The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-09
NO L0MAT|C
RECEPT|ONSF0 FOR
CAPITOL SEASON
Assemblage of the Warning
Powers Agents Might
Be Gloomy Affair.

! washington, Dec. Sine program
| for the White House winter social sea
son has been announced and, as wa
+; generally expected, it omits the color
full diplomatic reception. because o
| the war, and also the time-honoret
New Years reception for the public
| in accordance with the custom
! President Wilson set when comm,
into office.
In place Of the diplomatic reception
there will be two diplomatic dinners
The Entente diplomats and all neu
trails will be entertained at the frs
and the Teutonic diplomats and al
neutrals will beSguests at the second
The. embarrassments which would
be caused by inviting the representa-
tives of the warning powers to rub ell
bows at the same reception may be
more immaginary than actual, blu,
they are regarded by the social man
ayers as having possibilities, notwith-
standing that it is said the ambassador
from one of the principal Entente Al
lies and the ambassador from one OF
the principal Teutonic powers always
exchange courteous greetings when
they pass on the street However, the
program has been arranged to keep
the warning diplomats apart.
The social events all come on Tues
days instead of Thursdays, as former
1y; the season begins earlier and ends
in February instead of March, prob
ably due to the fact that the White
House wants it over by Inauguration
time.
This is the program as officially an
nounced:.
Dec. 12-Cabinet Dinner, P M.
Dec. 19-Judicial Reception, 9 Pm
Jan. 9-Diplomatic Dinner, P. M.
Jan. 16-Diplomatic Dinner, P. M
Jan. 23-Congressional Reception, 9
P. M.
JAN 3O-Supreme Court Dinner, 8
P. M.
P. M. rs
Feb. 13-Speakers' Dinner, 8 P. M.
Before the war the diplomatic re-
ception was the social show of the
winter. Invitations were sought SO
eagerly by those who were not quite
sure to be invited that the President
set the rule of placing an arbitrary
limit on the number, outside Of the
diplomatic corps, who were to be- in
vited without his personal approval.
In form the reception differed little
from those to Congress, the army and
navy, or judiciary. In fact it had a
distinctly different atmosphere. The
brilliant uniforms Of the diplomats
and their aides, the distinctly foreign
manners of many, and the ceremony
viii VIII i1h a
lomat when he is out in full dress
tive from the others.
In a general way, all the receptions
are conducted alike. A few special
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 up the mar
BILE stair case to the first floor and into
the Blue Room where the President
and Mrs. Wilson, aided by members of
the cabinet and their wives with army
and navy aides in full dress, receive
them.
The introductions are made by an
aide; brief word of greeting is spo-
ken, followed by a hasty handclasp
and the guest passes along to the end
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 recep-
lions come between 1900 and 1000
-
time. In the state dining room the
guests usually find buffet luncheon
and in opposite ends of the main cor
ridor two sections of the Marine Band
play almost continuously.
The nearer the top one is in official
Washington, the surer one is to receive
invitations to these affairs, although
some of the receptions are not SO Eek
elusive as the others. The Congress
sional reception. for instance, usually
finds the world and his wife having
a good time in the White House and
not always in evening dress.
In the capital where there are hun
dreds Of persons not connected with
the government, but active in social
life, the limit to the number of invita-
lions must be gagged by the capacity
of the White House itself, if there
were no other reasons. 1t is not easy
for the social secretary and the force
of clerks who handle the invitations
to- discriminate. Failure to be in
vited to at least one reception may not
be fatal to social aspirations but it is
something to be avoided by those who
make at least a pretensiOn, to social
prominence. &
Invitations, if anything, are not so
easy to obtain 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 rebuke.
For some of the White House affairs,
demand for invitations has been so
great that almost unheard of subter-
fuges 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 comes
first this year is a comparatively quiet
affair, participated in only by the Pres
ident and his wife, the cabinet mem
bers 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
,nd tho neutra litv of the White House