The New York herald., 1921-01-23
Storm Keeps the President
From Attending Vaudeville
Performance.
WASHINGTON, Jan. %.


High View (the Corbin place
at Chevy Chase) tomorrow afternoon
and on the two following Sundays.
Presumably Mrs. Francis Warren, wife
Of the Senator from Wyoming (who is
Gen. Pershing's father-in-law). will
play hostess for him, and will be as
sisted by his entire staff. Gen. Per-
shing's Sundays" promise to have
any Cabinet Wednesday" or "diplo-
matte Friday" left at the post in
the social popularity handicap. In
fact, one can think of no announce
ment-short of one from the White
House or from the Hardings-that
would be likely to attract more general
attention.
And neither the White House nor
the Hardings are saying much as to
social plans. Mrs. Wilson seems to be
starting in on a campaign of small
pitalities-luncheons with not more
than fiften or twenty guests, and af-
ternoon teas for two or three times
as many experimenting the little box
parties at the big concerts which here
tofore have been the First Lady's only
entertaining since the Presidents ILL
ness. Last week there was a luncheon
on Wednesday for the Cabinet women.
followed on Thursday by a tea for
about fifty specially invited guests,
and this week there was another
luncheon, on Thursday, with some of
the diplomatic women specially fea-
tured-and it seems probable that
there will be a succession of these
luncheons and teas quite close to-
gether from now till Ash Wednesday
anyhow (Mrs. Wilson Is an Episco-
palian and is not normally addicted to
Lenten entertaining). if not right up
to March a.
Mrs. Wilson's Teas Are Formal.
The luncheons seem to be rather cozy
little parties. the teas are much more
formal. Cards to them read: Mrs. Will
son will be pleased to receive Mrs. So
and So at'the White House at such and
such an hour on such and such date. !"
and. presumably, since the big iron
gates to the grounds on the Pennsyl-
vania avenue side Of the White House
(really the back of the house, though it
is from this side that everyone enters)
are still kept locked and guarded by po-
licemen. the invited guests are held up
g. the gates while they are checked OFF
on a list which the guard has in his
pocket.
At least that has been the way 1t has
been worked ever since that February
morning four years ago when the Ger
nan Ambassador was handed his pass
ports. 1t ha sled to complications at
lines. 1t Is even told that on one occa-
son the French Ambassador. coming by
appointment, was held at the gates, al
though the guard knew him perfectly.
while message was sent up to the
White House for authority TO admit him
since they had neglected to say that
the Ambassador was expected and was
to be admitted. Possibly that extreme
CT exclusion has been modified, however.
Tho cards to these little afternoon at
homes are about the size OF a rather big
listing card-or a small correspondence
card-with Uncle Sans crest embossed
N gold at the top. They are engraved
in script, and the name of the guest
written in. Oh. no; jyst in ordinary
handwriting. no attempt to fill them in
IN letters Stimulating the engraving. That
Is done for the big formal receptions and
State events. and so perfectly that
people occasionally are deceived into be-
lieving that a separate plate is made for
each guest. Absurd. OF course; but one
occasionally runs into people who are
tremendously flattered with the idea
that that had been done all for them
The guests assemble in the blue room
as rule and promptly at the hour
named the door into the adjoining red
Inn ri ic ;,, To f&a
received by their hostess. who is usually
alone except for one of the Presidents
aids. who presents the guests to her,
At least he goes through the motions.
for really Mrs. Wilson knows people IL
she has ever met them, has a good
memory and most gracious and win
ming manner. At this time of year there
Is splendid fire cracking on the hos
pitable hearth. and over in a corner on
the tea table, with Mrs. Helm-formerly
Miss Benham-or perhaps Mrs. Grayson
or Miss Boiling presiding. the polished
silver kettle is singing merrily.
MingIes with Her Guests.
OF course people don't stay very long.
but there is a distinct inclination to
linger in the friendly atmosphere, and.
| the business of receiving over, Mrs. Will
guests and manages to have few per-
sonal words with each one. For this
series the cards seem to be going out
equally into resident and official circles,
and In some cases including Officers and
| gentlemen"
simultaneously with this mild revival
of hospitality on the part of the mistress
of the White House came the announce
ment that the President almost went to a
vaudeville theatre last week--every ar
rangement for his going having been
made and the plan abandoned only when
the weather was so bad that IL didn't
seem wise to have him out at night for
the first time in eighteen months In such
storm. Apparently his physicians de-
cided that he had better not try to get
up to his box in the mezzanine, and ar
rangemonts had been made to have hin,
| sit in the orchestra-which would GER
tainly be a parting kick at precedent.
Even II he can't negotiate the stairway
| he must indeed be a whole lot better
| IL he Is going to attempt the theatre at
| all. That vaudeville should be selected
as the scene of his return to the or
binary haunts OF men is quite to be ex-
pected. as President WilsoN-has always
been q vaudeville fan, and although he
| Ia the only one of our Presidents who
! has patronized II, he has gone more 10
that particular theatre than TO any other
In Washington-probably than TO all the
others put together.
As for the Hardlngs--no one pretends
10 say with any certainty what they are
going to do. The President-elect Is GER
| tainiy going to spend week or so on
the Frelinghuysens' houseboat In Florida