South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-12-31
CAPITAL 5 SOCIAL
CAR KEPT BUSY
Must See That Only the Ellgi-
bIeS Attend Functions at
White House.
BY Victor Elliott.


lcubbv-hole. which is about six feet
wide and ten feet long this same Mr..
Young has his desk and the desk Of
his assistant. William r. Rockwell
The office is not much 10 look at
but there are hosts of Washington
ians and several hundred visitors 10
Washington each year who try TO get
i'm. They usually are not successful
for to reach that hole in the wall
lit is necessary 10 run the gamut oil
secret service operatives and white
house police and this is not easy TO
do. IL was for these reasons Mr.
Young chose this cubby-hole
Warren Young is the white
house car of social events.
State functions have been given
annually ~ Tho white house since
Itime im cThf.rl and. this govern
|r-cnt l.-i~ d-m0cratic one cit
-zcnz ~ .f}1s of life, especially
n thr,e ~ INCONSISTENCIES. feel
SOS, rt.nt. inherent or other
VS.. &c. .tc g these functions. As
Ia ru's .ne frst lady of the land
feel. ar -,. .e Sometimes they do
'nCt. lr- ta.> is the exception rather
then tGc rule To these functions
many are bid. not all. There are
dinners and then there are recep-
tions. to both thousands each year
clamor 90 attend. II is the duty Of
this same Warren 8 Young and his
assistant. william 2. Rockwell. to
send out the invitations to those who
ere to attend.
Four Regular Dinners.
Ordinarily there are four regular
dinners and four regular receptions.
The average attendance is 5000. In
the usual course there is the cab
Iinet, supreme court diplomatic and
Speakers dinner There is the ju-
dietary, diplomatic. congressional
and army and navy receptions. Also
during the year at the white house
there are several teas, lawn fetes,
and official dinners and receptions.
In the last year there have been few
RECEPTIONS and dinners owing to the
white house being in mourning for
the death of Mrs. Wilson.
To all of these invitations. en-
graved, are issued. All pass through
the hands of the Grand Issuer
Young.
The job of Grand Issuer" is no
easy berth In the main, the job
calls for one with most constant
happy disposition, one who can get
along with women folks and turn
the politicians away without cost
ing the administration in power a
'cussing" The white house being a
quasi-public place even on exclusive
days there are certain citizens who
cannot be overlooked. This, not
withstanding the fact that the First
Lady of the Land sometimes insists
on being executive sociallt. Most
of those turned away are met. not
by the First Lady of the Land or
her emanuencius. but by Young.
Makes Out Her List.
The presidents wife. at the begin
ming of the social season, makes out
her list of desira bles and eligibles.
The presidents secretary makes out
his and. sometimes, the president
has a few friends on the side whom
he wishes to invite. These lists are
given to Mr.. Young many days prior
to a dinner or reception members
Of congress and includes both SEN
ators and mem bers of the house who
beseige the white house with tales
of fair constituents being in town
and wanting TO attend a reception.
A list has TO be made for these.
/ These two go to Mr.. Young. Then
there is an army of oldest inhab-
itants" of Washington who go to all
/ receptions. As rule these folks
get to Mr.. Young directly or indi-
rectly. AS a rule in the latter way.
A list of these has to be made Then
the invitations are issued. 1t is one
/ grand job. AS in the case
of Mrs. Taft, the first lady of
/ the land believes in exclusiveness
and then the job Of invitation issuer
/ becomes more difficult as the presi-
dents Office usually goes over the
head of the mistress of the mansion.
/ But, as said, some 1000 invitations
/ get out TO each reception.
Warren b. Young has been an at
tache of the white house for 35
years. For % years he has served
in some capacity which had to do
with the issuance of invitations TO
I SoCldl functions. As the assistant
of Q. l.. Pruden, for years an as
sistant presidential secretary. Mr.
Young had charge of the invitations
TO dinners. When Thomas II. Meth
erlands died in 1909 Mr. Young as
sumed full charge OF the issuance Of
invitations 10 Sall affairs. He has
been doing il ever since II falls 10
his lot TO arrange the seating OF the
dinner guests and as a consequence
he must know whether a justice of
the supreme court takes precedence
over an ambassad dor. He must seat
diplomatic representatives according
10 rank and service A mistake
would he fatal. Mr.. Young never
has made n mistake
Taking No Chances.
owing to the war in Europe there
will be two diplomatic dinners and
no diplomatic reception. Mr.. Young
has placed all the representatives
here OF the allies in one class and
all those representing the central
powers at another. He took no