Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-12-26

money. They always have depended
money back The big affair has been
the one great public or semipublic So
cial function into which no one has
been allowed to enter without 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 men,
bers of the arrangements committee, the
men who do the work, always have
paid admission to the ball. The price
has been So ger person and the equal
ity of women in the paying matter Las
been recognized in this, if not in al
other matters.
Ball Money Pays Expenses.
The money which has come in from
the inaugural ball has been depended
upon to pay the expenses of the grand
stand building, of bands, of flags, of
flowers, of the parades of local bodies,
and of a score of other things which
cause Uncle Sans cash to change
from one hand to another. With no
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 silver lining,
because silver is money, and indirectly
probably all the good people of Wash
ington who put their coins into the
contribution box will have them make
their way back, even if it is by a cir
cuitous route.
In about six weeks an army of car
penters will take possession of Penn
sylvania avenue. They will erect sight
seeing stands all along the way from
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-
ans.
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
thrifty inclined, will rent out window
space at anywhere from So to SO
pair of sightseeing eyes.
Ready for Social Season.
Washington is ''all set for its
social season. President. cabinet
officers, senator's, 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
pace which outstrips laggard legisla-
ton.
The most brilliant event of the So
cial season. unless the army and navy
reception be excepted, has been ADAM
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 it's shadow on one section of soci-
ETY. in Washington. 1t 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
the streets of Washington, there is
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 a considerable number of the
representatives of the Central and
South American countries. AT the sec
ond dinner there will be present the rep
10 Of fbo ntt.aI xxytt
the representatives of the other Cen
trail and South American countries who
are not present at the first dinner.
1t 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.
Therefore the first dinner must be Civ
en- to that group of diplomats which
includes the highest ranking ambassa-
dor of the city.
With the diplomatic reception omit
ted from the White House social calen-
dar there will remain the three other
big receptions, the one to the judiciary,
the one to congress, and the one to the
army and navy. In addition to these
functions every cabinet officer gives
what might be called state dinner to
the president of the United States, to
which the other cabinet officers are in
vited. And TO these couple of mu-
sicales each week at the White House
and scores upon scores of dances, re-
ceptions and teas at the various official
houses of officialdom, and it easily can
be seen what busy winter society has