The Carlisle independent., 1916-12-21

the one great public or semipublic so.
 cial function into which no one has l been allowed to enter without a ticket
 except the president and vice president
 of the United States, and their wives | If both gentlemen have happened to | be blessed with them. Even the mem. i berS of the arrangements committee, the
 men who do the work, always have paid admission to the ball. The price has been S5 per person and the equal ity of women in the paying matter has 1 been recognized in this, if not in all 1 other matters.
 Ball Money Pays Expenses. 1 The money which has come in from l the inaugural ball has been depended upon to pay the expenses of the grand l stand building, of bands, of flags, of 1 flowers, of the parades of local bodies, and of a score of other things which cause Uncle Sam's cash to change from one hand to another. With no i inaugural ball, the citizens who con- tribute to the expenses of the govern ment will not get their money back directly.
 However there is a silver lining to every cloud, literally a silver lining because silver is money, and indirectly probably all the good people of Wash l ington who put their coins into the contribution box will have them make their way back, even if it is by cir cuitous route.
 
 In about six weeks an army of car penters will take possession of Penn 1 sylvania avenue. They will erect sight seeing stands all along the way from 1 the state, war and navy building down by the White House the treas ury and the post office department to the towering capitol. A stand. partly glass inclOsed, will be erected directly in front of the White House. and there the president, the vice president, their wives. the cabinet officers and their wives. and chief of staff of the army and his aids will view the passing regi ments and the passing bodies Of civili- any.
 Nearly all the residents of the city of Washington who have offices over- looking Pennsylvania avenue will in- vite their friends to view the parade from their windows, or, if they are thriftily inclined. will rent out window space at anywhere from S5 to S10 pair of sightseeing eyes.
 Ready for Social Season.
 Washington is "all set for its social season. President. cabinet officers. senators. representatives, army and navy officers and their wives, sisters, cousins and aunts must amuse themselves during the off hours of the working day, or at any rate such is their desire, and therefore society runs a pace which outstrips laggard legisla- tion.
 The most brilliant event of the so- cial season, unless the army and navy reception be excepted. has been aban- doned The reception to the diplomats of foreign governments must be fore gone until the war in Europe is over.
 The diplomatic reception is one of the four big semi-public affairs which have taken place annually at the White House, with the president his wife and all the ladies of the cabinet in the re- ceiving line. The war in Europe has cast its shadow on one section of soci- ety in Washington. It would not do to have the English ambassador and the German ambassador in the same room even if. as in this case, the re- ception would be entirely neutral. The same inhibition applies, of course, to the French ambassador and the Aus trian ambassador and to all the others who represent the warning countries. When a representative of nation at war with another nation meets the representative of the second nation on cold, bayonet chilly bow of recognition and that is all.
 Two Dinners to Diplomats.
 In lieu of the reception the president and Mrs. Wilson are to give two din- ners to the diplomats this winter. When there are two affairs, it is pos sible to keep the warning diplomats asunder. At one dinner there will be present the representatives of the al lies and considerable number of the representatives of the Central and South American countries. At the sec ond dinner there will be present the rep resentatives of the central powers with the representatives of the other Gen. tral and South American countries who are not present at the first dinner.
 It might be asked why the central powers representatives would not take offense because the first dinner the dinner of precedence. is to be given to the representatives of the allies. The answer is easy: Because J. J. Jusse- rand the French ambassador, is the ranking diplomat in Washington on account of his great length of service. 1 Therefore the first dinner must be giv- en to that group of diplomats which 1 includes the highest ranking ambassa- | dor of the city.
 With the diplomatic reception omit | ted from the White House social ealen-