The New York herald., 1921-06-26
MYSTERY TABOOED IN SOCIAL
ACTIVITIES AT WHITE HOUSE
Both the President and Mrs. Harding Seem to Think
They Belong to the Public and Cannot
Deny the Claim

they have not played together enough
to make their teamwork as good as
their individual playing would lead one
to expect. At the final game on
Wednesday afternoon Gen. Pershins
was again one of the centres or inter-
est. The War Department team won
the game and the tournament.
1t is rather notable fact that every
body who comes to Washington after
having satisfied their curiosity about
the Hardings-and it's the easiest thing
imaginable to do-asks about the Will
sons. What are they doing? How is
the former President? But, as mat
ter of fact, Washington sees very lit
tie of the Wilson's. 1t has Dr.-Ad-
mlral--Cary Grayson's word for 1T that
relieved of the cares and responsibility
of the Presidency his patient Is i'm
proving rapidly. Admiral Grayson him
self remains in Washington. attached
to the Naval Dispensary. but he is no
longer the Presidents physician, nor
Is he the Presidents naval aida po-
sition which he held throughout the
Wilson regime. President Harding has
given that post to Lieutenant-Com-
mander Ralston Holmes, veteran OF
the world war. who saw active service
abroad.
Occasionally one meets the former
President and Mrs. Wilson motoring
down on the Speedway or out in Rock
Creek Park or out in the Maryland or
Virginia suburbs. Their car looks both
familiar and unfamiliar-the lines are
the same. but the dress is entirely diff
ferent. Which is explained probably by
the fact that before leaving the White
House Mr.. Wilson asked permission TO
buy the car which he had been using,
as he found it exactly suited to his
needs; and so the deep rich blue car
which he now uses Is presumably the
one in which Washington has been ac
customed to seeing him for months past,
reenamelled different color-the White
House cars are black-and with a rather
large monogram in bright golden yellow
replacing the coat of arms as big as
a saucer on the panels.
One night last week Mr.. Wilson
and Mrs. Wilson. Mrs. McAdoo and one
of the Boiling men were at Keiths, the
one theatre that he patronized regularly
when he was in the White House and
we'll enough to go to the theatre at all
The party occupied about the same or.
chestra seats that the President had
occupied on the few occasions when he
went to the theatre toward the end of
his term when he had progressed far
enough toward recovery to be able to
go out LIVERY occa asionally-
In the evening. He was not able to get
up to the box that he had formerly used,
about In the middle of the mezzanine
He always wished to be as inconspicu-
ously placed possible at the theatre
and II possible not where the audience
could stare too much And of course.
he had his way II was a habit he had
The theatre audience greeted him when
1t discovered him as cordially as it
ever did when he was President
Also the former President was out at
the ball game last Saturday afternoon
ana seemed to enjoy the game and was
the centre of a good deal of attention
He did not attempt to go up on the
stand. They had drawn his car up Just
on the edge of the right field and kept
one OF the players there to stop any stray
ball that might come too near the dis
tinguished invalid Mrs. Wilson was
with him. but they were too far away
| for me to see anything more than that
she had or summery looking gown of
| light tan shade and looked quite fit
In the main. however the former
| President lives very quietly in his new
home up on the hill the uneventful life
of an elderly invalid seeing only his
intimate friends. many of them his close
| associates and lieutenants while he was
| in office. There is report that the
former President doesn't like his new
home much, finds 1t noisy and Is think
ing OF moving IT seems as II IL might
be cheaper to get an injunction against
the rubberneck wagons, as 1t makes him
peevish to have them stop in front of his
house while the conductor shouts the
story of his life through megaphone.
Unfortunately he can't shut off the street
as he did the White House One might
think his experience during his engage
nent with the present Mrs. Wilson might
have her hardened to that sort of thing.
For at that time the sightseeing wagons
went several blocks out of their way to
point out the domcle of the future
mistress Of the White House It's one
of the penalties of the position.