Evening star., 1920-05-16

of Missouri, which will be decided this
autumn. That a course of diplomacy
aids practical politician is apparent
in the chorus of praise coming even
from the assistant secretary's op-
ponents. and the chief claim to graft
tude which he seems to have estab-
liShed, is that he could produce pass
ports in the briefest time and at
junctureS of affairs when these covet-
ed bits of pasteboards were unattain-
able elsewhere. Officials of the State
Department invariably progress, when
they are successful at all. and OH many
occa sions they remain in Washington.
as their many friends hope the Longs
will Mr.. Knox passed from one
cabinet position with easy grace to
the Senate. Then after a term he be
came premier of the Taft cabinet with
equal ease. and again he is in the
Senate. Mrs. Knox is SO familiar a
figure in society and SO dependable a
one. that it is wondered what certain
people would do without her. Mr..
Root is another eX-premier trans
lated to the Senate. Both Mr.. and
Mrs. Long are residents Of st. Louis
and were notable figures in the con-
servative society of that old French
city. The assistant secretaries OF
state are traditionally in charge OF
AL distinguished guests of the ma
ton. DR.. David Jayne Hill. late am
during the memorable visit of the
French mission to unreil the Rocham-
beau statue and later when Prince
Henry of Prussia received the Kaiser
American built yacht. he and Mrs. Hill
were overwhelmed with arduous du-
ties. But these We're mere baga :
telle compared to the burden which
fell upon Mr.. and Mrs. Long. begin
ming with the coming of Joffre and
Balfour and the succeeding celebri-
ties. which eliminated in the visit of
King Albert OF Belgium. his queen
and heir apparent. 1t was a matter OF
congratulation that undersecre-
suitas3. 1omici!ed to extend the hes
pitality of the nation and that Trey
assumed the obligation with such
understanding and tact. The Long
home. built by Mr.. and Mrs. Franklin
MacVeagh. is probably more firmly writ
tional Capital ;nan any home erected
within the past twenty-five years.
President and Mrs. Wilson's gift to
Mrs. Philip c. Kaufman recalls that
there is nothing in the way of porce-
lain which is at the present time SO
costly or so difficult to obtain as that
lovely golden china of Ireland known
as belleek. There is not. according
who collects fine china as fad.
single piece of it on sale in this city,
and in the larger cities 1t may be OBJ
tanned only by giving a handsome com
mission to a professional collector who
makes his rounds and fairly begs or
bribes a specimen from some private
wner.
1t is no longer found on sale gem
orally except in the towns about the
place of the manufac ctory, which IS
that wondrous beauty spot Of Ireland.
the tiny Village Of Belleek. on Lougf
Erne, near Donegal bay. The rea-
son Of its scarcity is its shell-like
packing or transportation. except for
the shortest and easiest routes. But
all the old noblesse Of Ireland and
many of England and France have
entire sets Of belleek. for tea or after
noon CONNECTIONS. or. like the exquisite
pieces given Mrs. Kaufman by the
President and his wife, for the after
dinner coffee service. 1t is never made
into dinner sets. but frequently into
table ornaments. like fruit bowls Or
flower receptacles. 1t is deep cream.
with very shiny surface and sometimes
border of the palest green sham
rocks. which makes an enhancing COM
bination for ornaments.
Lough Erne is venerated pill
grimage spot. and is visited by thou
sands every year. Many stop by the
little village of Belleek and visit the
manufac ctories. and those who desire
an exquisite and unique souvenir of a
sojourn in Ireland never fail to bring
home some of the china. 1t is made
from a peculiarly strong clay which
seems found only in this locality, since
all efforts to reproduce either the color
or the glaze in other parts of Ireland
or elsewhere have failed. The sad
part is that this supply grows less
yearly, so that this ancient industry