The Washington herald., 1918-09-08


walk to church. But they didn't
They resurrected nice roomy
White House victoria-which must
have been of the Roosevelt vintage,
since Roosevelt is the last Presi-
dent who used q carriage. He was
fond of horss, and not fond of mo-
tors. and whenever he was not afoot
or on horsebac ck. he used a good
old-fashioned open faced hack. Taft
preferred motors and installed them
and Wilson, heretofore. has used
nothing else.
! of applause as the White House
gates swung open and the Presi-
Dental victoria, drawn by fine
! pair of bays swept through. fol-
lowed. of course. by a second SINH
lar turnover with Secret Service men.
The President bowed to right and
left. smiling the while in conscious
rectitude. In the afternoon, they
took their drive in the suburbs in
the same way-and, IL Is said, saved
the nation over seventeen gallons
| of gasoline!
As for the Cabinet-it Is only re-
Gently that the ranking members of
| that have succeeded In getting their
official cariasea changed into official
| motors. Tho most recently created
! Cabinet posts, the Secretaries Of Com
merce and Labor have always had Of
/ fetal motors, but the others were
merely granted the personal use for
self and family, of some Carriage"
belonging to their departments. Many
I OF them stin take that literally and
use carriages.
| Postmaster General Burleson Is de-
! voted to his official carriage. One
may see him any time of any day
rolling up the Avenue in his open
/ faced hack" between the Postoflce
| Department Building and the White
House or his home a few blocks be-
yond. He looks go thoroughly pleased
with himself loiiing on those blue
! cloth cushions, that ono feels sure
that he prefers the carriage, to any
| new tangled motor. One day last
week 1 saw his two pretty daughters
in their crisp white uniforms as naval
yeowomen. in their fathers Official
carriage jump out and disappear into
the Gait tewelry shop-which. I be-
lieve. is now owned by the Presidents
wife.
McAdoo. who owns several cars, run
them himself. and seems to fancy the
long, low. rakish-iooking racing craft,
loafing comfortably in his "offcial
carriage" I remember meeting him
headed up Sixteenth street in it, from
his office to his home, the day bis
daughter was married-presumably on
his way to change his clothes and
get down to st. Johns and give Miss
Mona away to young De Mohrens-
childt. He had on a 1appy Panama
Of the ''wide-awake" persuasion and
looked more like a politician of a gen
GRAFTON back, than about the nvest
wire Of the present administration.
Only about ten days ago I passed
Mrs. McAdoo in the same little opeD
carriages most attractive figure all
in navy blue-blue Georgette gown, lit
tie blue toque with blue war bride
VEIL" blue parasol-against the blue
cushion Of the seat. And looking out
on the world with the bluest Of blue
eyes! And often one meets Mrs.
Houston In the dahlia shade she likes
to wear. out In her little ofiieial car
riase making q round Of Official calls.
Regularly every afternoon Mrs,
Bryan, and the little grandson who
lived with them. used to drive down
for Mr.. Bryan when he was secre-
tary Of State. IN his oficiai carriage
behind a fine pair Of horses with
particularly long sweeping tails. But
a couple Of years ago Mr.. Lansing
officially abandoned the oficial car
riage and substituted an official mo-
tor. And only a couple of months
back Secretary Daniels gave up Mp
and Tuck, the pair of blue ribbon
horses that George Won Lengerke
Meyer had bought to pull his of,cial
carriage when he was Secretary of
the Navy, and retiring them on
pension, got an official motor In
stead.
How they must all have wished
they still had their horsesi
Mrs. Lansing said frankly, when
asked what they were doing over the
weekend, Nothing at all; how can
we, when they won't let US use our
motors?" And the Lanes, who have
not really been out of town since