administrations in
that they do not set any hour for tho
close of the reception. Guests are in
vited to a reception beginning at $50,
instead of, as formerly, from $50 to
1890