The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-01-16
SOCIAL PLANS
FOR MARCH f
GO FAR a WRY

low does Washington feel
n about President-elect Harding q
4 4 desire TO do away with all In :
augural ppmp and ceremony cut OUT
all unnecessary frills. get along Win
out the ball. an everything? Well
really IL doesn't mater how Washing
ton feels-Washington hasn't vote
Representative OF the genus SO
. ciety editor, habitat Washington. may
De forgiven a sigh of.relief for this
Tightening OF their labors. But 10
pretty nearly everybody else in the
Capital Mr.. Harding's decision spells
disappointment to some, almost
disaster.
People will not come to Washing
ton from all over the United states
for "front porch inauguration "
they must read in the newspapers
about how the ceremony wac con-
Quoted they might just as we'll do II
at home. What they want is a spec
tacle, something to visualize Tor
them the greatness and something
OF the glory OF the country that is
theirs.
One wonders IL Mr.. Harding and his
advisers have given a thought TO tins
lost opportunity for sending OUT
'missionaries OF patriotism to al
parts of this country. That's th'
way a brilliant and clear thinking
friend of mine put it. and apply, l
think. For what Is patriotism but
| sense of possession, of love for one
own. And what man or woman from
the far corners of the United states
can visit Washington. especially at
the time of a great public ceremony,
and not go no ne the richer spiritually
for his visit and the more Impressed
with the bigness of his country. the
essential fineness of its institutions,
and the sense that II is his?
3
Moreover a sudden change OF front
is always disconcerting. There were
just as many people out OF work In
this country and just as many people
in need Of food overseas two or three
weeks ago as there are now, and 1t
does seem that Mr.. Harding might
have discovered that he didn't ap-
prove of a large expenditure of money
before he had selected a chairman
for the Inaugural committe and said
in the yernacular-"go as far as
you like" before thousands of dol
lars had been spent for advertising
and other purposes, before busy men
had devoted hours of their time to
laying plans for an experimenting
celebration and before washington
merchants had given large orders for
merchandise, much of which Will I'M
doubtedly be left on their hands.
1t may be lese majestic from a mere
chronicler Of social events to say so,
but the whole proceeding seems bit
too much like Offering candy to
child then reneging. Still, when 1t
comes to inaugural balls, after all
they are not much as balls; and Wash
in-ton will certainly go down to the
fourth OF March with more and better
balls to it's credit than any the in
auguration is likely to bring forth.
CHARITY BALL TO REPLACE
INAUGURAL BALL-PERHAPS!
Then. too group of very promi-
nent Washington women are sponsor
ing plan to give on the night or
March mammoth charity ball.
quite the biggest thing of Its kind
ever attempted here, for the beneft
of several of the children's charities
the .Children's Hospital. the Child
Welfare Association, etc. The idea Is
to have it take the place in a meas
ure of the inaugural ball and an invi-
tation has been sent to the President
elect and Mrs Harding. If they ac-
cept-and one doesn't see how they
can refuse an invitation of that sort
there's no doubt that the ball can
be made a tremendous success and
bring in a huge sum for the work
among children which is suffering
terribly for lack of funds.
Nothing very definite can be done