New-York tribune., 1921-05-29
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

the Green Room.
Looking down from the walls, paneed in
green velvet of an old Genoese pattern, are
portraits of past Presidents, full-length Of
Abraham Lincoln towering above them, and,
over the East Room door one of President
Hayes, which bears a startling likeness to the
present Secretary of State, Charles Evans
Hughes On marble console stand is a bus
Of Lafayette, the huge mirror behind it re-
fiecting the Ionic pillars of the corridor and
the niche where hangs the new portrait Of
Woodrow Wilson.
On either side Of the exquisitely carved
marble mantel Zone of the two naShtels con
temporary with the house itself. removed from
the old state dining room) stand the tall Sat
suma vases presented by China during
Arthur's administration, and directly in front
is the handsome screen, surn1ounted bv Gilt
eagle, presented by the Austrian Minister and
said to have been embroidered by the Empress
of Austria.
The furniture is Of old ivory, covered with
French tapestry and besprinkled with roses.
Great clusters of spicy carnations, purple iris
and maidenhair fern lend refreshing note to
this cool green room while, just without. the
balcony invites, with its awnings and easy
chairs, its wistaria-hung railing and stairway
fountain mprlnurs in the garden below. and
the soft breezes blow an intoxicating fra
GRANGE is waited from the od-fashioned flowers
blooming there.
The Blue Room, where the President re-
ceiyes the representatives of foreign govern
ments when they call to present their creden-
tials, has gone through innumerable changes.
1t has been decorated in red and yellow and
pale blue and has been known as the Ellipticai
Drawing Room, the Oval Reception Room and
the Circular Room. Years elapsed before the
famous salon became the Blue Room
The Monroes, who were the first inmates Of
the White House after it was rebuilt, and who.
history tells US, were "people of wealth and
good breed;cg, used to kings and courts and
the elegances and lpXuries of life had the
Blue Room done in the prevailing vogue of the
Empire style, sending elaborate orders to
France for its furnishings This atmosphere"
still clings to the room.
During his residence in Paris Mr.. Monroe
had picked up a number of fine pieces of fur
niture of the Louis Seize style which were
part of the loot of the royal palaces at the
outbreak of the French Revolution These
pieces he sold to the government and, in addi-
tlon, contributed some of the most valuabls
relics at the White House to-day, among them
the bronze clock and vases on the Blue Room
mantel and the standing candelabra on either
side of the hearth.
The Red Room, where after-dinner coffee
is served and where Mrs Harding has her
tea-tabie placed on the afternoons she re-
ceives her friends informally, in President
Tyler's time was called "Washington's Room, ,.
because, of course, of the famous portrait of
Washington (by Stewart) which hangs over
the mantel, and which was saved by Dolly
Madison and her faithful colored retainer
Paul Jennings, when the White House was
burned by the British II depicts Washingtea
as he was best known-as always scr,sp,,-
lously attired, bowing to his visitors with stiff
dignity, with one hand on the hilt Of HIS
sword
In this room there is also an especially
beautiful full-length portrait of Mrs Wash
1ngton-the only Presidents wife whose mir
ture is shown in the State apartments. Sha
is dressed in ivory satin, made with tighf.
pointed bodice and flowing train, draped over
quilted red satin petticoat--on her head =
lace cap with tulle strings
Directly across the doorway fran Nrs
Washington stands Jefferson, who. bistorv n.
forms us, received foreign minister ii b;s
dressing gown and slippersl However thar
may be, the Jeffersonian simplicity Of tho
great author of the Declaration of Indanana
enee sometimes took day off for we bav.
an interesting account of his oeeasianall,
HaShlng out IN contemporaneous record II