The Washington times., 1921-05-15
PRESIDENT Harding Bids
/ Fair to Ortdo Theo-
1 dore Roosevelt in
! Matter Of Living the
I Strenuous Life. II
RESIDENT ROOSEVELT was

80
down in history as our most
strenuous President and the man who
rot the most fun out of being Presi-
dent. But now. II you please. along
comes President Harding and bids
fair to take both records, away from
him! $50,
Roosevelt dramati.ed himself and
iftR. but I don't believe he could pos
stbly have crowded so great a variety
OF activities into a given space or
time. And Mrs. Harding keeps up
With her distinguished husband and
10 possibly few laps ahead of him
when IT comes to receiving delega-
tons.
they have been doing In the last
week. Mrs. Harding took In the Girl
Scout rally. and was decorated with
their ''tenderfoot pin" She received
the District FEEDER alton OF Women's
Clubs, and next day held reception
for the graduating classes Of the
various girls schools In and around
Washington-more than 700 strong.
1.-THE DANES Of the Loyal Legion, the
Women's Baptist Missionary Society.
delegation Of Masons, and a half dosen
other organizations visited the White
House to be greeted either by President
Harding or Mrs Harding or both
Mrs. Harding gave audience to Com
nander Evangeline Booth, head of
the Salvation Army in America which
was having it's drive last week. So
did the President: and one afternoon
rest that they had even reviewed the
President and Mrs. Harding also re-
viewed the parade of the Humane
Education Society. in which Laddie
Boy, the White House pup. took part;
and one wag had the temerity to sug-
eest that they had also reviewed the
circus parade and that 1t was bit
late in passing because the elephants
had stopped to shake hands with tho
President! .|
lit was after a particularly strenu-
Gus afternoon Of receiving delegs-
tons that the President and Mrs.
Harding drove down through Po-
temac Park. whore q polo game was
in progress ana a military band play
ing. and IL 10 recorded that the First
lady then and there asked the leader
OF the band to play her favorite COM
position. The End OF Perfect Day"
seems appropriate doesn't 1t?
AS for getting fun out of the
job, I believe that is As true Of Mrs.
Harding as 1t Is of the President.
And they owe the enjoyment that
tbey are seemingly able to extract
fSom an arduous and exacting exist
once to their simplicity, their refusal
TO take themselves too seriously, and
their genuine and enthusiastic in
tSrest in human relations.
sThey are continually having guests
for luncheon or dinner or taking
them to the play. The President is as
likely to bring a man home from the
Once" unexpectediy to dine a. any
business man. II he wants to play
Eclf with -Chick" Evans instead of
senator Frelinshuysen or Senator
Hale or Henry p. Fletcher, Under
secretary of State. or some other OF
lbs "buddieS'--why, SO much the bet
tor golf. And every once in a while
10 puts over something like bring
ihg on the Davis Cup team to play
tsnnis on the White House courts.
All Of which takes one inevitably
hAck to the days when ''the colonefs"
had . finger Ia everything that went
Oh in Washington and when one had
rot begun to associate splendid iso-
lstion" with the White House.
-
HARDING's GUESTS
AT BRILLIANT FETE.
The President and Mrs. Harding
were the central figures at the most
brilliant social event of the week,
perhaps Of the entire season, when
they were entertained by the ambas-
sadors, ministers and charges DAFT
fsires of tho American Republics.
Given In tho beautiful and already
historic Pan American Building, this
reception on Wednesday evening had
all e. Al Of n
And 1t was arranged with the same
precision and regard for precedence
and etiquette
There was q place for every dfplo-
mat and official and every diplomat
and official WAS in his place before
the arrival of the Presidential party.
And detailed instructions as to where
to enter, how to proceed and what
70 wear--"uniform or evening dress"
--were sent to all the guests with
their invitations. 1t Is customary at
most OF the big official parties At the
Pan American to have the diplomats
and official folk enter by a special
doorway, with special cloak rooms re-
served for them But this time the
hosts went even farther, introducing
the dottble receiving line-one at the
head OF the South stairway to greet
the official and diplomatic bigwigs
and the other to make the rest OF us
welcome. And even in the Han OF the
Americas a thick velvet cord marked
on the sacred soil that was ''verboten"
ID the common or garden variety mortal
-
All this took one back to a very
similar reception which the Latin
American diplomats gave for Presi-
dent Wilson and his bride shortly
after his second marriage. when, for
the first time in the, memory OF the
present generation of society chron-
;clers, the sheep" were separated
rom the goats" Washington was
amused or irritated, according to It's
mood and one heard much the same
sort of mixed comment this time. As
n matter OF fact, however, this was
probably done with a view to avoiding
crowding and confusion and so that
the President and Mrs. Harding might
make their entrance with dignity ana
order. For, as soon as they had
~ hal Al nla In -