Arizona republican., 1922-06-29

WACf1lNdION. IL. u. June Ao-
The garden party season is just
opening. but the White House has
already had it's only affair Of the
sort that is scheduled for this year.
Two thousand wounded war veterans
some rolled in wheel chairs. some
limping on crutches, some guided by
other eyes, have passed in a long
line and been greeted by the Presi-
dent and Mrs. Harding on the White
House lawn.
Garden parties are more or less
alike when private citizens receive
out of doors. A presidential affair.
however. is different. Whether the
President be a Washington with a
leaning to courtly ceremony or a
jefferson with bluff disregard for
pomp an official atmosphere sur
rounds all unctions at the executive
mansion. They are as distinctive in
their blending of the formal and the
informal as any court ceremonies of
Europe. A veterans garden party is
no different. except that the con-
trasts are more striking and human
interest is more dominant.
The endless line of veterans. ac-
companied by their nurses, and the
young women invited to help enter
tain them, must wind in long SER
pentine through the corridors OF the
White House. out into the gardens
and across the lawn to the oak tree
beneath which the Chief Executive
and his wife are receiving.
Everyone must be presented for
mally to the President by q white
clad aide. The president speaks a
word of greeting. and listens. per-
haps. to a brief speech the veterans
tries to make. AT another big re-
ception the guests would find 1t
extremely difficult to murmur more
than a hasty how do you do" to the
President. The line is long, and each
person is shuttled by as quickly as
politeness permits.
But veteran with only stump
of right hand to offer his Chief is
different. He may hold up the line for
a moment or two. Mrs. Harding then
shakes hands, and General Pershing,
the last in the receiving line, greets
each of the veterans.
Aides stand about to see that a
small clearing is kept around the
receiving line. There formality
practically ends The veterans can
wander as they please about the
shady grounds. For most of them 1t
is great event. and even for the
Cabinet ladies and high officials this
particular function is an unusual ex-
perience nSthe round of administra-
ton entertainments.
A Colorful Scene.
The scene is unusually colorful.
The closely cropped grass, red RAM
bier roses on the fence, gay red and
white striped marques where re-
q n ont Or he
band in summer uniforms, the white
portico of the mansion and the blue
sky of a perfect summer afternoon,
make striking picture These are
typical of any White House garden
party. The unusual feature this time
is the crowd
There is a sprinkling of women in
organdy and silk and a few middle
aged Government officials. But the
blue, gray and white of nursing un-
iforms, and the khaki of the service,
and the rolling chairs, crutches, and
bandaged arms and heads dominate
the scene.
There are chairs all about in the
shade so that the boys for whom
this affair means unusual exertlon
can rest. One nurse says that every
man who could possibly walk or be
of them tried desperately to make
enough progress to be able to come,
and there was great disappointment
among those who were pronounced
not quite we'll enough for so much
exertion.
Some of the boys sat quietly in one
place. For the most part. however.
the guests on this occasion moved
about. trying to see as much as pos
sible. They recognize Secretary or
State Hughes, and they watch with
men who are following him about,
swapping him as he talks to a row
of men in wheel chairs or as he poses
with his wife. They are keenly IN
terested in recognizing and pointing
out to one another Vice President
and Mrs. Coolidge; the Cabinet Of
ficers and their wives; Brigadler
General Sawyer, the dignified iittie
doctor who guards the President s
health: Theodore Roosevelt. Jr., As
sistant Secretary of the Navy; and
Mr.. Christian, the Presidents secre-
tary.
A large audience gathers around
the receiving line to watch the other
guests meet the President. 1t is a
sign of the informality of the occa :
sion that a number of snapshots OF
the President are taken. One young
woman leading a sightless soldier re-
ceiyes permission from an aide and
goes up TO the President and snaps
a picture for the boy to send home
It is more than n hour before the