New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-27
From The Tribune Borcaul

From The Tribune Bureau
Washington. Dec. 26-That the least
perpleXing Of the problems confronting
Prcsident-elect Wilson is the selection OF
an official arbiter Of etiquette. who must
keep the administration and those asso-
ciated with ii out Of the pitfalls that lie
in the way OF misplaced dinner guests
and establish the order Of precedence.
Wsshingtons official world. and espe-
cially the female portion of it, is longing
for code Of state etiquette. and the
State Department and social secretaries
are wishing for the same thing, that they
may not be kept awake at night and
interrupted every hour OF the day by
pointed and perpleXing questions
Foreigners who come to Washington
lIshed social code. and many Of them
therefore proceed TO copy Old World Gus
toms. which. while working well In many
ways. especially with the wealthy per-
sons who live much abroad bring con-
stcrnation untold TO the simpler citizens
who must also do the visiting and en-
tertaininG.
Formerly there was an idea that social
lifc consisted Of pink teas. dinner parties.
few dances and day at home That
time has passed. and so important has
become the subject I'm Washington that
the State Department has equipped It
self with numerous social secretaries, at
the head of which Is Chandler Hale. His
able assistants are Mrs Marsh, the So
cial secretary OF Mrs Philander c. Knox,
wife Of the Secretary Of State. about
whom revolves the whole social code out
side OF the White House. and Mr.. c. l..
Cooke on whom devolves the carrying out
Of many Of Mr.. Hale's ideas With Mr..
Hale rests the task OF seating the Presi-
dents guests at dinner in the White
House in such manner rs not to create
a social war and especially must he use
every care in seating the guests at the
Presidents diplomatic dinner.
Mrs. Wilson's Secretary.
The news from Trenton that Mrs. VIII
son has selected Miss Isabella Hagner TO
be her social secretary in the White
House has been received with wide in
terest here Miss lIagncr is well known.
az she was secretary for Mrs. Theodore
Roosevelt for seven years. She Is now
connected with the State Department.
SO involved is the social subject that a
regular book Of forms is used in the state
Department, denoting how an ambassador,
q foreign minister or other diplomat Is 20
be addressed. Senator Root ordered that
! the book be prepared for use in the de
partment when he was Secretary Of State.
This little work placed the Senator high
in the opinion Of social leaders, who had
before then wondered in vain how 10 ad-
dress invitations and notes 10 higher
diplomats BY some queer coincidence
Senator Root went threc-quarters Of an
| hour late 10 the dinner given by the Ger
man Ambassador 10 Prince Henry Of Bat
tenberg. and while the dinner overlooked,
cooled and waited the guests watched the
door 10 see who was TO blame. The Sec
rotary OF state walked in leisurely. took
his place in the drawing room and at
the dinner. and. so far rs any one knows.
il is yet a mystery just what made him
late.
Society was al sea as 10 the calling
code up to the days Of Secretary Hay.
Mrs. Hay had the courage 10 settle the
matter As the wife Of the Secretary OF
State she easily made the decree without
offending any one, and il holds good to-
dav There could be no mistake in the
visit Of a new ambassador and his wife
at the White House. as that matter was
all arranged by the state Department.
nor was there an outcry when il was an
nounced 10 the ambassador and his wife
that they must also call on the Vice
President and his wife. but there the sim
plcity Of affairs ceased. Cabinet women
did not see why they should call on the
wives OF ambassadors, but Mrs Hay
showed them q was correct. She also
insisted that the wives Of members OF the
Supreme Court should call on the wives
Of ambe ssadors and that the women Of
the Senate should also make these first
calls.
Mime. da Cana, the bride Of the Bra
lillian Ambassador. is Just now coming I'm
from these fret visits and her drawing
rooms look each day Of the week like for
nal receptions. Not only are the Cabinet
women paying their respects. but Sena-
tors wives. Representatives. wives and
society IN general. IT is especially de-
creed that all the members OF the diplO-
matte corps should call on her.
Uncertainty in Official Set
IT never has been much OF habit with
the women OF the Congressional set 10
call on diplomats, with few exceptions.
and only when the American has lots OF
money is there much OF an exchange OF
hospitality. IL is in the official set gen.
orally that there seems 10 be mix-up.
The social season was supposed for
merly TO open after the first large enter
tainment in the White House. and Cabl-
net women then opened their doors 10 the
official world and received visits from all
who thought II duty or pleasure 10 call.
Now only few Of the Cabinet women
receive visitors before January
When. however, those doors are opened
the Cabinet women will have called on the
wife OF the ce-President-when there Is
Vice-President-and the wives OF am
bassadors, Supreme Court justices and
the Speaker OF the House. There is a
decree that they must also call on Sem
ators' wives. but this they seldom do. on
them. in return. will call all OF those for