The Washington times., 1916-01-16
Jean Eliot'S
Letter
(ContInued from sIrlh par..l

A'"i Ni'Nhe w otNenAeentn NlFtel-tV
make way for the Tracy house, with
its tragic memories OF the death OF
Mrs Boniamin F, Tracy, wife OF the
Secretary Of the Navy. her baby and a
maid, by fire. Since then the house
has been occupied by q long line Of
distinguished folk and with Il has been
associated much entertaining that will
so down IN the annals Of Washing
tons social history. II belonged for a
long time TO the Tylers, and, before
the Bakhmetefts came to washington.
was occupied by Baron Rosen. then
Russian ambassador. and baroness
Rosen. Their social functions will be
remembered for a certain sketchiness
OF detail which bespoke slight opin-
ion Of the social knowledge and the
consequence OF the country 10 which
they were accredited.
-
But TO return to our muttCRs, Mr..
Robertson. He has friends of his own
here, too, notably william Phillips,
Third Assistant Secretary OF state.
Tho two men struck up friendship
when they were both on diplomatic
missions TO Pel;iug, and took q won
derful trip up the YanEste river to-
sc ther, Also Mr.. Robertson spent ten
days or so In Washington with Mr..
Phillips about ten years or so ago
IN the course of a six weeks visit 10
the States on his way back 10 Eng.
land from China.
lie likes Ills new job amazingly, IL
appears, and says that with this detail
he reaches the fulhiiment of an old
ambition. During tho course OF sew
entecn years in the diplomatic serv-
inc he has heen at Berlin. Pekins,
Madrid, Bucharest, Montevldeo. and
lSio de Janeiro--at the last three
places he was ia charge--not TO speak
OF I'VE years duty at the foreign Of
hce. And in all this time he has never
been accredited to a country at war
or in the throos Of any great political
| disturbance. Perhaps his arrival IN
Washington may be a good omen for
| us in these parlous times.
| =
I Mr.. Robertson was born 10 the gov
crnmenr service. His forbears for 1--WE
| generations were in the army or on
| the civil lists. with the one shining
exception OF his grandfather. the IA .
nous Frederick w. Robcrtson. "of
Brighton" who electrified the Eng
land OF his generation by his preach
ing. The family was originally
| Scotch. His training, like that OF
most Brltons destined for a diplo-
matte career. was comprehensive and
TO the point. He was born in London,
educated at Marlborough, sent to Ger
many TO learn German. aud to France
to learn French. In both places he
learned much OF men. manners. and
methods OF diplomatic procedure.
-& -
For the rest. Mr.. Robertson is thirty.
eight but he looks Younger. He IL
sWarthy but has the length OF limb. tho
clean cut features and crisp enuncia.
tion that mark the Briton the world
over. For recreation he shoots ant
PLAYS golf He has hunted la China. IN
Korea. in Uruguay. In Germany. in the
four corners of the earth. In Korea
he found the hunters paradise. the
birds-it appears one shoots duck ant
geese in Korea-fiying by the hundred
thousand. and there are no game law
to veX the soul. However. no true
sportsman will abuse such a privilege
and Mr.. Robertson Is above all a tru,
sportsman.
As for golf he IL a modest man. ant
refuses to claim any great prowess II,
did win a doubles championship Il
Madrid. but. when taxed with that. h,
hedges and saws we don't know hov
they play golf in Madrid.
49,
The arrival Of new bachelor at tn,
British embassy now creates less OF
fiutter in the dovecotes of social Wash
inGton than in the DAYS before tn
beastlY war broke out-the men OF tn
embassies now have little leisure 70
frivOlities-but even so. Mr.. Robertson
would seem to be destined to equal tn
popularity OF his distinguished father
Even now ! wager that. after a feJ
short weeks in town. he has more invi
tations than he can possibly accept II
has an apartment in the Portsmouth
bur Just now Is week-ending in Ney
York.
=
Mrs. l. 7. Mann Is going to NeI
York tomorrow to select the few las
/ pretty things that are necessary L
} complete her new house, or rather he
I old house made over better than new
{ Mr.. and Mrs. Mann and the liddies zoo
: possession of the house a few week
ago when 1t was in an incomplete state
; On Monday evening before the Chart
P Ball they gave their first dinner. an
= even then things weren't quite in orde:
= The great hallway and the dining roor
!. that's lovely room-were perfec
: but the drawing room is not Vi
: ready for inspection. The dance whic
: Mr.. and Mrs. Mann will give In Febru
airy will be in the nature Of a house
, warming.
:. Speaking OF the Manns. reminds m
4 that Charles Stockton >Thorne, Of Ne'
!, York. who is frequent visitor I
I Washington, usually as their guest,
busy denying the report Of his en-
' gagement to Mrs, Alfred H. Peats. G
: New York and Paris. Mr.. Thorne re
, turned last week on the Lafayette fror
Z = business trip through France an
t Italy. and said that neither he nor Mr.