The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-01-01
Citizens of Every Degree
Honor President at White
House Today.
DIPLOMATS FORM
GORGEOUS PARADE
Ideal Conditions Bring Out Great
Throng for Taft's First
Public Reception.

President and Mrs Taft held their
first New Year reception at the White
House today
When IL was all over the expansive
smile that has become famous and the
hand-shakinE endurance Of the Prssi-
dent had been put 10 the severest test
Both made good
Citizens OF high and IJw degree met
the Chief Executive and the first lady
Of the land today. Diplomats IN All
the splendOr presr-fbed BY foreign
courts, Cabinet officers, staid justices
OF the Supreme and CHER cour+s, gen
erals and admiraIs from Sbe army and
navy, their gorgeous uniforms varying
with their rank; veterans OF the Senate
and House, and the new member who
was witnessing his first: assistant sec
retaries and other District and Govern
meut officials. war veterans, and Just
thousands Of the plain pe0pIe-aI were
there
It was open house" at the White
House, and the President and Mrs.. Taft
left nothing undoue to make Il a most
democratic and representative Ame-i-
can affair
Ideal Conditions.
Ideal weather couStf01-s. in contrast
10 those prevailing at some similar or-
casions in former years. brought or7t
one OF the greatest GATHERINGS from m
official Washington ever 10 assemble
around the FVE,se House doors More
than an hour before the time set for trs
President 10 receive the 1rst IN tn
long Uue-tne -PresIosn members
or the ClabsHst, and f1e s7ipIorslie
corDs-the thU7-sands had beEu1 TO
form long wavSrinE column that III
ed the White Eouse yzzd and stretched
far Up Pennsylvania avenue Thus the
plain American .itIzen-vho is distinct
y persona Erata at the White House
on New Year Dsy-stood and hide5 his
time while the President According 20
custom, greeted the representative OF
this and other governments In the or
der OF their rank
Until one reaches that part of the
line WHARF the piair citizen stands. rs7lz
IS a thing that must be observed
strictly when the Pr, sident reaches for
the Outstretched hand once let the
Chief Executive dispose Of ofdciaIdom
and the rest Is easy aaiIinE-the man
who drove a cab yeste day may follow
q I---in millionaire, the COY little v-sft-
Tesz may bssk in the Presidential smile
with the society queen. for it's New
Year Day and everything Is democratic
At the first Taft reception there was
no gathering Of especially invited guests
in the Blue Room The fl health OF
Mrs TAFT IS partly responsible for this
innovation, il teing thought best 70
conserve her strength by emitting the
personal guests
Fanfare Sounded
Promptly at II O'Clock four b1zlsrs
stepped from the band an sounded the
Presidential fanfare The CHIEF Exc
Cutfve and MS TaEt left the apart
ments on the second floor and started
Gown the great main staircase with
the Wee President and MIS- sherman
and the members OF the Cabinet anE
their wives. they took their positions al
the southern end OF the Blue Room
Then began the formal reception OF the
diplomatic corps the elite OF official
Washington life
II was a gorgeous procession OF diy,IO-
mats-as j. always has been and ever
viii be n all the brilliant panoply Of
the cour- costumes OF various nations
the smaller the nation. in some IN
stances, the mare brilliant the costume
they fled BY The Tan smile was
having - first New Year try-Out, and
s-.oarentIy, the President wasn't con
serving his siren 9Th for the final laps
OF the hospitality race