The Washington times., 1920-05-13
Presidents and Pies
An Interesting Account of Washington Peo-
pie of Yesterday and Today By the Wife
of the WeH-KnODn DipLomatist
BY Mrs. Larz Anderson.
BY Mrs. Larz Anderson.

lovely warm spring weather, but
that morning there swept over the
city a terrible bhIxard, one OF the
worst ever known In Washington.
The snow lay deep on the ground
ana the wind howled. To make IL
worse. the Weather Bureau had
predicted a fne day. and SO. of
course. no one was prepared for the
sudden change. II did not seem
possible that the procession could
take place, but on the chance that
II might our house party crowded
into machines and ploughed over to
the rooms we had engaged on the
corner OF Fifteenth street and New
York avenue, where a good View OF
the Court OF Honor and the long
perspective OF the street could be
obtained.
While waiting for the procession.
We made ourselves very comfort
able In our rooms and passed the
time playing cards. and looking out
into the wind-beAten and slushy
streets, and plying the poor shiver-
Ing little fellows In the Philippine
band that was playing just below
us. They were inadequstely clad in
khaki uniforms with red-lined
cspes' and looked not only wet. but
cold. We had engaged them to
play at our reception the next
evening. and couldn't help wonder
Ing how many of them would be
able to appear.
Resembled q Funeral
At last the moment OF the pre-
cession arrived. and we rushed to
the windows to sea closed car
risge drawn by four horses. with
some secret service men walking
along on either Bide-more like a
funeral than anything else. That
was all Roosevelt, Taft AMI Lodge
were inside. we heard afterward,
but II might have been the Crown
Prince OF Siam for all we could see.
l.. and few of the party took a
machine and drove to the Capitol on
the chance of being able to hear the
speaking. But because OF the
weather the arrangements had been
changed and the oath of office was
administered and the address de-
livered inside the building. Moth
Ing doing" sang out q policeman,
SO back they came.
Undaunted, we ventured out oncs
more into the storm. this time to
go to the White House for luncheon.
1t was lucky we had motors OF our
own, because people couldn't hire
conveyances for love nor money.
Among the hundred or more guests
were General and Mrs. Corbin, who
had to come in from Chevy Chas.
in a farm wagon. SO bundled up and
so covered with snow that they
looked like tramps. and had a hard
time being admitted to tho White
House grounds.
The Vice President, looking like
a Methodist minister with his side
whiskers, was the first to arrive
from the Capitol and with him his
sweet little wife. Then came the
President and Mrs. Taft. 1t was
the first time in history that the
Presidents wife had accompanied
him to the White House after the
inauguration; this was because
Roosevelt did not drive back with
his successor according to the es-
tablished custom.
Mr.. Taft retired to a private room
for tffin. and then walked out onto
the stand in the White House
grounds to review the troops. After
luncheon the guests took leave of
Mrs. Taft at the dining room door
and followed onto the platform.
Pennsylvania avenue had been
cleared of snow for the procession,
and the sun came out, but the sol
diers and horses looked cold and
not very trig.
Copyright, HouGhton. Mifflin Coz
(TO BE Continued TOnOrrOw.)