The Snowflake herald., 1921-11-04

AsI WA\ changes of social amenities the
kBV 81 \ capital city is different from other
AkN cities of the land, but in the struc
tural aspect and in the method and
manner of the dOings of it's society
or rather societies. Washington is
anqdestionably city apart
Ihe fact that this city is the capital of a great
country and that here the chief officials of that
country DWELL coupled with the farther fact of
the presence of a large foreign official element
accounts for the singularty of Washington in its
social life.
There are seven distinct social circles in tbe citv
or washington. Each circle has its distinct place
ana each enjoys its somewhat isolated ac-
uVlueS ana yet there times when all the
circles become cOncentrc and within the one cir
cumference the members of all circles mingle
Does this sound obscure? In truth it is a very
simple matter. The seven social circles of Wash
lngtOn are those of the administration of congress
of the diplomats, of the army and navy of the
judiciary. OF the scientists and of the old resi-
dents SO 1t is that all through the so-called So
cal season Washington witnesses all kinds of
d0ngs which are separate one from another and
which are attended only by those whe were born
or have been inducted into the particular circum-
ference Then comes perhaps some greater event
and all hidden and all 60
Now why is it that Washington is as it is social
tyf In the first place 1t is what it Is because in
this town. except for the residential set neither
Dirth nor money can count for anything. 1t is the
office held or the attachments reached as In the
case OF the scientists, which determines the DO
sitiOn of the man and his family In Washington
society. This is America and the office and not
tne man must be accepted and hOnOred. In Wash
lngton man may be poorer than the turkey of
JOB and may have been born in a garret, but IL
ne has made good and the people have honored
him by election to high Office he freely can enter
a certain White House which the country counts
as better than any Newport or Southampton man
sion.
1t has been ntimated that Washington society
is systematized. SO it is. 1t has to be- The
presence of many foreigners of high official and
personal position has made precedence a prime
matter In the capital city. Foreigners are great
sticklers for what may be called the right of way
The ambassador of longest service must precede
the ambassador of shorter service and his wife
must precede the other ambassadors wife or
there will be dire trouble.
This precedence has forced system into Wash
ingtOn's way of doing things socially. In Chicago
man and one woman at a reception walk
ahead of another man and another woman with
out mental discomfort to themselves and without
injury to the feelings of the trailing couple. In
Washington things are different because American
office holders, or more strictly speaking their
wives have imbibed the precedence draught from
the cups of the foreigners And so here the cab
met officer must walk ahead of the senator, the
senator ahead of the representative and the rep
resentative ahead of Thomas Jones who holds
office
All this may seem snObbiSh to the last degree,
but in a way the thing is most excellenty dem
ocratic. The precedence given man in Washing
ton really is q compliment to the people who
elected him to office who elected the man who
appointed him to office Here is where the democ-
racy of Washington society comes in despite its
precedence and some seeming fol-de-rols.
Speaking of democracy in America, who is the
first lady of the land? She has been working
newspaper woman and an American housewife in
a small city.
The administration circle proper comprises the
President and his wife and the cabinet officers and
their wives and families Then ten cabinet officers
rank in the order In which the departments which
they represent were formed. The list runs thus:
state, treasury war, justice, postofice navy, In
terror, agriculture, commerce and labor
The social activities Of the cabinet part of the
administration circle confined almost entirely
Lo small dinners given during the winter months.
7hey begin with the secretary of state and his
wife as hosts and continue at the rate of one each
week until concluded at the home of the secretary
Of labor. Each affair Is given in honor of the
President and his wife and few additional guests
More often than not these guests selected from
out of town.
These, with rare exceptions, are the only func-
tonS that the President attends outside of the