Evening star., 1920-06-13
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

NHERE fS a quite ReneTAi oul
entirely erroneous OPT n ! n
throughout the country that
because residents Of the Ma
tfona1 Capital do not have vote they
are not interested in the national con-
ventions, the political campaigns and
the elections.
AS matter of fact. national politics
and any change in administration
mean infinitely more to residents at
the seat of government than they
mean to any voters in any state.
Washington is a city quadrennially
in fiux. The leading citizens and the
society favorites of today may cease
even to be residents soon after March
4. A change of administration means
a new deal in the nations capital,
with practically every citizen person.
ally interested in one way or an
other.
The-rest. of the country, with little
thought upon the subject. has come
to regard Washington as a show city
FOR parades and celebrations. but in
reality the inaugural parade and cell
ebration are but a ''curtain-raiser'
or preliminary to the ''big show"
Means Moving Out.
A change of administration means
pretty general moving out Of off
cials who have dominated the polit-
ical and social life. of the District
during the term of the retiring occu-
pant Of the White House. All of the
important federal officials are po-
liticaf appointees named by the Presi-
dent. For example. the President
picks his own cabinet. who are the
administrative. officers Of the big gov
eminent departments. He appoints
the members of the Civil Service Com
mission. the Interstate Commerce
Commission, the Federal Trade Com
mission. United States Shipping Board,
Federal Reserve Board, etc. Natural
ly the approximately 100000 employees
of the government in the District of
Columbia have a very personal in
terest as to who their new bosses will
be and what changes may be expected
which will make a difference in their
own lives.
So when one is taking a perspective
/. of Washington after the election he
must not fail to take into considera-
tion the scores of deserving party
men who are willing to be picked for
each of these official positions. and
he must not fail to calculate that doz-
ems of men for every job throng to
Washington for fear some other fell
low VII sbeat him to it,
In yisioning this influx of party
workers willing to be rewarded with
a good office it must not be overlook
ed that hundreds of inaugural visitors
stay over for several months to fra
ternize with the new officials and to
watch the process of installing the
new regime.
Real Estate Men Busy.
From this it will readily be noted
that the incoming of a new admins
tration means busy days and nights
for the real estate men finding homes
to suit for the new leaders in official
and social life. 1t also means hard
work for the hotel men packing in
more guests than they have rooms
for-and with a big majority demand
ing the best room in the house, as an
evidence of their importance.
Then. too, the President has power
to appoint ambassadors and ministers
and consuls to foreign countries. and
here again is another group of will
ing workers and willing contributors.
who come to the capital to be looked
over" for such posts of honor.
The new executive also has au-
thority to appoint justices of the Su-
preme Court and all other officers
of the United States not definitely
The official population OF Washing
ton, it will be observed. is quite some
size, and each Of these off1cials gen.
orally has other groups Of satellites
orbiting around to attract attention.
Washington merchants and trades
men who are losing the patronage of
the out-moving administration go
scurrying around to get the custom of
the incoming crowd.
In the social life of the city fully
as much as in political circles and
far more than In business relations
does the change of administration
bring changes. Just as soon as the
new regime can get settled begin
series of receptions. dinners, teas. etc.
so that the new officials and their
families can meet each other and a
few other right" people. This en-
tails more worry and rivalry over
Brooks, flowers. cooks and buffers
than people back in the states can
imagine.
Groups of Society.
To get this full picture one must re-
alize that Washington society is bro
ken up into certain groups-the resi-
Dental set. the congressional set. the
diplomatic circle. the of1cial circle
etc. The Army and Navy circle. quite
naturally. pays considerable attention
to who the new secretaries Of War
and the Navy may be. and later &c
ingratiating themselves with the new
cabinet officers.
There are heart throbs and much
more often heart aches in the kaleido-
scopic picture Of Washington. and es'
pecially the lobbies of the big hotels
during the few months following q
change Of administration. The mer
who have borne the burden and heal
of the campaign in their country
community or county Of some west.
ern or southern state come to the
capital in brave attire and march In
the parade. They come in Just out
of the box style. They stand in the
lobbies of the hotels and occasionally