The Red Cloud chief., 1921-11-03

manner Of the doings of its society
or rather societies. Washington is
uhluestionably a city apart.
The fact that this citv Is tho co,i,oi 90 - ..
country ana that here the chief officials of tbnt
country uWell, coupled with the farther fact of
uhe presence of a large foreign official element
accounts Tor the singularity of Washington in its
social life. " 40
There are seven distinct social circles in the CITY
or Washington. Each circle has IT'S distinct noce
anu each enjoys its own somewhat solnted no.
','i,ies. Ana yet there times when all the
e'cieS become concentric and within the one cir
cumierence the members of all circles minyle
Does this sound obscure? In truth II Is n very
simpie matter The seven social circles OF Wash.
lhgOn are those of the administration OF congress
vi uie niplomats, 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-caIled So
ciai season Washington witnesses all kinds Of
doings which are separate from another and
which are attended only by those whe were horn
Or nave been inducted into the particular circum-
ference. Ihen comes perhaps some greater event
and all are hidden and all 60
Now why Is 1t that Washington is as 1t is social
lyP In the first place 1t is what it is because In
this town, except for the residential set neither
birth nor money count for anything II is the
Office held or the attainments reached as I'm the
case or the scientists, which determines the pO-
sitlon OF the man and his family in Washington
society This is America and re office and not
lngton man may be poorer than the turkey OF
JOB md may have been born In garrett but IL
ne mas made good and the people have hOnored
him by election to high office he freely can enter
certain White House which the country counts
as better than any Newport or Southampton man
sion.
1t has been intimated that Washington society
Is systematized. SO 1t Is. 1t has to be. The
presence of so many foreigners of high official and
personal position has made precedence n 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
one man and one woman at reception can 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 imbbed the precedence draught from
the cups of the foreigners. And 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 way the thing Is most excellenty dem
ocratc. The precedence given a man in Washing
elected him to Office or 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 fOlde-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
q 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, postofhce navy, in
teriOr. agriculture, commerce and labor
The social activities Of the cabinet part of the
administration circle confined almost entirely
to small dinners given during the winter months.
They begin with the secretary Of state and his
wife as hosts and continue at the rate of each
week untn 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
cut of town.
These with rare exceptions, are the only func.
tions that the President attends outside Of the