Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-02-05
Cutting Social Tape.
BY J. HAsKIN

The Washington social season. under
the leadership of the mistress OF
the white house, Is in full swing. Also,
it is swinging a bit out of it's usual
course. The complicated edif1ce of
precedent and position, which is Wash
ington society, has felt the impress OF
a new personality and has become
more interesting in consequence.
The official society Of Washington
has for years been as involved in the
formalities of rank and prestige as any
European capital. OF late years there
has been a reaction against this state
of affairs, a tendency to release a lit
tie genuine cordially by cutting the
red tape in a few places.
The new social administration is
giving this tendency a very substantial
boost. Before her marriage to the
president, the new mistress OF the
white house was a successful young
business woman of Washington. At
times she presided over the counter In
her jewelry store. In this capacity
she helped in the selection of wedding
presents for the select clique OF which
she ia now the official head. So Mrs.
Wilson is not only mistress Of the
white house, but also a leader OF the
commercial. set in Washington. With
great tact and social dexterity, but not
without some damage to the carefully
woven fabric of capital society, n is
bringing these two elements together
for the first time. Members OF the
leading commercial families, who have
done much for the wealth and beauty
of the capital, Tut have never adorned
it's official society with their persons,
are e at all of the larger white
house functions, and at many of those
small and select ones which were
formerly regarded as the rewards OF
long standing social or official prestige.
This does not mean, however, that
anyone is being left out or neglected.
In fact, never was the hospitality or
the white house more lavishly dis
pensed. Heretofore, two thousand In
vited guests were considered a large
number for a white house reception,
but at the first one this season there
were four thousand. And the gener-
osity which characterized the invita-
ton list was sumptuously extended to
the refreshment table. Never since
President Taft's silver wedding a the
white house seen such abundance of
cakes and ices, such rivers of cham
payne punch. Everyone was ire
mendously pleased with the affair, ex-
fcept a few disgruntled persons who
observed that democratic ideals OF en-
t%ertainment seemed to be somewhat in
conflict with democratic ideals. OF
economy.
This substitution of genuine socia-
bility for artificial social law is notable
throughout Washington society. Some
of the old resident social leaders are
rather aghast at the violence which
the cabinet ladies' are doing TO the old
laws of precedent. These rules which
provide who shall walk first, who shall
call first, and in fact what everybody
shall do under any circumstances,
would seem rather anomalous In a
democracy. They are, in fact, a rather
stiff and unwieldy imitation OF Euro
pean social custom. But the ladies OF
the present administration, with com
mendable American directness, show a
tendency to smash right through these
barriers, which often stand between
congenial persons.
Formerly, it was not considered
proper for a cabinet lady to call upon
the wife of a congressman, or to accept
an invitation from her unless in the
capacity Of a guest of honor. Such
ridiculous rules as this are now being
broken almost daily and those in high
positions who have heretofore been
the Jealous guardians of precedent, are
accepting invitations from persons
they really want to meet with little re-
gard for official position. Ladies of the