The Washington times., 1913-11-17
SOCIAL VOLCANO
ABOUT TO BREAK
Calling System Is Considered
Better Now, However, Than
Ever Before.

new Administrations stand, Democratic
or Republican, is now about to burst
forth, it is affirmed, and to send up its
usual volley of fire, smoke. and lava Of
social criticism and dissension.
The calling code of Washington has
been whipped to a frazzle since the
days of Martha Washington on down.
and yet the structure has withstood it.
and is a better social arrangement to-
day than ever before.
While the nearly 45O women who form
the Congressional set, are said to be
frothing over a rumor that the wives
of Cabinet members are going to place
the social ban upon them, the CABINET
women themselves are really ana truly
discussing one Of the most sensible SUD
jects which has been brought UP year
by year for half century.
This subject is whether II is better
to undertake the almost impossible ana
never fully accomplished task of re-
turning the call of every woman Of the
House who pays them the compliment
q o call. or tc spend the rme IN
showing her special attentions IN her
own abode.
1t must be said for the good pudg-
ment of the Cabinet women. that the
latter solution is the one most likely
to be adopted
Plan of Cabinet Women.
Some of the Cabinet women, but not
all, will prescribe to the code which
they think wisest, of not making other
than the calls demanded of them by
precedent, that is upon the wife of the
Vice President, the wives of Supreme
Court Justices, ambassadors and the
ministers of foreign countries. Other
wise, they will make dinner calls, assist
at teas and receptions when asked.
favor the women of official life and es-
pecially the wives and daughters of
Congressman by asking them to as
sist at their Wednesday receptions, in
precise routine; give series Of dinner
parties. perhaps small ones in this
Democratic Administra tion-when the
guests will always include Representa-
tves and their wives, and those to
whom they are indebted.
The Wilson Cabinet is not making an
innovation. Not by a great deal. The
women of the Cabinet are simply more
wise course to pursue, and all of the
Wilson Cabinet women do not even
go this far. They simply say they are
going to make the duty calls first, those
demanded by precedent. and after that
they are going 10 make all the other
calls possible. The Roosevelt Cabinet
women made few or no calls outside of
those of precedent.
President Wilson's Cabinet women are
going to break the record for hospitality.
Wednesday Day at Home.
They are going to re-establish the
Wednesday day at home on the first
Wednesday in December, a thing which
has not been done for many years, for
mer Administrations waiting even unto
the second week in January to open
their doors.
They are going to re-establisch the
tea table which at the request of Mrs.
Roosevelt and former wives of Repubii-
can Presidents, was relegated to the
barred to the regular Wednesday tea
drinker of the Cleveland Administration.
They are going to stay at home, not
three or four Wednesdays in the sea-
going TO have just as many women
from official life to assist them each
time as possible.
These rules will obtain whether they
return every call made upon them or
not Mrs. Marshall and Mrs. Bryan
have returned every call, official and
otherwise, made upon them. Mrs.
Daniels. wife of the Secretary of the
Navy, has made as many as was pos
sihle, her time being much interrupted
by accompanying her husband on his
frequent official trips out of town.
). SlduQ.
Mrs. Houston, wife of the Secretary
of Agriculture, never has made other
than the calls OF precedent, and may
not have the pleasure of doing so to
any extent. She only came TO Wash
ington at the end of April. and then
her arms were filled by a cooling baby
the real baby of the Administrations
and another near baby clung TO her
skirts. Miss Agnes Hart Wilson has
been the caretaker of an invalid
mother as well as the right hand assist
ant of her father. but she too, has done
what the State Department code re-
quires of her.
Mrs. Burleson has never refused
herself to visitor on a single We'd
nesday since she came TO Washing
ton, and Mrs. Bryan's door has been
open on every Wednesday since she
reached Washington. In addition to
this, one of the first receptions given
by the Secretary of State and Mrs
Bryan, was to the members of the
House.
Official women leaders like Mrs
MARITIME, wife of the Senator from
New Jersey. say that no more will be
expected of the Cabinet women in d
social way than they are able TO give,
while women of the mental and social
caliber Of Mrs. James r. Mann say
that they look TO the women Of the
prese Mt Cabinet TO sustain their posi-
tions with dignity and a great
warmth of hospitality. and she is
certain they are going to do il.