The Washington times., 1917-05-01
GREETING To FRENCH
IS PURELY AMERICAN
Reception to Mission by Lansings
Attended by NOtables.
Rr JEAN ELIOT.


was hung with flags last evening. The
TricoIor and the Union Jack flank
ed the Stars and Stripes, and th2
scarlet coated Marine Band played
martial and patriotic airs, but it need
ed nothing of this to rouse the enthu'
iasm of the several hundred guests
of the Secretary of State and Mrs
Lansing. The reception was given
for NJ. Viviani, Marshal Joffre, Ad-
miraI Chocheprat and the members of
the French Mission, and that was
enough.
The President paid signal honor to
the distinguished visitors from over
seas by attending the reception, and
passed down the receiving line like
any private citizen. He was accom-
panied by the Rt. Hon. Arthur James
BaIfour, head of the British Mission
who had been dining informally at
the White House, in addition to his
military and naval aides. Col. w. w
Hsrts and Can't. Robert Berry. Both
the President and Mr.. Balfour paused
for more than a passing word OF
greeting with each member OF the
long receiving line, and afterward as
they made their way through the
Hall of the Americas they were
greeted by scores of friends and &C
ouaintances and shook hands with
many of them.
On the arrival of the President.
which was marked by scant formality,
the band played "The Star-Spangled
Banner" and one by one the guests
who thronged the great stairway
waiting to "go down the line" took
up the strains and sang the words. 1t
was typically, casually American, and
yet singularly affecting.
Frank InfOrmaIity.
It was American, too, the way peo-
pie crowded behind the rope which
protected the receiving line and frank
" stared at the notables. Mr.. Lansing,
NJ. Viviani, Mrs. Lansing, Nine. JUS
serand, Marshal Joffre, Ambassador
Jusserand, Admiral Chocheprat, the
MARQUIS de Chambrun, NJ. Hovelacque,
and the other members OF the mission
so the receiving line was arranged.
But there was so much of cordial
friendship, so much almost Of venera
tion in this stare that none could take
offense. Miss Helen Woodrow Bones
and Miss Edith Benham. Mrs. Louis
Brandies, the Misses Wilson, daugh-
tiers of the Secretary of Labor; Mrs.
Archibald Hopkins, Mrs. Peter Goelet
Gerry, Joseph Davies, Miss Margaret
Perrin, are but a few of those who
crowded close to see the men who
make up the French mission.
Preceding the reception Secretary
and Mrs. Lansing entertained at din
ner, in compliment to the leading
members of the mission, their guests
including the French Ambassador
a,,i
Marshal Joffre, Admiral Chocheprat,
the Secretary of the Interior and
Mrs. Lane, Lady Pope. OF Canada;
the Marquis de Chambrun. VI. Hove
lacque, Senator and Mrs. willard X.
Salisbury, Brig. Gen. and Mrs. VIII
liam Crozier, Miss Fitzpatrick OF
Canada, Mr.. and Mrs. Chandler An
derson of New York. Mrs. George
Vanderbilt. Mrs. E. H. G. Slater. Miss
Lansing. Miss Kate Lansing, and Mr..
Williams.
Byron's immortal lines on that IA
nous ball before Waterloo:
Martial Note Prevalent.
g in Belgium's capital had
gathered then.
Her beauty and her chivalry. and
bright the lights shone
Ger fair women and brave men,"
kept running in my head all evening.
For the women were fair. many of
them. and bravely gowned. wearing
many jewels and showing their colors
with bits Of red. white. and blue rib
bon pinned on their frocks. AM the
uniforms OF the diplomats. as well as
the officers OF the army and navy. for
eign and American, gave a brilliant
and picturesque air to the gathering.
The immovable sentries who stood at
the head of the stairway carried out
the martial note.
The guests included diplomatic rep
resentatives of the allied nations, and
of neutral countries, official and resi-
dent society, and I saw among them
the Brazilian Ambassador and Nine.
da Cana, the Italian Ambassador and
Countess Macchi di Cellere. the Ar
Eentine Ambassador and Nine. Naon,
the newly appointed Chilean ambassa-
lor. Senior Aldunate Bascunan; Chief
Justice and Mrs. Edward Douglas
White. Justice and Mrs. Mahlon Pit
ney, the Secretary of the Navy and
Mrs. Daniels. the Secretary of the In
terror and Mrs. Lane. other Cabinet
officers and their wives, Miss Jane
Gregory. Miss Mona McAdoo, and her
fiance, Ferdinand de Mohrenschildt:
NJ. BakhmeteH, FORMER Ambassador OF
Russia, and Nine. Bakhmeteff; the
Persian minister. Mehdi Khan: J. f.
Iefevre. of the Panama legation: Miss
Ramona Lefevre and Miss Manuela de
Pena. daughter of the minister OF
Uruguay.
Many Senators Attend.
Other guests? Well, there were
Senators and their wives. among
whom 1 noted particularly Senator
and Mrs. Robert i. owen, Senator
and Mrs. Peter Goelet Gerry. and Sen
ator and Mrs. Thomas 7. Gore: Con
Eressmen and their wives. among
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