Evening star., 1922-01-02
FIRST WHITE HOUSE
RECEPTION IN YEARS
IS BRILLIANT EVENT
President and Mrs. Harding
Greet Immense Crowd of
New Year Visitors.
WOMEN ARE ATTIREO
IN CHARMING GOWNS
Foreign Diplomats Add Color to
Occasion-Guests Delighted
by Cordiality.

d. For the first time in eight years
/ the White House today is the scene
Of great democratic spectacle.
At precisely IL o'clock President
| and Mrs. Harding entered upon the
| renewal of the old-time New Year
day reception, and it was indicated
at noon today that popularity of this
| tradition of many years has lost none
of its attractions, if the crowds
gathered about the grounds and
forming in line could be taken as a
| criterion.
! Practically every person expressed
/ pleasure at the restoring of this New
Year custom. and it is the belief of
those in charge that all records will
have been broken for attendance
when the reception is finally con-
cluded late this afternoon.
Besides the general public, the
President and Mrs. Harding received
members of the cabinet. and their
immediate families: members of the
foreign diplomatic corps and a large
number of delegates of foreign ma
tionS attending the arms conference
the judiciary: the Army and Navy;
high goveratnent officials; representa-
tives of patriotic organizations, be-
| sides large number of distinguished
| persons and intimate friends espe-
| cially invited to the affair
The simple decorations were per-
sonally superintended by Mrs Hard
ng this morning, carnations and
! pink roses being used in the green
| and red parlors, the roses forming a
| trellis on the sides of the mirrors over
! the mantels. The Vice President and
Mrs. Coolidge and the members of
the cabinet and their wives arrived
| before eleven and paid their respects
TO the Chief Executive and his wife
| on the second floor of the mansion.
| Preceded by the White House mill
tary and naval aides. the President
and Mrs. Harding, followed by the
| Vice President and Mrs. Coolidge and
the members of the official family,
descended the stairs and entered the
| Blue room where those assisting Mrs.
! Harding awaited them.
The President and Mrs. Harding stood
| = the entrance 10 the green roomA the
| presentations being made by the
| wore a becoming costume of dark
| Drown velvet, made with panels of
pronze and gold sequins. back and
| 'front.'. and she wore no hat.
President and Mrs. Harding Happy.
| AS they walked through the corri-
! ltduIuS lHt DiuS room, 10 TAKE
| their places for receiving, the Marine
| Band orchestra, attired in picturesque
! iull-dress uniform, played Hail to
! the Chief" following bugle call. As
Mrs. Harding bowed and smiled to
those persons already stationed
bout the corridor and doorways.
| 1t was evident that these two dis
! inguished Americans were happy
| that they We're entering upon what is
1 cd a nf The
| democratic customs of the country.
! But in all, they could not help but
:ealize that their parts in this big
vent will be seemingly trying upon
| ,hem both from a physical viewpoint
| -nasmuch as they expect to stand in
line until sometime after o'clock
| Ibis afternoon. with only a short re-
cess for luncheon.
Great Reception Begins.
] The President and Mrs. Harding were
followed into the blue room by the men,
| bers of the cabinet, headed by Secretary
IF State Hughes and Mrs. Hughes. Be-
| iind the cabinet were Secretary Chris
| ian and the Army and Navy and ma
| line officers of the Presidents staff OF
taides.
| Almost Immediately after the Presi-
| dent and Mrs. Harding and the members
| ,f the cabinet and the ladies with them
had taken their positions in the receiv-
ing line, the great procession started
First came the members of the dip
lomatic corps, of which there were
| several hundred, many of whom had
! their wives and other members OF
! their families with them. This part
| of the reception was one of the real
| ly picturesque features, inasmuoh,
with a few exceptions. the members
| of this group were attired in gayiy
and highly colored uniforms of their
| offices.
New German Envoy Present.
An interesting feature of the diplo-
matte group was the presence of Carl
Lang, the newly arrived German en-
voy 10 the United States, and Edgar
a. C. Prochnik. Austria's represent
| atiye at the National Capital, the
latter being accompanied by his wife.
The diplomatic corps prior to its
passing along the receiving line had
assembled in the great and historic
state dining room.
| With the diplomatic group was DIR.
L. S. Rowe, director general of the
Pan-American Union, and other Of
| icers of that organization.
| Women Charmingly Attired.
Assisting in the blue room were
Mrs. Coolidge, who wore a simply
made gown of black velvet, a black
velvet hat with a black lace brim:
Mrs. Hughes wore henna brocaded
with henna feathers; Miss Mellon
wore striking gown of black vel
vet with a bertha of rose point lace,
| a medium sized black velvet hat and
a collar of Russian sable; Mrs. Weeks
was in dark brown crepe meteor and
CONTINUED on Page 2. Column 40