The New York herald., 1921-05-15
AND MRS. HARDING
THOROUGHLY ENJOYING SOCIAL
SIDE OF WHITE HOUSE LIFE
Despite Exacting Demands Each Maintains Smiling,
Unruffied Demeanor and Gives Evidence of
Lively Interest in Everything.
WASHINGTON, d. c., May IA.

ception which "the Ambassadors
Ministers and Charges d'Affaires
of the Republics of America" gave for
the President and Mrs. Harding on
"Wednesday night at the Pan American
Building. 1t was about the most for
NAL, exclusive and generally important
event Washington has seen in a dec
ade, with the possible exception of
the Pan American ball for President
Wilson and his bride the winter of
1916.
This weeks party was so formal
that the Pan-Americans found it ad-
visable to get out a blue print diagram
showing just where everybody was to
stand or sit and a book of explana-
tions and instructions, and the goats
being carefully separated from the
sheep. At 1920, when the President
and Mrs. Harding were making their
entry the doors We're shut to every
one else. They were received every
few feet by a different group of Am
bassadors, Ministers and Charges and
their wives. Mr.. Harding was hand
some and dignifed as usual, and his
wonderful smile was on duty all the
evening.
And Mrs. Harding certainly was al
most regally handsome. America may
well be proud of its First Lady. Her
gown was of ivory satin. the bodice
almost covered with embroidery of
crystals and pearls, and there was
long scarf of black tulle forming
train and similarly embroidered The
waist line was marked by one great
black velvet flower with a centre of
brilliants arranged to form the pistil
and stamens. 1t was wonderfully ef-
fective costume, and more than one
remarked bore the unmistakable
stamp of Paris which, in view of
the fact that Mrs. Harding has made
patriotic point of having her ward
robe of the "all American" variety, was
amusing, to say the least. The wrap,
which of course she discarded before
ascending TO the great ballroom, was
OF lovely shade of green broche crepe,
with trimming of orchid toned ostrich
"a difficult combination which had to
be, and was. handled with the utmost
deftneSs.
OF course the select of the official and
of every diplomatic mission in Washing
ton--except the British. which was rep
resented by the counsellor, Henry Getty
Chiffon, and Mrs. Chiffon. and the secre-
tary. Robert Leslie Craigie, and Mrs
Craigie, and several other attaches, the
Ambassador and Lady Geddes being out
OF town. They and Mrs. Coolidge were
the most conspicuous absentees.
In n Tropical Garden.
You would need a diagram OF the
building to understand, but there are two
stairways. one on the north side of the
building, the other on the south, with a
wonderful patio" held in their embrace
"a tropical garden place with a fountain
from underneath, so that you see
the poor goldfish swimming around in
pltiless publicity all night. and palms
and tropical plants in which macaws and
parrots scream and scold and restless
monkeys swing and chatter. The roof
overhead long way overhead can
be rolled back, so that the stars or the
silver moon get an occasional look In.
But not Wednesday night BY midnight
it was pouring rain. and roofs were very
much in demand.
The two fine stairways bring UP at the
two ends of fine corridor which over
looks the patio, sort of foyer to the
SLtdI I1dll VI the AIfleTlCdS, KNOWN dS
the Hall of the Flags. since the flags of
all the American republics are hung in it.
This on Wednesday night was reserved
for the heads Of the various diplomatic
missions and their ladies, each having
two chairs allotted to them and placed In
the exact order OF their precedence. that
as the President and Mrs. Harding cir
COMMUNICATED the hall when they first
arrived they might greet the Ambassa-
nrn TttAfz 4 tx.s..
would then fall into the procession and
make a sort of grand march into the
Hall of the Americas. where the Presi-
dent and Mrs. Harding and Vice-Presi-
dent Coolidge took their places at the
head OF long receiving line, which In
cluded all the hosts of the occasion, and
the other guests in single file passed
down the line and greeted each one.
The President and Mrs. Harding and
Mr.. Coolidge stuck II out-stayed in
their allotted places, with a cordial
handclasp and a cordial greeting, until
the last one had passed-but the Latin
Americans soon retired, some probably
because they were weary, but most
because of their hospitable anxiety 10
see that the supper which was to be
served to tho President and Mrs.
Harding, and the vice-President the
Speaker and Mrs. Gillett. and a choice
SticSGOH VI AlfsF1l quests sec
retary and Mrs. Hughes. Pershing.
Cnristian, and head or the Foreign Re-
iations and Foreign Affairs Committees
of Senate and House. and other spe-
cially distinguished persons, was "all
set for action.
One might reasonably have expected
that the Chief Executive would have
been trifle weary along about mid
night, when the long line of greeters
had finished greeting and the younger
and more energetic portion of II was
dancing happily at the other end OF tho
hig hall. But not President Hardingi
zen no was quite sure. that he had
tt ~ his whole duty as n greeter-and
itN me for recreation had arrived--he
deMaad TO join the dancers. IL was
rriv Tor a turn or two. to be sure,
h-f couldn't quite see. to be certain,
eor fne dancers All stopped and crowded
up awainst the roped off space at
The fAr end OF the room where the
line had been--but think Il was
Alsv@ de Mathicu, both because the
aAn1nxes OF blue-green gown on the
Nfa&saents partner suggested her lovely
COSTUME, and because she was the
ranl'ng hostess IN the composite group
which was giving the party
President Take. a Turn.
Fcor President Hardingi He seemed
rsts abashed az the gallery" that
7rntr sdiately gathered to watch him dis
rEzN himself. and gave Il IN after "a fa.v