The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-28


for seven or eight years.
During the regime of the Earl ana
Countess OF Reading, they, having no
use for q ballroom as such had IT,
transformed into q great, CHEEKY living
room, where the sun streamed fearIesSly
In the windows all day. The WINDOWS
are perfectly huge and face south an9
west, and 1t really made deiis hllu,
living room with its bright coloreu
hangines and flowers always in every
available space. One rather enjoyed
the amusing incongrulty of the por-
trait Of the royal familN-hlng Eu
wards and Queen Alexandra 8, Whlcn
hunr In the old ballroom, While tho
then Prince Of Wales now hing
George. was placed in the dining room,
and Princess (now Queen) Mary was
left out in the hall. The huge por,ra,.
of Queen Victoria occupied-and sun
Soes--the Mace of honor on the landing
of the stairway, where one sees II as
one enters the door.
gave Dinners aud Receptions
Even before the Readings although
they laid no vandal hands upon the pail
rooIn-the Spring Rices had little use
for n balhoom--they were given TO en-
Pertaining. when they did entertain, NJ
dinners and receptions. And the EAR
and Countess of Reading gave several
brilliant receptions and entertained at
several more or less important dinners
chiefly for the visiting missions or 10
mark some special anniversary. Nor
did Lord Grey of Falloden-a wldoweT
and n bit Of recluse--use the pallrooIn
for the purpose for which II was oe-
signed. lie was here but few months
md while he did give a big reception
I al
that was emphatically state event
preceded by mans dinner--a brilliant
and q historic event, but with nothinS
so frivolous as n dance included. 30
that the young Prince, who dearly ioVeo
10 dance, had TO wait till II was all over
and the lights at the embassy were
dinned to be whsked out to Grasslands
and dance till sunrise at party given
for him by Mrs. Frederick Gillett ana
her daughters, the Misses Frances ana
Louisa Hoar.
So that bali at the British Embassy
was something OF an innovation-and
! seemed all of a piece with the changes
which were being made in the Embassy
building, which have been rather star
Ting Washington for the last month or
SO. They have been painting the famiiiar
solid old eminently British looking mid
Victorian brick building, and at hrst ~
blushed pinkly through it's first coat OF
paint and then turned Dazzling
orange. before it eventually settled down
10 a sort Of putty color, which seems
70 he final It's hard to accustom one
self 10 tits like ones best friend VINO
has been satisfied for forty years or so
with the hair which nature gave TO her
! suddenly appearing magnificently Dion
! dlned. It takes time 70 get used to IT.
that's all.
There has been some talk of the
embassy being abandoned as the Ambas-
sador's residence and retained merely
| for embassy Offices but from the reno
waiting which has been going on one
! doubts the authenticity of these rumors'
| II is easy to believe that 1t must De
| rather crowded when one stops 20 think
! that at the timo it was built Lord
! sacSville West then the British Min
| lister. had legation staff Of five men--a
| counselor, Viscount Hardinge, but re-
Gently appointed British Ambassador 10
Berlin; a first secretary. who later re-
turned as Ambassador--the late sir Cecil
Spring Rice; two under secretaries ana
an altache. the Honorables Henry O..
Edwards. Henry A. Helyar, and Ernest
r. Lehman There are now at least
TWO dozen regular members OF the stait
and several dozen more of clerks and
secrc taries, stenoeraphers. etc TO DC
sure there is a big extension which was
bu!lt few years ago in which the en-
bassy offices are mostly located.
Dinners Preceded Ball.
This however. Is a long way from
the embassy ball and the innumerabie
dinners which preceded il. The biggest
of them was ono At which TIE military
attaehe. Gen. S,r II. X. Bethel, Air
Commodore l.. Z. O.. Charlton, and the
naval attache Capt Godfrey Blake
were Joint hosts az Rauschers; then there
was General and Mrs. Charles j. brakes
and General and Airs. Chamberlain's
at which the Secretary of War and Mrs.
Baker were tic chief guests; and Mrs
Q Charles Bromwcll and Miss Mildred
Bromwelrs supper party. and number
Of others which went en- nlasse TO the
embassy dance afterwards. The AM
bassador and Lady Geddes welcomed
their guests with smiling cordially, and
'he women Of the embassy stan were
al on duty seconding the efforts Of
lha evenings hosts. While there seemed
no got scheme OF decorations, there We're
flowers everywhere. and the brilliantly
lighted rooms were sweet with them.
A very substantial buffet supper was
served about midnight, and on the black
marble tables were ranged great bowls
OF white grape juice. lemonade, fruit
punch and tall pitchers OF icy cold
cider. 1t was supposed TO be a pro-
h!bltion party, even though theoretically
the embassies and legations are not
bound by our prohibition amendment.
To get back TO the official Thanks
giving. The Houston family likewise
spent the day quietly ~ home without
guests. Like Secretary and Mrs. Dan
iels they had had q formal dinner party
on Wednesday night--it was for the
Chilean Ambassador and Nine. de
Mathieu--and we're quite ready to take
things easy. or course they missed
their eldest son. who was graduated
from Harvard last June. and has gone
10 geek his fortune In China The Hous-
tons went 20 neither OF the dances. Long
ago Mrs. Houston said "Mr. Houston is
a very busy man. and we don't often
go 20 dances. We dine We don't dance"
on course Thanksgiving is particu-
lariy an American holiday--one does
not expect the diplomatlsts 10 celebrate
Il particularly But the Baroness RO-
mano being American born has the
American idea that Il IS n day for
families TO get together, and although
with the Ambassador In italy she
couldn't have a complete family circle
about her she persuaded her mother
Mrs Frederick Clark OF staten Island,
that this would be a good time for a
visit, and Mrs. Clark arrived lat Tuea.