Evening star., 1921-12-11
Wives of Cabinet
Officers Hosts at
First Open House
Washington Society Comes
Into Its Own at Interest
ing Event on Wednesday
Afternoon.

Afternoon.
Washington society came into its
own Wednesday afternoon. when. for
the first time since the inauguration
of President Harding. the wives of
his cabinet officers kept open house.
Fully ten thousand women went forth
to pay their respects. first. to Mrs. Cal
win Coolidge. wife of the Vice Presi-
dent. and continuing on down the
cabinet line. Many callers boasted
that they had made the full round of
visits.
It mattered not that cabinet
women previously announced their
intention of returning no calls, for
thousands Of cards were piled on the
rooms were each swamped with visi-
tors.
Mrs. Coolidge received alone. and
wore charming afternoon gown of
black lace over black, the pointed
draperies reaching below the hem of
the skirt. A gracefully folded blue
girdle frightened the costume. Mrs.
Ben Johnson of Kentucky and Mrs.
Arthur Capper of Kansas presided at
the tea table, which had as center
piece a tall slender silver vase filled
with pink roses.
The Presidents cabinet is one to
be proud of, and surely no one ever
had more gracious young assistant
than Miss Catherine Hughes, who
stood beside her mother all during
the afternoon. Mrs Hughes had
many diplomatic callers. though, of
AHr< l. =, otntH
changed calls with her weeks ago.
| She wore a graceful gown of mahog-
any-color embossed velvet on chiffon
! while Miss Hughes wore peacock blue
velvet, simply fashioned, the girdle
| of Jewels and the loose sleeves of
| tightening the effect Of the costume.
On the tea table was large bowl
of blue ware. filled with pink roses.
! Mrs. Henry p. Fletcher. Wife of the
! Undersecretary of State, and Mrs
| Fred NJ. Dearing. wife of the assist
| tea and the other serving grape juice
punch.
Perhaps the really gayest recep-
| ton of all was at the home of the
Secretary of the Navy and Mrs Den
by, where the Marine Band orchestra
played on the upper stair landing.
| officers in uniforms, all the foreign
| delegates to the conference, too,
along with military and naval at
! taches of embassies and legations
every man in dress uniform-adding
| to the beauty of the scene. Mrs.
DENLY wore a charming gown of deep
cream, tinted chiffon and lace, while
little Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt, wife
of the assistant secretary of the
Navy, looking as slim and young as
a debutante, stood beside her. Mrs.
blue that matched her eyes, and on
it was gray embroidery and fur. the
small hat having turned-up brim
of the gray fur. Mrs. DENLY had Mrs.
John A. Lejeune, wife of the COM
mandant of the Marine Corps, and
table and there were several others
assisting.
Mrs John W. Weeks, wife of the
Secretary of War, also kept open
house and had Mrs. ]. Mayhew Vain
wright. wife of the assistant secre-
wore a graceful gown of black char
meuse. an attractive accessory of her
toilet being the long string of di-
almonds and pearls hanging low on
her bodice. Mrs. Wainwright was in
an afternoon costume of gray georg-
table. about which officers and their
wives crowded all during the recep-
tion. was gay with a centerpiece of
crimson roses and red shaded lights:
Mrs. Herbert Hoover's dining room
eclipsed all others in its artistic
the table. instead of flowers. was a
!, fiat basket filled with fruits and nuts,
everything in the composition coming
from California, but the bananas and
the small pumpkin in the center The
rich coloring was admirable with the
Svf RI Itch l.
Wainscoted dining room. Adding to
the artistic effect of the table were
four tall. slender candlesticks filled
with fame-colored candles.
1t was the cooperative cabinet re-
ceptloH, however, which came in for
the largest attendance several times
over and which proved the feasibility
of entertaining in such a manner. It
was this combination of cabinet
hostesses at home which enabled
women in official life to make the
full round of cabinet calls during the
course of the afternoon.
Mrs. Henry C. Wallace, wife of the
Secretary of Agriculture; Mrs. Albert
Fall, wife of the Secretary of In
terror, and Mrs. James ]. Davis, wife
OF the Secretary of Labor, with Miss
Mary Wallace bringing up the end
corridors of the Wardman Park
so thick and so fast that the cards
overfiowed the huge silver tray and
lay thick on the carpet. Mrs. Fall
headed the receiving line and wore
handsome gown of deep heliotrope
velvet, while Mrs. Wallace was in a
handsome gown of black velvet bro
caded on chiffon. Mrs Davis wore
beautiful gown of old rose pink
georgette of. plain and brocade in
draped effect, while Miss Wallace
wore modish gown of black velvet.
with a girdle Of blue and gold bro,
cade and touches of the brighter
color skihully used otherwise on the
costume.
The tea table was handsomely deco
rated with La France roses, with
vases of smaller roses on either side
James j: Davis. jr., almost five years
old. assisted quite generally, espe-
cialiy at the tea table. The charm
ing little boy nestled close to his
mother, or walked among the guests,
hand in hand with his father, or
visited the tea table and was friendly
and hospitable to every one.
Women $ Legion Unit
III 7