Evening star., 1921-02-13

Should Mr.. John Hays Hammond be-
come the next Secretary of Commerce,
as has been suggested many times,
his selection would add. in Mrs. Ham
mond, another chatelaine of a cabi-
net HONEYWELL versed in the intricacies
of Washington society, official and
resident. Mr.. and Mrs. Hammond and
their. family have made their home
here at intervals for more than TWEEN
ty years, and have always been in
the foreground, socially and philan-
thropically, and otherwise have held
an important place.
Mrs. Hammond was among the
Stanch advocates for improving con-
dltionS- under which women and chill
dren perform their daily labor. 1t is
only necessary to point to the almost
perfect recreational facilities in the
new bureau of engraving and print
ing, which boasts rest rooms and a
cafe equal to any in the city, as one
evidence of how deep an impression
her campaign made on the federal
government.
Mrs. Hammond is native of vicks-
burg, Miss, and lived there until she
was sixteen. Since then she has been,
in the largest meaning, citizen of
the world. Though possessed of an
exceedingly large fortune, she is
noted for her practical views and for
her constant denunciation of extrava-
Eance in every walk of life. There
are two sons, both unmarried-the
older. John Hammond, already a scien-
tist of achievement and of promise,
and a daughter, Nathalie Harris Ham
mond. called for her mother. who will
be bud of coming seasons.
Mr.. Hammond claims the District of
(Olnm
If he does sit at President Harding's
council board he will be the second
citizen of the federal District to
whom such an honor has come. The
first was BENJAMIN Stoddert. ship
ping merchant of Georgetown, who
was appointed by President John
Adams first Secretary of the Navy.
Though all the records of executive
officers write Mr.. Stoddert as from
Maryland. he removed from Charles
was living in the fine old mansion
built by Latrobe at Prospect Hill
when the government acquired his
home city and incorporated it in the
site chosen as the permanent seat of
the federal government. Mr.. Stod-
dert's great-granddaught Mrs. Har-
riet Stoddert Turner, resides on New
Hampshire avenue, and is prominent
In the group of st. Louisans who are
permanent residents of Washington.
Mr.. and Mrs. Irwin Boyle Laughlin
are among the notable visitors of the
week. They will tarry but a few
days before going to their home in
Pittsburgh. from which they have
been absent for some years. Mr..
Lucy Hayes Heron I.ippitt,the young
est sister of Mrs. William Howard
Taft, has been for several years first
secretary of the American Embassy
In London, and has twice been in
trusted with the duties of charge
d'affaires, first after the illness and
death of Walter Hine Page, and last
autumn, when Mr.. Davis came to the
United States. The Laughlins were
unusually active in London, and have
maintained two handsome homes,
one in Belgrave and the other the
at Reigate. in Kent The latter place
has recently been placed on the mar
ket. and rumor has 1t that the pur-
chasers are former Ambassador and
Mrs. Thomas Nelson Page of Wash
ington. Mr.. LauEhlin is indefatiga-
BILE in the Anglo-American Union,
while his wife is chairman of the
executive committee of the powerful
American Women's Club in London,
which has centralized all daughters
OF this land who have married Brit
ons, and is endeavoring now to gath
er in the second generation. the chill
dren of such unions. The president
Is Lady Ward, who was Jean Reid.
daughter of the late Whitelaw Reid.
An interesting bit of news from
Brussels is that King Albert is about
to revive the grand old order of chiv-
airy. the Golden Fleece, which had
been merged in the privileges Of the
HApsburg line. With the passing of
the imperial power of the Austrian
house. the right reverts to King AL
bert, now ruler of the former Bur-
gundian provinces. where the order
was founded by Philip the Good in
1923. Lovers Of Longfellow recall his
many allusions to the knights and
description of their richly carved
pews in Flemish cathedrals and their
noble chapter houses all over what is
now the kingdom of Belgium. Now
that King Albert and his queen are
SO concerned in the expansion of their
country in the commercial sense, tFlis s
revival focuses world attention, since
IT will. without doubt, mean reward
ing with titles those merchants and
shippers who contribute notably to
trade. 1t will also be used as reward
for exceptional services during the
late war.
The rumored promotion of Baron
Won Schoen from Mexico to the Ger
man ministry to The Hague is re.
ceived with much pleasure by the
many friends of the baroness, who
was Miss Lillian Birney of this city.
She 10 the daughter of the late Theo-
dore T. Birney. a much esteemed
member OF the bar. and Mrs. Birney,
who is famous in annals as being the
FOUNDER and first president of the