The Washington herald., 1918-11-24


announcing itself. though alas! the
will have to get along this year ap
parently without the added glory
White House patronage. The Char
ity Ban'r par excellence-the ball for
the Children's Hospital--has Just an
nounced its date, 1t Will be held
Saturday, January II, at the Willard.
Nine Hauge Is to be chairman of
the committee of arrangements. Mrs.
John +. wilkins will head the conn
mIttce that has charge OF the boxes.
and Mr.. Thomas Bell Sweeny viii
! head the floor committee. Lists of
patrouesses and boxholders will be
,.Inounced later.
The Southern Relief Association
has selected February 8 as the date of
! its annual ball. always a big event
! in WASHINGTON where the Southern
element remains predominant. and
/ the ball above all Others which the
! President ard Mrs. Wilson have
made II evident that they delighted
/ to honor. II will Re under the di-
reetion OF Mrs. Chisholm.
The ball for the Children's Country
| Home will be held as usual on
Christmas eve, 1t has that date so
thoroughly mortgaced that no other
! institution would have the nerve tt
plan a party for that nigh. And Il
| it did no one would so, for these balls
are always such brilliant functions
and so thoroughly enjoyed that anv
attempt at competition would i-lI
| flat. 1t will be given as usual at
Rauscher's and will. aleo as usual.
be one of the smartest parties of
! the year. Mrs. Joseph Lei-er IL
chairman of the ball committee. and
Mrs Clark Waggaman has succeeded
Mrs. Letter as president. The other
new officers of the board are Mrs.
Randall HaGner, vice president; Mrs.
/ Henry Spencer, secretary. and Mrs.
Harry Kerr, treasurer, and the other
' members of the executive committee
, are Mrs. Murray Cobb, Mrs. Bia me
! Elkins. Mrs. Yelverton Garnett, Mrs.
George Garrett, Mrs. Mcmillan Glib
! son, Mrs. Reynolds Hit, Countess
| Gizcka. Mrs. J. Upshur Moorhead,
Mrs. Fleming Newbold, Mrs. John
Newbold and Mrs. Nathan Wyeth.
! The usual Thanksgiving night ball
the Navy Rellef-is this year to be
promenade concert and dance down
at the Ma rine Barracks, and promises
to be as usual a brilliant success. 1t
was not announced as long ahead
as usual because at the time when
plans are usually making for it the
city was in the throes of the in
| fluenza epidemic. the Marine Bar
racks were restricted territory, and
Rauscher's where last Thanksgiving
night the Navy Relief Association
gave one of the most successful ball !
of the year was being used for Of
fices by the Shipping Board. So the
association was rather up in the
air" as to its plans. Since then, how
ever, things have Strengthened out,
and while there was not time for such
elaborate plans all the officers and
their wives have pitched in with
will to make this Thanksgiving
benefit as big a success as last
years. II will have one advantage
over all the benefit balls that come
later-the President and Mrs. Wilson
will still be in town. and 1t seems
probable that they viii manage to
honor the affair with their pre- ence.
Mrs. Josephus Daniels will head the
receiving line, and others in the re-
ceiving party with her will be Mrs.
William Shepard Benson. wife of
Admiral Benson. chief of operations
Mrs. Charles S. Long, wife OF the
commandant OF the Marine Corps ;
Mrs. r. Z. Couretz and Mrs. Alex
ander Sharp. On account of illness
Mrs. Arthur willard, wife of the
commandant of the Navy Yard. will
not be able to receive. Guests will be
presented by Gen. Charles :. Long
The proceeds of this entertainment
are for the benefit of the widows
and orphans OF the navy. The Ma
rine Band will furnish the music.
Last night, by the way. saw the
opening of the ball season. THAT
sounds like a sporting item, and one
wonders who pitched! 1t is not.
however, A stray from Mr.. Duga1's
pageD There was wonderful ball
at the Letter mansion on Dupont
circle, in the historic Letter ball
room. with the group of British Off
GERS to whom the Letters loaned the
house before they went South. as
hosts. Not only were they hosts at
very brilliant ball to which tho
cream of Washington society was in
vited. but they preceded it with an
equally smart dinner, with covers
laid for between sixty and seventy.
And all over the city. in the mill
tary diplomatic set there were other
dinners, smaller, but equally brilliant,
several at the Army and Navy Club
and at the Club de Vingt. which
wound up at the big house on Dupon,
circle. One hates to consider It in
the light of a farewell blowout, but
in view of the fact that the war mis-
sions' raison d'etre seems to have
evaporated, and considering the rate
at which already the French High
Commission Is vanishing overseas,
one is inclined to wonder IL it was
not really something of the sort ever
though il did not so announce ltse'f {
This French High Commission seem.
to be actually melting away over
night
And one rather wonders if Ambas