The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-11-13
By BETTY BANTER

Special Correspondent of The Age-Herald. Copyright. 1891. by The Age-Herald.)
 Washington. November 12-(Spe- cial )-President and Mrs. Harding gathered together this evening in the state dining room at the Waite House as notable a group as was ever collected in one place, when they en- tertained al dinner in compliment to the delegates to the conference on the limitation of armament Most of the guests are leading statesmen in their own country, and all of the leading countries were thus represented. The name of almost everyone around thai festal board is familiar to practically everyone in the civilized world. l could not help thinking how the whole civilized world would have been shaken 10 it's very foundations if anything had happened to that one little dinner party. And so the con- ference has begun the eenferenei which has been on every tongue, al most, all over the earth and which Washington has talked of and pre- pared for for weeks.
 More than so guests were at the dinner this evening. In addition to the chief delegates and the ambassa- dor of each country, notable com pany of American officials were in- vited including the Vice President and Mrs. Calvin Coolidge. the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Mrs. William Howard Taft, the mem bers of the cabinet and their wives. the Speaker of the House and Mrs. Frederick H. Gillette, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Senator and Mrs. Osea1 w. Underwood, Elihu Teoot Senator and Mrs Gilbert M Hitchcock, Gen. John J. Pershing, Rear Admiral Rob- ert E. Coontz, chief of naval opera tfons, and Mrs. Coontz, Representa- tive $. G. Porter and Mrs. Marshall Field, with whom Che admiral of the fleet Earl Beatty and Countess Beatty are stopping while in Wash tngton.
 Music by Marine Orchestra
 A string orchestra from the marine band played during the dinner and for the reception which followed. The White House conservatories must have been stripped TOT the floral dec- orations were most elaborate and beautiful and the White Houses very best silver and china were used for the great occasion. A very se- feet company, indeed, was asked for the reception, including only the diplomatic corps and the advisory staffs accompanying the different delegations, the assistant secretaries Of the state department, the justices Of the supreme court, the members of the foreign affairs committee of the Senate and House, the chairman of the naval affairs committee and %he aides of the various generals and ad- mirals present at the dinner.
 The chiefs of the various foreign delegations to the conference and most of the mem lbers have arrived In the city and zone through all the formal preliminaries of paying and receiving official calls and are now down to hard work. This week when ferring with each other they were be- tng lunched or dind.
 Running in Circle
 Official and diplomatic Washing ton was running around in circles entertaining and being entertained. President Harding received all of the heads of the delegations whom he had not yet received, notably Arthur James Balfour and Aristide Briand. The delegates are always presented to the President by their respective ambassadors or ministers, you know. And Mrs. Harding received the wives of the delegates, who were presented by the wives of the ambassadors.
 Tonight's dinner was the first en- tertainment the President and his wife have given for the delegates to the conference, though they will prob ably give another luncheon or two.
 The state departments plans for the entertainment of the foreign visi- tors are about in deffnite shape now