The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-02
Taft N yer Falters
: Through Long New
Years Line.
HE SHAKES HANDS
OF 5,575 P EOPLE
Reception at White House One of
Most Brilliant in History of
capital-Diplomatic Display /
Gives Color to Throngs
Of Presidents
Callers. a

WARRINGTON, D. c., January L..
President and Mrs. Taft held their first
New Years Ievee at tho White House
to-day. Although Mrs. Taft han not yet
regalned her full strength and seemed
rather pale In a gown of white silk.
she carried out her original intention
of remaining in the receiving line un-
I'll all of the members of the Cabinet
circle, the foreign ambassadors, minis
ters and members of their households.
aud the Justices OF the Supreme Court
had paid their respects. AT the end OF
| twenty minutes Mrs. Taft retired. The
Vice-President and all of the members
of tile Cabinet, with the exception os
secretary of State Knox and Secretary
OF war Dickinson. remained in the re-
/ celSinS party until the last of the gen.
cral public had passed.
| shakes 5,575 Hands.
| The reception began promptly at IL
| A. NJ, and ended at .55 P. NJ, when
the White House doors were closed. In
the two hours and itfty-dve minutes
that lie held his position at the portal
OF the fsr-famed Blue Room. Presi-
dent Taft shook hands with exactly
5,575 people
This number fell considerably short
of the figures during the last years OF
] the Roosevelt administrations The
day overhead was well-nigh ideal. but
4 melting snow made conditions UNDER
foot anything but desirable. The line
| of citizens began TO form. however,
at 1890 A. NJ, although they were
not scheduled to enter the White House
grounds until o'clock
President Taft began and ended the
SC. rfNtt
sonal friends among the diplomats. the
government officials aud members of
the army aud navy coutingents, Mr.,
/ Taft had hearty words of greeting.
/ Occasionally citizen had a word TO
say TO the President. and the latter
/ listened attentively until his aid hur-
/ ried the visitor along to make room
flor the crowds In the rear.
/ The President stood the ordeal splen-
didly- The average time of passing
was forty people to the minute. AL
.lthougf he gave each q strong clasp,
the President declared he felt no ia
.Etisuc. The standing In one position
so long however, made him declare
that he felt almost as though lie would
4 have to learn TO walk all over again.
Although the usual precautions were
taken. the reception passed off with-
out incident,
Diplomatic Dfsplay.
| The diplomatic display this year
| rtvaleds any IN the past. Practically
every member of the corps was in the
city, and each ambassador and minister
was attended by a brilliantly unifor1n-
ed staff of aids and secretaries. Tho
new Chinese minister and his staff. in
lheavily embroidered robes and hats. at
tracted the usual amount of attention.
D., NTpr ~, I'D tS-is
during tho reception, The band was
divided into two sections, and when
ono selection was finished by one Sec
tlon, a new tune was begun by the
other section
The Presidents reception at the
White House to-day took on a new In
terest. as it was the first public re-
/ ception planned for the administration
of Mr. Taft,
Tho White House doors swung open
to all the world, and during the ap-
pointed hours for the reception of
citizens, the poor and humble passed
In review and received the clasp of
the chief executive on equal footing
with the richest of the community.
Some idea of the magnitude to which
the New Years reception at the White
House has grown can be had from the
fact that President Roosevelt, during
the last two or three years of his term,
attained high water mark of shaking
hands with more than 5000 men and
women.
The early period of the reception was
made gay and impressive as usual to-
day by the appearance OF the diplo-
mats In the full-dress uniforms OF
|stheir rank and distinction in the coun.
tries from which they are accredited
, This year there were many new faces
In the diplomatic line, which was
headed by Baron Des Planches.., the
, italian ambassador, dean of the corps
!, in Washington.
President Tafts military and naval
aids did much of the planning for the
reception, and took their places along
the receiving line to help facilitate the
, handling OF the guests. The introdnc-
: tions we're made by Colonel Cosby. OF
the army, maior-domo of the White
House, assisted by Captain Butt and
8 Lieutenant-Co Commander Palmer.
. The White House to-day was elabo-
4 rately decorated with cut and growing
{ flowers.
t Chinese Maidens Present.
{ During the, diplomatic portion OF ths
! reception the greatest interest was at
tracted 10 the four young daughter,
!. of the new Chinese minister. who, II
Oriental robes OF white. and pink RIB
hons on their dark hair, added a. mos
picturesque tinge to the scene.
. Speaker Cannon was halt an honl
!. late in reaching the White House. anc
: had to go through the line long aftel
s the other members OF Congress had aa,
i their inning, REPRESENTATIVE Murdoch
J, OF Kansas, one of the insurgent leaS
Q ers OF the House got a most COP
reception from the President. fila
clifford Pinehott government
ri Secretary OF state ISnox and
= of War Dickinson were 4
= both bens absent from t'1
q trumpeters Of the MaEAgSEa1A