The Washington herald., 1918-11-24
Women Prominent the Social Life of the Nations Capital
der the .provocation-and forget

slider the .provocation-and forget
~
Immediately of course the really
vital question agitating society was
Who's going with him?" And after
all the suggestions on that subject
had been given due consideration. it
resolved itself rather into who
isn't?"
While there has as yet been no.
omcial announcement on the sub
Ject II is taken for granted that
Mrs. Wilson is going. No one can
remember a single instance of the
RESIDENTS leaving Washington,
SINCE their marriage, that she did
not go along. 1 seem to remember
ner leaving once-when he stayed
pehlnd-but she only went to Phila-
oeIphla-to review a parade of wo-
men war workers as I remember it
and returned the same day.
AS to whom Mrs. Wilson will take
with her there are all sorts OF
suesses-"the whole family be-
ing perhaps the favorite. She has
aIways shown a disposition to let
Her own family get all the fun they
can out of her position as First
Lazy OF the Land. To use a cur
rent phrase, She rings the Bollings
IN on everything" Perfectly nat
ural and even commendab BILE. Nobody
can criticize warm family affec-
tons.
But personally I doubt II she
takes any of them with her this
trip: 1t would seem that she would
need social secretary now, IL she
ever did in her life. and it seems
probable that she will take some
one younger woman who Is familiar
with official forms and ceremonies,
10 help her, in some such capacity
preferably OF course one who Is
thoroughly at home in the use Of
the French language. Possibly her
present secretary. Miss Benham.
daughter OF the late Admiral Ben
ham; possibly Miss Bones, a young
kinswoman of the Presidents who
has made her home in the White
House throughout the Wilson re-
gime, and through whom originally
Mrs. Wilson was introduced there:
possibly, though not probably, her
own younger sister, Miss Bertha
Boiling.
Then Of course there are the Gray
sons-Rear Admiral and Mrs. Cary
Travers Grayson-to be considered.
1t is taken for granted that DR..
Grayson will go along, functioning
in his double capacity OF personal
physician to the President, and
White House aide. He always does
80 along. It's his business to keep
the Chief Executive fit" And so
far he seems to have attended
strictly to business. He is, moreover.
a great personal favorite with both
the President and Mrs. Wilson-and.
to be honest, with every one else
who knows him. In all the hostile
criticism aroused by naming him
Rear Admiral-jumping him over. |
forget how many older men in the
service-I never heard any one speak
unkindly of DR.. Grayson personally.
He's a charming fellow-in deadly
terror Of reporters.
Mrs. Grayson was Miss Gertrude
Gordon. a very pretty girl. with
pleasantly adequate fortune. to whom
DR.. Grayson was devoted from the
day OF her debut She was a partiCu-
lar protege of Mrs. Wilson's in the
old days when Mrs. Wilson was Mrs.
Norman Gait. They travelled all over
Europe together and were so con-
startly together that when Mrs. Gait
first came into the limelight as the
Presidents finance. Miss Gordon was
generally regarded as her ward. until
she herself explained that she was "a
ward Of the affections only" with no
tie OF either law or blood.
Mrs. Grayson would undoubtedly go
along-except for the one lively and
endearing obstacle-Master Grayson,
rather less than a year old. He would
be equally hard to take along, and to
leave behind. So it's about equal
betting as to whether Mrs. Grayson
will go. though 1t is generally be-
lieved that her husband will. 1t is
simply pointed out that navy wives
must expect to be separated from
their husbands at times.
As to the rest OF the party-without
attempting to give its entire person.
mel. the people who think they know,
are all voting for Secretary Lansing.
surely. and Secretary Baker, and
Secretary Houston-probably one,
possibly both. There seems to be no
question at all as to Secretary Lam
siLg-and that means, beyond any
doubt. Mrs. Lansing. In fact she
says fat-footed, "If Secretary Lam
sing pOas aypact 70 or too W.,