The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-02-24
WASHINGTON LETTER
By CARL sCHOFIELD Special corre-
arnnInAnnf

By Carl SCHOFIELD Special corre-
spondent
The social charm of the Herron ram
fly, to which Mrs. William Fl. Taft be-
longs. has been demonstrated in the
grace and ease with which all OF
Mrs Tafts three sisters have at times
acted In her place as the hostess OF
the White House. The latest member
of the family to carry off honors In
the difficult role of deputy for the first
lady of the land is Mrs. Charles An
derson of Cincinnati, who has relieved
Mrs. Taft by presiding at the state
dinners at the White House and by
representing her at the dinners given
| by each Of the cabinet members In
| turp in honor of the president OF
| Mrs Taft's three sisters. Mrs. Ander-
| son Is the most widely known In Wash
ington, where she has visited not only
Mr. and Mrs. Taft, but has also stop
ped with relatives of her husbands
| family, Mrs. Nicholas Anderson and
| Mr. and Mrs. Larz Anderson,
Shares ideals of Hospitality.
Mrs. Anderson shares Mrs. Taft's
| Ideals of hospitality and Is so thor
| oughly conversant with her sisters
| social aims as mistress of the White
| House that she has been enabled to
carry out her wishes with the utmost
| fidelity. Mrs. Taft and her sister have
been inseparable during the latter's
visit. Strangers who pass them driv-
| ing while taking a mornings eonstitu-
tional frequently remark the strong
family resemblance which is so mark
ed a characteristic of the Herrons. In
the case of Mrs. Taft and Mrs. An
derson the resemblance Is rather one
of manner and carriage than Of fea-
ture.
Although Mrs. Taft delegated the
/ duties of dinner hostess to her sister.
she personally presided at the White
/ House receptions and has charmed all
corners by her cordially and gracious
ness and gratified her friends by the
rapid improvement in her health.
Parlor Politics.
Those who make the rounds Of
washington drawing rooms assert
that everything from nomination to
the corralling of a goodly block Of
votes may be accomplished at Wash
ington afternoon tea. For the orderly
and effectual dissipation of incipient
ructions hack home" nothing is equal
to the simple expedient of asking the
wife of a visiting constituent to as
sist at one Of these weekly functions.
Feminine insurgency is not equal to
holding out against the lures offered
by the tactful hostess, and many a
cup of tea slipped in the drawing room
of an accomplished woman of the
world has marked the turning point In
career
Shortage In Cadets.
More cadets are needed at West
Point, and Colonel Scott, superintend-
emit of that institution, was here re-
Gently comforting with the secretary
of war and the committees of congress
concerning the best way to get them.
There does not seem to be any diff
Guilty In getting enough cadets at the
Naval academy, and today nearly 300
are under instruction there-twice the
number at West Point. The examiGa.
lions for admission to the Military
academy have just been held. and the
result Is a great disappointment.
Percentage of Failures.
The percentage of those who fail to
report and the percentage of those
who fail to pnss the examination are
about the same every year, but this
winter, out of nearly 500 candidates
designated, only los passed the ex-
aminations, a much smaller number
than usual The remaining 300 wLo
reported were rejected by the medical
i board or failed to pass the mental ex-
aminations. This leaves 100 vacancies
at the academy. The authorized
strength of the corps of cadets is 500,
and at present there are All cadets on
the rolls. The next graduating class
numbers only eighty-four, which will
reduce the total by that much.
i To Beauty the Potomac.
The city beautiful idea will be ex-
tended to the Potomac river and Its
tributaries In the Districts limits IL
bill recently presented in the senate
becomes law. Senator Newlands in.
trodueed the measure by request.
/ The bill proposes to make it unlaw-
full to drop any dead fish, dead AMI
mails. condemned oysters. watermel-
ons. cantaloupes, vegetables. fruits,
shavings, hay. straw. Ice. snow. filth
or trash Of any kind into the waters
of the Potomac or any of its tribu.
taries
Must Not 0bstrpet Docks.
It is proposed to amend the code to
provide that no barge. lighter or scow
shall be permitted to lie in front of or
| overlap any adjoining wharf without
the written consent of the owner and
that it shall he unlawful for any own.
er or occupant OF a dock or any mas
i ter of boat TO throw or drop any
stone. gravel oyster shells or ashes