The Washington herald., 1912-06-09

be requisite. and himself to accompany
the party.
OF the social aids" two are naval ON
cers-Lieut. Matthias z. Manly and En-
sign Stephen B. Mckinney. Three are
| lieutenants in the army-EdWin ST. J..
Greble. Jr., Charles K Rockwell. and
Francis C. Harrington. The sixth Is
Louis McCarty Little. captain In the
Marine Corps. All Of them are young
men. Mckinney is only just cut Of An
napolLs. and Harrington Is a very recent
graduate Of West Point.
The duties Of the social aids are OF such
q character that II Is important that they
shall be young and unmarried When,
as constantly happens. young women
are invited to dinners or other entertain
ments at the White House. they are ex-
pected to be attentive and make them
selves agreeable. They must be ready
to break bread gracefully, to utter en-
gaging batteries. and even to dance like
the proverbiaI moonbeam On a frog pond.
II there be demand for such terpsichor-
can exercise. In short, they are required
to act as beaux.
While their functions are largely Of an
ornamental nature. they have a few
more serious duties to perform-as. for
example. at the great public receptions,
where they help to keep the people in
line and TO prevent confusion. On other
are received in special audience at the
White House one or another of them
may be called upon to make the intro
ductions to the President. and there are
various odd Jobs which may be turned
over to them In case Of EN- Urgency.
As may well be Imagined. these assign
ments TO duty at the White House are
deemed extremely desirable. II is not 10
be imagined that. they are sinecures,
however, for every one OF the social
aids has regular work to do In the War
or Navy departments, the White House
Job being by way Of an extra. But such
an appointment Is a distinction. II car
ries a marked prestige. and II affords
social opportunities OF the most attract
i've kind. II is required Of the social
aid not only that he shall be young, but
also that he shall be good looking and Of
an attractive personality. II is his own
fault II he does not pick up rich wife.
Heiresses are extremely plentiful in
Washington, and eligible bachelors are
extraordinarily scarce.
As already explained. Col Cosby at
tends to- the general management OF
the state dinners, OF which three are
given at the White House each winter
the frst to the members OF the Cab
met the second to the Diplomatic
Corps. and the third TO the Justices
of the Supreme Court. These great
formal banquets cost from $500 to
s.. 900 a piece. the largest Of them be-
ing the one to which the diplomats
are invited, on which occasion the
guests number at least eighty and
sometimes ninety Much attention has
to be given to the matter OF prece-
dence lest somebody be offended by
having a less honorable seat provided
| for him or her than is deemed appro-
! pirate; and. to avoid trouble Of the
kind. a pasteboard dummy repre-
senting the table, is prepared in ad-
vance. the people being Indicated by
pasteboard cards stuck into Sits
This. however, is only a very small
item Of the preparations. The setting
Of the stage Ito use term not inaptly
descriptive) for a state dinner is a most
laborious AFFAIR, from twenty to thirty
men being kept at work for three days
, in advance. On the morning Of the day
when the entertainment is to be given
the floor Of the state dining room Is
covered with crash, to protect the car
pet. Then the decorators arrive. bring
I ing quantities Of smilaX for tacking in
| festoons upon the ceiling and walls, to-
I gether with tropical greenery and how-
| ering plants. Next. the carpenters
| fetch the huge table. in sections. and
put II on trestles. screwing the parts
| together. Electricians follow them, and
trying to devise new and beautiful ef-
| fects Of lighting Flannel is fastened
over the table, and upon this the cloth is
finally laid electric bulbs Of various
colors, being half concealed amid banks
Of vivid blossoms The chandelier and
mirrors are adorned with smilax, and
last of all, immense made pieces Of
White House greenhouses and placed
uDOn the board.
Established rule demands that such
a dinner snail consist OF ten courses,
with five kinds OF wine, and q ''pousse
cafe and cigars to wind up with Four
teen walters are required in addition
to the regular White House stan, and
these. as well as extra scullions for dish
washing. are hired by the caterer who
prepares the banquet When the Execu-
tive mansion was rebuilt nine years ago,
at a cost Of SIS, 900, the kitchens were
enlarged and improved to such an ex-
tent that they might well serve for a
moderate-sized hotel; but for these great
dinners It Is found most sxpedient to
obtain professional help from outside.
The caterer temporarily takes entire
charge Of the culinary department. and
Mrs. Taft's three cooks, with such other
assistants as the domestic establishment
can supply, act under his direction
The lesser details Of such AFFAIRS, as
well as those relating 70 musicales, teas.
and minor receptions at the White House.
are supervised by the Presidents per
sonaI aid" who, unlike the other officers
attached to the social stan, has no duties
to perform except such as pertain to his
position as Executive factOtum. He has
nothing to do, however. with the invita-
tiOns sent out. or with the correspondence
relating thereto, all OF this business De
ing handled by clerks There is a special
clerk in charge OF invitations, who has
under him two, and sometimes three, as
sistants, selected for their skill as pen
men. These men. employed ordinarily
IN the departments. are temporarily as
signed to duty at the White House dur
ing the social season.
It Is a fact worth mentioning incident
ally that the President Is not obliged to
pay for the diplomatic dinner out of his
own pocket Its cost is met from the
so-called neutrality fund" Of the De-
partment Of State-a sum OF money
placed by Congress at the disposal Of
the President for the purpose OF PRO
noting International good will" It can
be expended only on warrants signed by
him. and he is not obliged to make any
accounting for 1t.
Mrs Taft has social secretary Of
her own-a young woman. whose salary
she herself pays. and whose business II
is to attend to her personal mail and ts
help her at the receptions she gives.
Where details Of household management
are concerned she depends mainly upon
Mai. Rhoads, with whom she has a con-
ference at a stated hour every morning
II anything Of serious Importance needs
attention, such as the purchase Of new
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