Evening star., 1921-08-21
Disarmament Meeting
Will Tax Washington
Housing Facilities
Entertainments of Many For
eign Representatives Also
Will Be Problem-Society
Making Preparations for
Event.

Inc coming international confer
ence for disarmament will tax the
housing facilities in Washington. as
well as those for entertaining. The
foreign representatives in Washing
ton will, of course. be chief among the
hosts. and they are, for the most part,
well equipped with suitable houses
Tor large and formal entertainments,
such as will occupy the hours not
taken up by business of the confer
ence. The house at o460 18th street.
occupied by the French embassy as a
residence for the ambassador and also
Tor offices. was built by Mrs. John B.
Henderson, according to the wishes
OF the ambassador. NJ. Jules J, JUS
serand and is leased by them from
her. The main entrance to the resi-
aence is on 10th street. and opens
into a wide square hall. finished in
white with rich red carpets. The
stairway to the main floor is in the
center, and is also white with black
balustrade. Several small reception
rooms open off the hall on the ground
floor. used at large receptions as
cloakrooms. The drawing room on the
nrst floor above the ground occupies
the southeast corner and extends
across the front of the building. This
room is furnished in the period of
Louis XIV. with brocaded hangines of
delicate design. The dining room is
back OF the main floor to the north,
home Of Mrs. Marshall Field, at 18th
ana Euclid streets. The dining room
opens to the south. into the charming
conservatory. the windows of which
overlook the city. The ambassador,
VINO Is dean Of the corps. and Nine.
Jusserand are among the best liked of
the diplomats and their functions are
always of the utmost Importance.
The British embassy will no doubt
be the scene of brilliant entertain
ments. and the building. too, is well
adapted to such functions. It was
built by the British government be-
fore the representative was ambas-
sador. The British minister formerly
occupied an old brick house in "West
Washington" near the river, and
much amusement was caused by the
last minister to occupy this house
from England to furnish It. Shortly
after this the government purchased
the ground on Connecticut avenue
and erected the present embassy and
chancery. The building IL Of red
brick. wide and tall porte-cochere
enters tha small yard between high
iron gates. The doorway at the top
Of tho short fight of stairs is wide
and has two paneled doors. the upper
panels of frosted cut glass. The hall
Is very large and square; the stair
way at the back goes a half flight
to generous landing, where the
stairs divide and continue to the
upper floor in two sections. A hand
some portrait of the late Queen Vic
toria hangs over this landing and
at the head of the stairs, facing
each other, are portraits Of King
George and Queen Mary. The large
room to the right Of the entrance
is the private office Of the ambas-
sador. which connects with the
chancery, and the rooms to the left.
drawing rooms. The spacious ball
room is back Of these. on the N street
side, and has round bay window.
with long sashes reaching to the
fioor The dining room is to the
right and back Of the stairway: the
windows look out on the yard back
OF the house and to n street. Through
the war temporary buildings were
built in the back yard to accommo-
date additional attaches and clerks.
The present ambassador, Sir Auck-
land Geddes, and his charming Wife
have made many friends in Wash
frgton since they came. little more
than year ago. and their entertain
ments, while dfgnified, are lacking
IN atfIfod forunalffv.