The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-14
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13.
TT seems to be the lull before the
storm here, with nothing hap
i pening. at least nothing of social
,rterest. but with an interesting and
.,ar,od lot of things about to happen
and washington preparing for a long
and brilliant season or series Of sea-
ms For time was, and not so
long ago. that the Washington "sea-
son" meant from Christmas to Ash
wednesday, the period into which was
crowded the White House programme
~ state functions, beginning with the
automatic reception in the first week
of the new year and ending with the
army and navy reception perhaps six
weeks later. The Cabinet dinner,
uben the President entertained his
o4icial family, was the opening gun
and was usually set for some time in
the latter part of December.
Rut this year Is different. 1t is vir-
tusllv Mrs. Wilson's first chance to
really spread herself" in the way of
manning and putting over brilliant
social campaign. And nobody doubts
her ability to do it.
Mrs. Wilson'S first White House
season when she came to the Execu-
tive Mansion as bride early in 1915
was clouded by the fact that half of
Europe was at the throat of the other
half and one had to arrange ones
tarties with the greatest care and cir
cumspection and to order ones con-
yersation with the utmost discretion.
The following season started off in the
same way and was brought to an alb
rupt close ON the day the President
told Congress of Germany's determine
ton to pursue a ruthless submarine
campaign and at the same time handed
the German Ambassador his papers.
On that day the White House gates
we're closed for the greater safety of
the President and the reception set
for the following night at the White
House was called off. And from that
cay there have been no big White
House functions to which the general
public was hidden, none to which more
than a hundred received cards. In
deed there were few at which the
guests numbered over forty or fifty.
And last winter, while it was almost
historically gay in its joyous after
war reaction, was almost without the
pomp and splendor of official enter
tanning, with the White House closed
and the embassies and legations all or
nearly all in the care of charges with
the chiefs gathered around the peace
table in Paris.
It is just that official entertaining
that differentiates the Washington
season from that of any other city in
the country. Washington is the Of
fetal habitat of international notabili-
ties whose occasional presence in any
other city gives rise to an excited
spasm of entertaining.
White House Social Plans.
Quite naturally Mrs. Wilson is PLAN
ming long and brilliant White House
programme of what are the more or
less routine functions" The season
will open with a rush the first of Oc-
tober, with the return of the President
and Mrs. Wilson and the arrival close
on their heels of the King and Queen
OF the Belgians, Albert and Elizabeth
While it has not yet been given out
officially it is known that the state
dinners will be given on December IL
January 8, January 20 and February
lS, being respectively the Cabinet din
ner, the dinner to the Diplomatic
Corps, the judiciary dinner and the
dinner for the Speaker. In the after
nate weeks after the first of January
viii come the four big state receptions
There will follow as usual series OF
musicales, the appropriate Lenter
form for entertaining, on February 20
March 4 and March II. They will be
AFFAIRS decidedly more exclusive thar
the big crush receptions, but of course
nothing like so limited as the state