The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-12-12

In a general way, all the reception.
are conducted alike. A few specia
guests are permitted to enter the
main door of the executive mansion
but most enter at the east entrance
and after leaving outer garments in
the lower corridors of the White
House form in long lines leading III
the marble staircase to the first floor
and into the Blue Room where the
President and Mrs. Wilson, aided BIZ
members of the cabinet and then
wives with army and navy aides in
full dress, receive them.
The introductions are made by ar
aide; brief word of greeting is
spoken, followed by hasty handclasI
and the guest passes along to the enc
OF the receiving line to spend the re.
mainder of the evening moving about
or chatting with friends in the crowd
Even to, personal friends the president
or his wife cannot say more than q
word because to each of the receptions
come between 1900 and 1000 per-
sons and things have to move on time
In the state dining room the guests
usually find buffet luncheon and in
opposite ends of the main corridor
two sections of the Marine Band play
almost continuously.
Invitations are not so easy to OBJ
tain as they used to be. A story told
in social circles has it that at the
opening of President Wilson's term a
certain senator of influence sent to
the White House for ten invitations
issued in blank, in which he wished to
write the names of constituents to
whom he wished to show some favor.
The story has it that his request was
refused with a rebuke.
For some of the White House af-
fairs, demand for invitations has been
so great that almost unheard of SUBJ
terfuges are used to obtain them and
on one occasion watchful door tenders
picked up admission tickets which
proved to be very clever forgeries.
The cabinet dinner, which occurs
this evening". is comparatively quiet
affair, participated in only by the
president and his wife, the cabinet
members and their wives and possibly
a half dozen invited guests. 1t takes
place in the state dining room and is
elaborate.
The two diplomatic dinners follow
and the neutrality of the White House
is concerned in having each no less
brilliant, elaborate and attractive than
the other. The neutral diplomats by
the fortune of war enjoy two dinners
instead of none at all, as they would if
the world were at peace.
The congressional reception from
point of numbers is the largest event
of the year. 1t is always a "crush."
Every member of Congress, any con-
stituents who happen in town, his
clerks and stenographers, and many
others not connected with the govern
ment at all are sure to be there. The
guests come in street cars and afoot
as well as in automobiles and car
riages. 1t is the commoners' recep-
ton from every point of view but the
White House goes to no less pains
with it.
The supreme court dinner is a quiet,
dignified affair. It will be noted that
this years program contains no recep-
ton to the judiciary, which from the
social point of view always was a
rather solemn affair, so much so, that
it was the only event for which the
demand for invitations did not exceed
the supply.
With the diplomatic reception out
of the way, the army and navy recep-
ton becomes the most colorful and
lively of all. Officers of the army,
navy and marine corps in full dress
uniforms respondent with gold braids
and decorations give it an air of bril-
lance that is described as exhilarat-
ing.
The speakers dinner, comparative
ly new institution in Write House So
cial annals, winds up the list and gen.
orally is attended by cabinet MEM
bers, leaders in Congress and few
others enjoying intimate relations
with the speakers of the House of
The elimination of the time-honor-
ed New Years reception marked the
passing of what actually was a ply
steal endurance test on the part of the
president. In years gone by as many
rs ten thousand persons had passed
through the White House in a few
hours on New Years day to grasp the
hand for a brief moment.
The Marine Band always played its
iveliest quick-step and for four and
i've hours the line would pour in one
oor and out the other. Presidents
roosevelt and Taft set some hand
baking records, meeting nine and ten
thousand people at reception. 1t is
aid that one president, long since
cad, solved the problem by standing
i front Of a velvet curtain, through a
lit in which a relay of aides stretched
heir hands under the presidents