The Washington herald., 1918-12-08

Edwards. the apple of her fathers
eye. died here of influenza, contracted
while nursing at Camp Meade.
1t seems rather a pity that the Pres
| ident should not have been here to
receive this distinguished party-but
after all he has received so many dis
tinguished parties in the last five
years that IL Is barely possible he
may enjoy being himself the distin-
guished party that some one else Is
receiving. Certainly his departure is
the event OF the week, completely
casting all the other events of a not
uneventful week into the shade.
We'll. they're OFF at the post!'
II was the expression of an incon-
gruously clerical looking man in the
crowd that gathered at Union Station
TO see them off Tuesday night. The
President of the United States, the
Secretary OF State, the American Am
bassador to Great Britain, the French
Ambassador to the United States. the
italian Ambassador to the United
States and their respective wives, to
say nothing of several score more
who are only trifle less interesting
and on the most wonderful adven-
ture OF the ages.
Several thousand enthusiastic Wash
ington citizens crowded the station to
see them start on this momentous
Journey, and several hundred stalwart
hgures In khaki and in blue-details
OF soldiers and sailors-were on duty,
forming a human lane through which
the Chief Executive and the First
Lady, and her secretary, Miss Edith
Benham, whose father was a rear ad-
miral OF the navy, passed from the
waiting room to the train.
Those were the only three who set
forth actually from the White House
on this momentous journey. The
others of their immediate party ar
rived about the same time from divers
places, converging by appointment.
Mrs. Wilson was wearing, as she gen.
orally does, a perfectly good, entirely
appropriate but by no means remark
able costume; good material, well
made, but conservative to a degree. It
was coat suit of dark blue. which
she has often worn around the Wash
ington streets; semi-fitting coat
with deep cuffs and wide. rolling COL
lar Of sealskin, and a well-cut skirt,
not too short. with sealskin bands
edging side panels She wore with
this small black hat with little
pointed wings OF the "aeropIane" va
riety, sticking out at one side and
toward the back. She was wearing
single lovely orchid-"and wide
smile" which widened further when
Mrs. L. Mason Gulick, who IL in
charge of the canteen service at
Union Station. to which the President
early in the war turned over his mag
nifcent private waiting room there.
offered her a splendid bunch Of yellow
and white chrysanthemums tied with
gorgeous streamers OF red, white and
blue.
Miss Benham was so completely
done up in caracul coat that II was
hard to see what she had on under
meath, and Mrs. Lansing, who was
pacing the platform for ten or fifteen
minutes while the others were en-
training. was equally swathed in seal
skin.
1t was an interesting party. On
the Presidents private car, the
Ideal" only his immediate party
travelled. There were only himself
and his wife. Miss Benham and DR..
(Rear AdmiraD Grayson, who goes
along in the double capacity of the
Presidents private physician and
one Of his naval aides, land attend
ants" including E. T. Hoover. who
has been head usher at the White