Evening star., 1921-04-22
by JOSEPHUS DANIELS,
Former Secretary of the Navy.
ARTICLE q.

The coming of Prince Udine to the
capital brought to Washington So
ciety. not only one of its most pleas
urable thrills, but. beyond all ques'
tion. its most agitating shock. Ol
the latter the prince was the innocent
and unconscious cause.
Washington society. like the society
of all other American cities. gave
itself with whole-hearted devotion tc
war service. Youth and beauty and
charm engaged in arduous tasks fol
the Red Cross or the liberty loar
campaigns, and many society belle
went weary to her bed at night as a
result of having done a real day
work for her country.
All of US who bore something of the
burden in those days knew the JOY
and satisfaction to be derived from
sense of exhaustion, every tired TN
gle of which was due to the eXpendi.
ture of strength for the sake OF
America.
But there had to be hours of re-
relieved by diversion. Mind and
nerve could not stand the high pres
sure continuously.
Missions supply Relaxation.
The theaters. the movies. golf. base
ball-these all helped national morale
They were as necessary as the stimu-
lating appeals of posters and martial
music and flags.
So it happened that in Washington
the missions from the allied nations
served double purpose.
Their primary purpose, OF course
was to lay before the American gov
eminent all the facts and conditions
without reserve, and to place before
responsible officials the true situation
as they had learned it. But Sec
ondary purpose which washington
discovered for them was to provide
exercise for that relaxation which
everybody felt was requisite, but
which seemed to demand some ex-
traordinary occasion in order to JUS
tify it.
Our distinguished guests must be
entertained. It was a patriotic duty
TO see that they were treated with
the utmost hospitality. 1t was duty
we owed not alone to ourselves, but
to the common cause. These men
who came out of the atmosphere OF
their shoulders. were entitled to their
hour of play, and it was our privilege
to play with them.
Youth Has It's Claims.
It may be that there were those
who regarded this phase of our war
duties with greater pleasure and in
terest than some others, but youth is
youth, ana iONc anu anu the
dance-even in war time-are youths
right. Those who visited London dur
ing the dark days when Taubes and
Zeppelins were raiding the metropolis
remember that many brilliant gath
ering was to be seen in the dining
rooms and bathrooms of the great
hotels. and that entertaining the sol
dier on furlough or the sailor with
shore leave was regarded as a man
datory duty and a high privilege.
On all of the missions which came
to America there were men, of course
for whom the lighter forms of enter
ment held no attraction. But on all
or nearly all, there were men, young
hingh-spirited and socially inclined.
who welcomed the opportunity to
meet our American women and girls,
to exchange compliments and to dance
with them.
The Italian mission was composed
Of the most delightful gentlemen, with
all the Latin grace and courtesy and
the Latin skill for paying a delicate
compliment in the most fascinating
manner.
Prince Captivates Warrington.
But Prince Udinelwas the man who
from the first, provoked the interest
and won the favor of Washington
society.
To begin with. the prince was a
cousin of the King of Italy, which en-
HANGED the value of his title. Fur
thermore, he was unmarried, and in
these days unmarried princes are
showing an inclination to seek wives
in spheres less elevated than theiI