Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-10-08

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-By Victor RosewAter
WELL, the President and the First Lady Of
w the Land, with their official encourage,
have come and gone. and at the same time the
first part OF the program for the celebration Of
Nebraska's semi-centennal OF statehood-the
part that was assigned specially to Omaha-has
been carried out as planned and the approving
plaudits OF success are universal. II was the
polite thing for the president to say that he was
pleased with his reception and entertainment,
but can add, Of personal knowledge, that the
distinguished guests really and thoroughly en-
joyed the visit and appreciated the attentions
paid them, and that their expressions OF satsfac-
ton were not merely out OF politeness but mani
tested by word and act all the time from the ar
rival in Omaha to the departure on their return
trip.
All the papers have been full of the incidents
of the presidential visit and minute descriptions
OF appearance and doings, and whatever ! might
add would be only repetition from possibly
different viewpoint ] was one OF a half dozen
who, by special invitation of the president sat in
the presidential box during the hour.and-a-half
review OF the historical pageant and the CONVEX
sation and repartee that passed back and forth
almost continuously was decidedly interesting.
When the float representing the glacial period
came up, with its huge papier-mache mammoth
protruding in front, Senator Hitchcock remarked:
Look! That must be the G. o. P. ELEPHANT
YES" exclaimed the president, "see, he is all
encased in ice and frozen solid"
A moment later came the outrider for Coro-
tride a forlorn-looking diminutive donkey.
Never mind, Mr.. President" ] answered,
"here comes the democratic donkey"
Mr.. Wilson laughed and retorted!
AT any rate, he's alive"
Talking to me, the president harked back to
the time when we were together at Johns Hop
kins university as student listening to him as
a lecturer discoursing on administrative law. !
told him that by peculiar coincidence had after
ward taken a course in administrative law at
Columbia university under Prof. Goodnow, who
is now the new president OF Johns Hopkins, and
that had, year or SO ago, been present at the
first Founders day exercises presided over by
President Goodnow. Mr.. Wilson said:
II have always maintained deep interest In
Johns Hopkins, and hope President Goodnows
administration will prove successful. In the
my university contacts as much as ! would like,
When we were back there at Hopkins none of US
could foresee what careers were in front of US.
Both the president and Mrs. Wilson were In
tensely impressed by the Indians in their gorge
Gus native regalia and in the incident which Mrs.
Rosewater related about the difficulty OF induc-
ing them to come before it was known that the
president was to be here Those In charge o
this feature Of the parade met with all sorts of
obstacles in their efforts to get enough Indians
to come down from the reservation to make the
desired showing, but as soon as they were able
to tell them that the reward of their coming
would be to meet the Great White Fatbtr,H the
trouble then was to keep them away. Despite
their aboriginal dress, the Indians showed their
requirement Of civilized manners One hand
some fellow, as he strobe past, realizing that, if
otherwise costumed, he would take. off his hat as
he passed the nations chief magistrate, lifted his
beautiful feathered war bonnet as he would tip
his sombrero, but it brought him pleased smile.
While arrangements for the presidential en-
tertainment went off finely they could, of course
have been improved in many places. People
should remember that the acceptance by the
president of the invitation to participate in the
semi-centennial exercises was not announced
until ten days before, and that the fact that he
was to be accompanied by Mrs. Wilson was not
made known until three days later, and that all
the preparations had to be perfected in this ex-
ceedingly short period of time. know quite a
few good people still feel hurt because OF mix
up in the invitation list for the dinner, due
wholly, however, to the belated inclusion of the
women. At first the wives Of the executive
committee of 100 and of the Ak-Sar-Ben gov
errors only were invited and afterward, when it
was found that additional room was available,
IT was too late to get invitations and replies to
out.of-town members of the big committee al
though Omaha members were permitted to bring
tHciT WIVES. Ietl sure tnat, Win tnlS explana-
ton, any feeling that may possibly exist will be
at least partially assuaged and the mishap for
given, If not forgotten.
The dinner to the president and Mrs. Wilson
had to be formal dinner to accord with the
proprieties, but the requirements Of habiliment
were responsible for many of the regrets Far
be it from me to betray confidence, yet the hu-
NOR Of the situation must not be overlooked
One gentleman who occupies high official posi-
ton unbosomed himself in his letter to me as
follows:
"How on earth am to appear In full even
ing dress when | do not have any clothes of
that sort, and there is no time to make them?
In much embarrassment, ETC."
Another esteemed friend, who hopes to &C.
cupy an official position soon, accompanied his
regrets with this explanation:
MY reason for nonacceptance while name
less to the world must be apparent to one who,
like yourself, has knowledge Of a country edi-
tors wardrobe"
! want, however, to assure Brother Mullen,
who was so fearful lest hckory-shirted demo-
Gratis alone would be shut out Of the privilege of
eating at the same table with the president, that
the proportion of the regrets were about three
republicans to one democrat.