Evening star., 1921-05-15
Tales of Well Known Folk
In Social and Official Life
Women of Senatorial Families Organize to Solve
Perplexins Social Problems-Van Burens
Memoirs Popular-Americans Ac-
quire French Chateau.

~ hi6oeo well 1OF HARMONIOUS
season. that the women of senatorial
families. besides meeting in the usual
way once week in their pleasant
quarters at the Capitol, have formed
regular organization, with officers
and committees, with view Of clari-
Tying the social situation in all its
aspects. Mrs. Coolidge is the presid-
ing officer and of her executive COM
mittee, several like Mrs. Pomerene,
Mrs. France, Mrs. Underwood. Mrs.
Knox and Mrs. New, have wide ex-
lperience and a thorough understand
ing Of all questions of etiquet
which may be involved. 1t has been
rather confusing, hitherto. that some
senatorial hostesses followed one
line of conduct. while others took
an entirely different view of their
obligations. While Mrs. Coolidge and
her aids, have naturally no authori-
ty in enforcing their decisions. the
fact remains that the rules formu-.
lated have received the Endorsement
of the large majority of women who
are wives Of senators or act as their
official chatelaines and those who ig-
more them are apt to be considered
a bit irregular. The newcomer in
this exalted circle must call on all
her seniors in the same social grade,
the wives of ambassadors. of justices
of the Supreme Court, but the ques-
i ton is still moot whether they call
first on the wives of the cabinet Off
cials. But sentiment veers in favor
of it, because of the social precedence
always accorded a cabinet official and
his lady. 1t is an old problem in
Washington and it would help con-
s;derably if the women involved in
the controversy would accept some
decision in the matter. 1t is a conun-
drum which no diplomat ever hopes
to solve. He asks instructions from
the dean when he arrives and if he
his dinner list to the State Depart
ment and asks that some one in
formed, arrange the guests according
to the prevailing code of precedence.
Mrs. Coolidge and her committee have
taken over all these uncertain phases
of etiquet and are energetically thrash
ing them out.
Mrs Coolidge. who is reading dill
lgently on Washington traditions and
feeling her way through the shoals
carefully and slowly, has been de-
riving much pleasure and entertain
ment from The Memoirs of Martin
Van Buren" and she confessss that
though etiquet may be involved
at present. Washington oflicialdom
has travelled on seven-league boots in
the century since the genial New
Yorker penned his experiences. For
example. what diplomatist now would
against the wife of cabinet official
and to give instructions in his ca
pacity as dean of the corps. that the
receptions and dinners of a certain
dignitary and his wife should be ut
terly taboo. This is exactly what
2. Jackson's Secretary of State records
in regard to the minister from the
Netherlands, NJ. Huygens and his wife,
who was a dominant social figure and
half American by birth. Nine Huy-
gems was not content to give orders that
lno foreigner should call on the IA
nous Peggy Eaton. wife of the Post
master General. but she had ar
ranged a series of fetes to which all
E,atons And Mr.. Van Buren, evident
ly thought his line of action in per-
| Isuading the minister to desist from
| his fine stroke of diplomacy. Van
Buren's memoirs are the favorite
reading among women in official life
at the present, and for the first time
in its long and honorable history
the government printing office can
boast of a best seller. The volumes
were printed as House Docum ent
No. 49," during the second session OF
the last Congress. as portion of the
report of the American Historical AS
sociation. Already three mammoth
editions have been exhausted and
orders are in which will exhaust five
or six other editions.
So many Americans are rebuilding
ruined chateaus on the French Ri
viera. completing new ones. thai
some of the most famous country
houses in New York and Connecticut
and in other states are getting. or
the market. The Charles CAROLS. ir
Doughregan. have relinquished al
their rights in the celebrated manor
house to the younger Charles Car.
roll, who few years ago married
Miss Anita Hack of Baltimore. The
elder CAROLS have obtained posses
sion of one of the twelfth century
strongholds of the counts of Provence
and will spend a fortune rebuilding
and undermining it. Mrs Carroll wa:
| Miss Suzanne Bancroft of this city
| granddaughter of the historian ant
former Secretary of the Navy. George
Bancroft Mrs. Eliot F. Shepard, sis
| ter of Mrs Henry White. has lived IL
Europe SO constantly in recent year!
that her determination to build ;
cheteau near Biarritz does not sur
! prise her friends. She has a fin
mansion in Grosvenor Square in Lon
! don, and has leased a hunting pre-
| serve in the Scotch highlands TO
several years Her splendid hom'
near Tarrytown-on-the-H Hudson, whicl
takes in the entire area Of the Sleep.
Hollow legend, and is the seat of tn
Sleepy Hollow Country Club. has beer
closed for years, and is soon to b.
Sold perhaps to the organization
which has already built a clubhous
and established one of the best gol
courses along the river. Mrs. She
pard planned regular revival o
the Washington Irving vogue whel
the mansion was built, but the dealt
of Mr. Shepard seemed to cause he
to lose all interest in the project.
MIR. and Mrs. >Fal de Saint Phall
have recently returned to New iorl
after spending the winter and sprfni
in Paris. Mrs. Saint Phalle was Mis-
Marie Duryee. daughter of Mrs. E. G
Auchncloss of New York, and tn
marriage resulted from a war-tim
romance. Mr.. Saint Phalle was sta
toned in New York in behalf of tn
French government and later met hi
wife during her service as Re-
iCross worker overseas. He is tn
son of Count Pierre de Saint Phall
of the old noblesse, but he is of TIL
younger generation and objects t.
1.-The use of titles in a republic wher
they mean nothing. His home is il
the romantic Garonne country. a
Chateau de Huez, near the tiny vii
lage OF Bona Bievre. There he tool
his bride and they enjoyed wonder