The Washington times., 1917-01-07
Jean ELOT@
LETTER.

DEAR SUSAN: Did you ever stop
to think how much of its official gay
ETY. Washington owes to what may be
called the younger set of the Admin
istration? The Counselor of the State
Department and Mrs. Frank L. Polk
entertained at dinner for the Japa-
nose ambassador and the Secretary
Of the Navy and Mrs. Franklin ID.
Roosevelt had dinner for the Secre-
tary of the Navy and Mrs. Daniels,
the Assistant Secretary of Agricul-
ture and Mrs Houston as honor
Guests at a brilliant dinner party, Mrs.
Charles Warren gave a luncheon
small, but very chic, for the Hon. Mrs.
John Lyon-all within the past week.
Ann so il goes. While none OF the
members of President wilson's Cab
met shirk their social duties, they
are not. with few exceptions, much
given to frequent or elaborate enter
tanning and 1t falls to the lot OF the
undersecretaries to keep the ofnclal
season up to its proper standard OF
brilliance.
CapitnI Beasts Brilliant
Group In Ofncial Set.
Fortunately the Administration
boasts In the, William Phillips, the
andrew Peters, the Folks, the Hamp-
SON Carys, the Carl Vroomans, the
Charles warrens, and as many others
Of the lesser cabinet" as brilliant and
engaging a group Of young statesmen
and diplomatists-and their women folk
las have graced the Capital in a decade.
Many of the assistant secretaries are
men of means, most of them have
aristocratic family connections and
they are nearly all blessed with wives
who know the social game, with its
underlying currents Of politics and
diplomacy, and play 1t with zest and
enthusiasm.
With the exception Of the functions
for which these young people have
been responsible, most Of the enter
tanning In washington In the past
week has been of an unofficial char
acter. And none OF the parties, de-
butante teas, dances, or the rest, have
aroused as much interest as the Nevtl
Hopkins really unique and perfectly
thrilling dinner dance.
After all, Sue, they did capture
real Oriental-end some Oriental he
was, too-for their China wedding an
niversary. By the way, what's the
serial number of the China anniver-
sary? They tell me it's the twen-
tfeth, but knowing Mrs. Hopkins I'm
sure that can't be true.
Guests All MystiAed
by Celestial Parsonage.
Lao Use Muh Va, the celestial per
sonage, received with the host and
hostess. He was maryelously array
ed. and one glance convinced every
body that he was no impereonator.
The mysti6ed guests, who had been
hidden to meet him, had generally pre-
stunned that his Mongol eminence
would be impersonated by DR.. Alfred
Hopkins, the hosts brother, who Is
awfuliy clever at that sort OF thing.
hut no, Mr.. Lao was there in propria
persona-very propria-and he proved
one Of the cleverest entertainment
features anybody has introduced
Everybody agreed that 1t was alto
rsether the most distinctive and effec-
tive fancy party for some seasons.
The mystery Of Lao isn't yet solved.
We are assured that he Il . Chinese
gentleman Of quality, has Travelled in
this country some years, and Is not
able ut home IN Pel<ing.
-
During die dinner he sat a4 q
Enacial throne at one end OF the IL
Rfary. where the dinner was served.
He spoke very good English, and was
nffendsd By little Frances Hopkins in
n Chinese costume. The walters, also
those familiar ones from Rauscher's
aeeu at all functions-were done up
a Chinese toys and entered complete
~ into the spirit OF the AFFAIR. Their
Impressed amusement at the appear
1noe OF their comrades In such unac-
customed grandeur was screamingly
funny.
Between the courses Q ships bell
SvNs runR, and then DR.. Hopkins
would gather up slips on which each
guest had written q question These
were passed on to the Oriental guest
OF honor, who through q megaphone
answered the questions. The an
swsrs were all the way from tire
ynandously clever to wonderfully
knowing: everybody recalled Anna
EVA Fay, and there was revival OF
all the wonderment about 'how they
do IT." I give it up. More occultisnl
was demonstrated when the man.
darin-he must have been-perform-
ed some wonderful mathematical
slstunts," such as instantaneous add
ing Of prohgiously big sums In fg-
ures on q blackboard.
=
Tw0MInutes Speeches
Add Spice To Affair.
After the dinner, which was very
complicated affair, and was managed
with a remarkable smoothness that
did eminent credit to the skill of
host and hostess, there were two
minutes speeches by the guests.
Everybody was compelled to speech
fly, / guess, except Randall Hagner;
thew simply couldn't extract word
from him. The prizeGor the cleverest
talk went to Mrs. Reeve Lewis,
handsome framed Chinese print. Some
OF, the other especially neat remarks
were by Mrs. Barnett, Mrs. Baker
and John Remey. Jack Siebert, as
POSTMASTER, was in particularly good
form, he dubbed with cleyerness "all
tbo xuayD as thew CAV at JuareZ and