New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-01-02
MIR. TAFT RECEIVES
SHAKES 1915 HANDS.
innovations at Nesc Year Re-
ception-Mrs. Taft in Line.
TFrora ms tribune srrean. !

day, this being the first official reception of
his administration
In many ways the New Years reception
was notable in the social history Of the
capital, for so many changes. minor in
themselves but important in the aggregate.
had been made under the supervision OF
Mrs. Taft that. instead of being the ordeal
which the New Year reception has proved
on many former occasions, il was actually
pleasurable.
Tor the first time in many years the
Glue Room list was abandoned and in
place Of the great crush which has been
the rule in other years the guests in the
Blue Room were limited in number. in
cludirg the families of Cabinet members.
the Supreme Court with the house guests
OF both. and the groups of young people
who are spending the holiday season at the
White House.
Mrs. Taft received with the President IN
I'll after the members of the Supreme Court
and their wives had passed. She had an
nounced that she would be IN the Blue
Rcom for q short time to-day. and her ap-
pearance there caused great pleasure not
only to the receiving party. but 10 the
members Of the Diplomatic Corps and
others who called to pay their respects to
the President
Promptly at IL o'clock the Presidents
party descended the grand stairway. pre-
coded by four Of the Presidents aids, Col
onel Spencer Cosby and Captain Archibald
". Butt, Of the army; Lieutenant Com
mander Leigh c. Palmer of the navy. and
Lieutenant Daniei Van yoor1is OF the
army.
Fice-Fresident and Mrs. Sherman followed
the President and Mrs. Taft. In the ali
sence of the Secretary of State and Mrs
Knox, who went to Pittsburg to attend the
funeral of Frank B. Smith, brother of Mrs
Knox, the Secretary Of the Treasury and
Mrs. MacVeagh followed the Vice-Presi-
dent and Mrs. Sherman. Other members
o. the Cabinet followed in the order of
precedence, the Postmaster General escort
ing Mrs. Dickinson, wife of the Secretary
of War, who is in Porto Rico and Miss
Helen Taft walking with Secretary Wilson
Colonel Spencer Cosby made the introduce
tons to the President, and Captain Butt
performed a similar duty for Mrs. Taft
DIPLOMATS COME FIRST
Baron Mayor des Planches, the Italian
Ambassador and dean of the diplomatic
corps, was the first of the diplomats To
shake hands with President Taft and wish
him a happy New Year. The entire mem
bership of the corps followed in the order
OF precedence Among the foreign repre-
sentatives there were more new faces than
have been recorded in many years. Baron
Uchida, the new Japanese Ambassador;
Count Won Bernstorff. the German AInbas-
sador: Chang Yin-taag. the new Chinese
Minister; DR. Ritter, the Swiss Minister:
the Marquis of villalobar the Spanish Min
lister, and a number of others, not TO men,
ton long list of secretaries and other at
taches of the various embassies and lega-
tions, took part for the first time in a
White House reception.
Miss Helen Taft, daughter of the Presi-
dent. and her two house guests. Miss Flea
nor Rocker. of New York. and Miss Eliza
beth Parsons Of Columbus, Ohio, were in
the drawing rooms throughout the after
noon.
President Taft was apparently no more
fatigued at the close OF the reception than
when he shook the hand of the italian Am
bassador. He had CHEEKY word for every
body, long handclasp for the veterans OF
the army and navy, and a familiar slap
on the back for his cid friends who came
to wish him happy New Year.
Members OF the Cabinet and their wives
remained Ia line until shortly after L
O'Clock, when they left the Blue Room to
join Mrs. Taft and a small number of in
vited guests at a buffet luncheon in the
state dining room.
The only person who stayed to help the
President cut was James Wilson the Sec
rotary of Agriculture, who paced up and
down in the little space between the win
dows of the Blue Room while President
Taft greeted the thousands Of visitors who
filed past.
American Beauty roses carried out the
tone colo~ing in the Red Room, and in the
Biue and Green rooms pink and white car
nations and roses were placed in tall vases
In the large corridor. where the line passed
into the Red Room, there was a great bank
of ferns and tail palms. behind which the
Marine Band played throughout the three
hours of the reception.
NEW RULE WORKS WELL.
One Of the changes which Mrs Taft ar
ranged and which worked with remarkable
success was in the order in which the line
passed. In former years the specially in
vited guests have passed from the Blue
Room 10 the Green Room. and remained in
the latter apartment to chat. This year
the Green Room was roped off the same a
the Blue Room and the guests passed
straight through to the East Room. This
resulted in getting the line through in so
much quicker time than formerly that near
Is half an hour was saved
In fact the line moved SO rapidly that
when the last of the army officers we're
about to pass into the Red Room the naval
officers were Just then leaving the Navy De-
partment block away. The sailors, how
ever. came UP at a quick step and arrived
painting, but in time 70 prevent a break in
the line.
1t took a little more than an hour for the
guests and official bodies, and from shortly
after noon until just O'Clock he greeted
the general public. There were all sorts OF
people in line. those who wore their Sun
day best and others without collars or
cuffs But the Presidents greeting was the
same for all, and the long line of citizens
went out of the White House praising the
nations chief There We're more children
in line than usual. and for each of the little
ones the President had a hearty handshake
and a smile.
Juvenile interest centered largely in
Charlie Taft, the younger son of the
family, who. however. did not appear on
the scene until the reception was nearly
over
The Marine Band. under the leadership of
Lieutenant Santelman, greatly facilitated
succession of marches, with rhythm and
spirit which seemed TO suggest expedition.
quite as much hrilliancy was added to