The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-05-01

Headquarters for the Republican ma
flonal committee The hotel was the
great conference ground for poll
tlclans, distinction which it retains
10 this day, although the conferences
OF late years have had more Of for
eign and diplomatic than a political
backing. -. !, ~ = -.
! The transition from national politics
to foreign diplomacy began when Ii
Hung Chang came to the Arlington
with his suite of about one hundred
Chinese. Chinese Wallets, cooks, tall
ors appeared everywhere, as the noted
Chinese did not wish to trust his COM
fort to other hands
During the Russian-Japanese war
Prince Fushimi of Japan had whole
annex of the hotel, and Japanese con-
ferences Were frequently seen at one
table while there was a conference Of
Russians at another.
Baron Rio BrancO, minister of for
eign affairs of Brazil, spent winter
at the Arlington while he was here
working as special representative of
his government on the boundary dis
pute with Argentina 49,.
Mr.. Morgan does not register, but Ia
given his suite. of rooms and his spe-
c1al walter, special barber and valet to
care for all his comforts Mr.. Nor
gan is "at home only to those he
wants to see. Other callers find him
"out' or busy at times when some
friend will find him quietly seated in
comfortable armchair playing soil
taire in his rooms
On this same "unofficial" list of
guests at the Arlington are the Astors,
the Vanderbilts and other we'll known
New York people. 81
The Arlington has been for years
the meeting place for Central Ameri-
can diplomatists, who~ have solved
many of their knotty problems in it's
cafe and lobby. The Washington Peace
convention of 1907, which has done
lore than anything else to insure
peace In Central America, was first
conceived at a meeting at the Airing
ton. Go to the Arlington any day
about o'clock and you will find a
small gathering of Latin Americans
discussing the problems of the day.
The official and formal work of these
diplomatists is now done at the meet
lngs of the Pan-American Union, in
the Pan-American Union building.
But the real work is done at the Ar
lington. No diplomatist of Central
American country would think of TAX
Ing decisive action on any important
subject until he had threshed it out
with his confreres in the Arlington
cafe. = r.
| Social gatherings at the hotel are
held far aloof from the political and
diplomatic conferences. While diplo-
macy is being settled in the cafe the
sufragists are perhaps busy discus
sing their grievances in the parlor or
conference rooms set aside for wom-
en-. It is not unlikely that at the same
time the Daughters of the American
Revolution are holding a meeting in
the rooms Of Mrs. Scott, their presi-
dent, in another part of the house.
Some Of the sumptuous banquets
which have been given at the hotel
have long been remembered. One is
the banquet given by Andrew Carnegie
to the delegates of the international
American congress in March, 1890 It
Is said that the splendor Of this ban
quet had much to do with starting the
American countries on the road of
progress toward better understanding.
Every zone and cline was ransacked
flor luxuries. The feast is said to have
excelled that feast Of Lucullus in his
villa at Tusculum, historic among Ro.
man dinners because 1t cost $4,000.
The present manager of the Airing.
ton is Peter Taylor, Jr, who has had
a hand in running the hotel for more
than twenty years. He is one whose
recollections of the hotel are so dear
that he considers 1t almost sacrilegious
to tear the structure down. If it must
be done he would like to see the proc.
ess begin gradually and the old hotel
stand while the new structure gradu.
ally absorbs it in places.
But the dictates Of twentieth cen
fury progress demand that the old
building be completely demolished
first. Y