The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-05-09
Washington's New Aspirations
BY FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN

people pour into the White House dur
ing the hours when the state rooms
are open to the public. One guard
said that it was not unusual for 100 or
even 200 people to come along just
at closing time and explain anxiously
that this was only chance to see where
the President lived.
The President and Mrs. Harding
sturdily withstand the strain of greet
ing the numerous delegations. The
President and his wife have to learn
to minimize fatigue in observing the
democratic custom of shaking hands
with long lines of strangers. Mrs.
Harding, for instance, uses her left
hand when her right grows weary at
state receptions, and all officials learn
to grasp the callers hand first and
pass him along with dexterous sweep
of the wrist SO that the next person
in line can move up without undue de-
| lay.
Efficient Handwriting
The amount of efficiency that can
be, and is, injected into the simple
rite of shaking hands is best realized
| when some foreign official provides a
contrast. At the Army and Navy re-
ception, not long ago, Marshall Jof-
fire and Madame Joffre joined the re-
/ ceiVing line, along with the President,
| Mrs Harding and the Secretaries of
! War and Navy and their wives. The
Marshal was clearly pleased with the
compliment extended him, but after
little more than an hour Of constant
| bowling, smiling, and hand wringing,
| he and Madame Joffre surrendered
to their WEAKNESS and dropped out OF
the receiving line. The others in the
1 line still had half the evenings work
| ahead of them.
/ The White House Is the Mecca OF
delegations to Washington, but Con.
gress and the Capitol would put up a
stiff fight in, popularity contest
1t is the statesmen and the historic
i features of the Capitol which most in
unusual interest is being debated, five
i minutes in the halls of Congress are
about enough for most visitors.
/ One elderly woman safely out of the
breathless gallery atmosphere of the
august Senate, remarked that time
was certainly more plentiful than
money with those droning statesmen
After this commentary on the Senate's
@
: crowded elevator and audibly planned
to get in the museum, Mt. Vernon
: Arlington, and the Treasury by {
, o'clock"
: Washington sometimes wonders
, when conventions find time to convene
/ so busy are the badge wearers with
J guide books, street car connections
: and "hours open to the public" VI
! 70 hoe, %
: that its inadequate assembly hall
? were no attraction to conventions
: The small and middle-sized halls abou
, the city have sometimes failed to ex
} pand enough to accommodate all tn,
: delegates and visitors to an UNUSUAL.
} popular convention.
f The D. A R. hall for instance nev
: er holds all the Daughters who woul,
: like to attend sessions at the sam
4 time. Yet it was the largest suitabl
D hall available for the important dis
S armament conference, and consequent
4 ly few outsiders were able to gain aC
t mission to any of the historic sessions
r Plans are under way now, however
e for an auditorium which will seat 500
S people. The new auditorium buildin
is to be thoroughly modern. Sine
p the Willard Hotel ballroom, on tn
s tenth floor, caught fire the other day
h there has ben strong agitation for frs
S floor auditoriums in Washington. TIL
e new assembly hall will be on the frs
0 floor, with an exhibit hall beneath
p partly below grade level. This builC
) ing is TO be located opposite the Ii
r terror Building, three blocks from tn
# White House, and ground will b
broken for it next month. With an ad,
S quate convention hall, Washington b,
t. lieves that nothing will stand betwee
d it and the title of Americas CONVEX
VI ton city.