Pueblo chieftain., 1921-04-24
WHO SHALL Walk FIRST.
First Lady OF the Land desire social
recognition the point must be settled.
Mrs. Wilson'S Fate

recognition tho point must be settled.
Mrs. Wilson's Fate
1t is admitted that Mrs. Wilson.
widow of a wealthy merchant, charm
ing as she was, was not Of Wash
ington's social elect before her mar
riage to Woodrow Wilson. AS First
Lady she took and gracefully per-
formed the duties Of her place. Does
she stay up or slide back? Is she
primarily mere merchants widow
or former presidents wife? Or is she
merely herself? No. that cannot be.
No one is himself in Washington So
ciety. He is merely a member OF a
certain class. and until he is properly
classified. everyone is afraid Of him.
The old dispute over precedence be-
tween the wives of members of the
supreme court and those of the United
States senators, has never definitely
been settled. The senatorial ladies
firm the appointments of the justices,
they should have first place. The
wives of the justices believe. as their
husbands form the highest tribunal of
the nation and hold their positions
for life. the sacred place of preceding
the senatorial ladies should be theirs.
At present they seem somewhat to
have the better of the argument and
usually enter the dining rooms first
and sit at the right hand Of the host
president. the wife of the vice pres
ident and the wives of the cabinet Of
ficers are not present
The wife of the president, natural
ly, takes precedence over every other
woman present. Even visiting royalty
Yields her first place. The vice presi-
dents spouse comes next and the
wives of the cabinet secretaries follow
in their logical order. The cabinet
ladies frequently yield their honors to
wives of ambassadors, but their right
to follow the vice presidents wife is
In the diplomatic set the order of
precedence is undisputed. Madame
Jusserand, wife of tho dean of the
diplomatic corps. Ambassador Jules
Jusserand of France. is always ac-
corded first place. AS a matter of fact
the real dean OF the corps is the min
lister of Portugal Viscount d'Alte, but
as he is only minister and Jusserand
is an ambassador. he does not hold
the title. Viscount d'Alte is a bache-
matter of his right o precedence with
Madame Jusserand SO the question re-
mains in allegiance.
Precedence in the diplomatic corps
is comparatively easy to determine as
1t is based on the length Of service in
sion in question. Hence the ambassa-
dor Of Great Britain. at present Sir
Auckland Geddes, yields to the am
bassadors of Chile and Argentine. and
2 :number Of other countriss Of much
lesser world importance than England
l. The worship of precedence Is rigid.
11y observed In the official and diplo-
matte circles and even In the old resi-
dentfal set 10 regarded with = certain
amount, Of reverence. Tho latter. how
with such of. the official set as 1t re-
! cards unht for associate with them
Tho cAve-dwellers" as Mark Twain
dubbed the old-ttmc washinstonians.
believe themseivcs the supenors Of
even the tenants OF tho White House
who are frequently excluded from the
rarified atmosphere in which they
breathe. To them tho First Lady Of
tho Lapd Is such In a "Fickwickian''
sense only and while they admit her
~ they fail to observe 1t.
The cave dwelIcrs' have their resi-
dence. as a rule. In old Georgetown
and their attitude toward the nav
Washfnston is best expressed in a
movement once inauEurated to have
Washington termed East Georgetown.
1t Is to the select circles of the old
residents that the majority of the So
cially ambitious in the capital look
lonsinsly. 1t is the hardest to break
into and hence the most desirable.
Here. again. the question of pre-
that 1t Is based on tradition and his
tory rather than diplomatic or official
standing.
Outside OF official classes. pre-
cedence becomes an esotcric science
indeed. Just who Mrs. So-and-So takes
precedence over Mrs. Somebody else is
difficult to state. But she does, and
WOO betide the unlucky hostess who
fails to accord her hcr admitted
privileges.