The Washington times., 1921-08-07

spends most Of his time with General
Pershing when he 10 In washington.
But l understand that he has taken
or expects to take q house. In Con-
necticut avenue In the autumn. Mrs.
Dawes, who has been an occasional
visitor in Washington since the Gen
eral transferred HIS base of operations
to the Treasury Department. viii
come on then. General and Mrs.
Dawes have adopted two children. "A
son and a daughter. whom they viii
probably bring with them. Their own
son-and only child, ] think--was
drowned some years ago and 1t WAS
after his death that they took the
two children into their home.
Mrs. Dawes has had experience 81
official life In Washington before, her
husband having been Assistant sscre-
tary of the Treasury. She doesn't
care much for it's routine-calling, Of
fetal dinners, official receptions and
more calling--but she In looking for
ward to the coming winter with a
good deal Of pleanre. She feels, I'm
told, that since General Dawes is
only to be hero temporarily and since
he occupies a. sort of extra Official
position, 10 70 speak. shs can lead
tho life which she prefers and pick
@hu NiWooo WHCu ~ SoitCD 10 ACCGDt-
ing invitations. ~
-
General Pershins slipped away. the
middle Of the week, and turned up nj
Columbia, 8. c.. inspecting the troops
at Camp jackson. On Monday niGht
he and his staff went to some sort of
circus out near Union Station-be-
cause one of the local posts Of the
American Legion was interested. The
papers were full Of tales of the gen.
eral getting all the thrills of his youth
out Of It; and could no. but ehuckle
at the wondering comment Of a
mutual friend.--"what do you suppose
he ted to 60 to circus for, when
he had Dawes right In the house with
him.
Z" .'< ~ -
Hardings \Enjoyin
Their WeIi.Earned Rest. ..
With the President and Ms. Harding
away. the week has seemed dull In
deed, for since the White House be-
came the center of interest last March
II has moro and more claimed at
tention every day. Without the record
OF a reception Of some sort in the
red room or the east room the society
columns have looked odd. With the
sailing of the Mayflower last Satur.
day the city took on a real midsummer
air OF lassitude and indifference to
anything that suggested exertiop. All
the chronicled social activities haze
come by wire from the summer re-
sorts where residents OF Washington
are enjoying sayeties that differ little
from those in the usual winter pro-
gram except in the settings that New
port or Southampton, Bar Harbor or
the White Mountains may happen to
provide.
II has been pleasant to think OF
Mrs. Harding as resting at Mount
Prospect. the New Hamoehire coun-
tryplace OF Secretary Weeks, for Ger
tainlv she has earned relief from what
has been almost perpetual activity.
Mrs. Harding rested for nearly week
before she went aboard the Mayflower
for the trip to Plym ourh and II il
reossuring TO read in the dispatches
that she 10 enjoying the quiet OF the
mountain retreat that Ii the haven
70 which the Secretary OF War has
been accust omed to flee whenever lac
can spare time from his many re-
sponsibilities.
This will be the first opportunity
that Mrs. Hal ding has had to get
real perspective on her rev life at
the White House and II viii not be
surprising II she realizes that size must
conserve her strength In the future.
Our cherished American custom d
haud-sha king alone 10 enough to drain
the vitality OF the strongest person
and although the figures have not
been computed so that the exact mum
her can be estimated. Mrs. HardinSs
cIaanAd nv fhO,l-
sands of men and women with All
admitting cordiality as painful as It
IL flattering. There is real martyr
dom in this duty that somehow has
fallen to the lot OF the wives OF Presi-
dents as well as to the Presidents
OF our Land OF the Free. which cor
tainly has made the White House
necessa rily the Home OF the Brave.
For five months Mrs. Harding has
performed miracles of hospitality and
in the brief period has made friends
OF all manner OF men and women. No
one can come into her presence with
out feeling her sincerity, her fine
sympathies and her broad understand
ing. Best Of all she is most unaf.
fected and direct in manner. She
really means IL when she says thac
she is glad to meet strangers, but
enthusiastic men and women 10 ter
ribly fatiguing and 1t seems to me
there should be some way Of pro-
tecting the First Aady of the Land
from too effusive and never-endinG
procession OF visitors.
From time to time in Washington,
women prominent in society and
familiar with foreign customs. have
tried to Introduce the low courtesy
or formal bow instead OF the hand
shake, but we Americans are tenacious
OF our rights and we cling - the
old-fashioned gripping method bf ex.
changing greetings, even though the
palm OF the distinguished victim of
out national custom may be bruised
and the fingers blistered by too much
fervor. OBJ.
Doubtless the week of relaxation
has been beneficial to every one in
the Presidential party. We shall
welcome Mrs. Harding on her returu
and we shall hope that she and the
President will be in such fine condi.
ton that, the seventy-six pound water
melon, now on the way from Cal
ifornia, may have no terrors for them.
We trust that the tribute from the