The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1921-06-30
ALL WELCOMED
TO WHITE HOUSE
ACCESS 70 EXECUTIVE MANSION
NEVER WAS so FREE AZ uNa
DER PRESIDENT HARDING.
MANY GARDEN PARTIES GIVEN
Guests Are Permitted to Go All Over
the Place, and Washington Only
Hopss This Hospitality VIII Not
De Abused.
BY EDWARD .. CLARK.

49, vvStHtS - ~s-Ss'tsss /
Washington.-Since the republics
time began there never has been such
freedom Of access to the White
House as at the present day. VIII
that abuse Of privilege come which
will mean the denial Of present-day
presidential hospitality
From the time that President Hard
ing first was mentioned as candi-
date for the Republican nomination
his political friends emphasized his
kindness of disposition. Kindliness
is not an all-in-all recommendation
for high political preferment, but 1t
counts, in any man, and happily 1t
does not make any difference to what
political party he belongs. Washing
ton people today, and the people who.
have come here from distance, are
willing to admit the kindliness Of the
present administration. The question
Is, Is it being overdone? There are
always abusers, of hospitality, and
when abuse reaches certain limit
the bars 60 down and the open door
becomes the shut door.
President and Mrs. Harding have
been giving some garden parties, and
If there is anybody who mas not
been hidden to them he or she IS In
position to claim certain kind OF
dubious distinction by the exclusion.
Democrats and Republicans, conserv-
atives and radicals. with thsir wives
and daughters, alike have trod the
paths which lead to The White Touse
lawns. and have pressed their feet
into the hospitable sward.
| White House All Thrown Open.
Something has been done which
never before has been done In Wash
ington. The President and Mrs.
Harding have thrown the entire
White House, with the exception, Of
course, Of the living rooms, open to
the invited guests on the occasion OF
these lawn parties. Everybody has
had full swing Of the state dining
room, the Blue room, the Red room
and the Green room, the big East
room and the roof garden surmount-
ing the two low-lying White House
annexes.
There have been immense crowds
on the lawn, which is immense In II
\ self, and great throngs in the White
House during the progress OF all these
outdoor and indoor festivities. All
the rooms of the White House have
many valuable historic objects within
them, from great portraits Of the
Presidents of the United States dowr
to; clock gifts and other gifts from
notables Of America and potentate'
of the old world.
Looking at the throngs In tn
White House on these days one can
not help trembling lest some imbe
cile American poke his finger througl
an oil painting, or, lifting up a clocl
to see how "the darned thing works,
drop it to smash 1t into fragment
that are past the patching.
Everything has gone along smooth
ly thus far. The old-fashioned re
sofas, green sofas and blue sofas !
J, the rooms of corresponding colo
: have been used freely by the sovel
] eign American men and women wh'
hidden to the White House, have n
: joiced unquestionably in the priv
: ilege of sitting in the seats Of tn
American mighty.
The big East room during thes
+ garden parties has been turned owe
by the President and Mrs. Harding
a those Of their fellow citizens VIII
n like to dance, and in this day
one may Judge by appearances thel
% is no one between the ages Of tw
l. and ninety who does not like to dane
J. How they do whirl 1t, old and younl
Memories of Other Days.
Passing through the various Viii
House rooms makes veterans mir
Id 70 back to other days. In the room
where the larger portraits are
spent two lucky hours one eveniI
with Theodore Roosevelt, who kne
the history Of every article with
the White House confines. He di
\. cussed the comparative merits Of q
painters of the portraits Of pred
cessor Presidents. He knew VIII
one might call the idiosyncrasies
v Peale, Of Stuart. Of Healy and
10 Huntington, to say nothing Of sor
at others who have done more rece
work.
.. Every one Of these rooms Of I
o White House is charged with me-
o. cries Of all the Presidents since Mi
ison's day. In one room IL the
tn stored Washington portrait Swhi
y. Dolly Madison with the aid Of
~ servant cut from Its frame just
ID tha British were advancing TO bu
OF the mansion. She saved the. portr
and today one cannot detect that
or suffered from the incident.
er Some years ago the arrangem'
al Of the interior Of the White Hcs
i1 underwent changes. The portra
ol were getting too many for the "
les space Of the upper rooms, and
. some Of them wers removed to
long corridor In the basement throu
rs. which visitors pass before they
VII cend to the Arst hoor occupied
~ the state dining room and cthsr toe
-, II the mansion.