The New York herald., 1922-01-08
Gay New Years Week for
Society in Washington
White House Reception Breakfast for Dipomatists by
the Secretary of State and Mrs. Hughes and Ball
for Children's Country Home Among Events.

captain OF the Mayflower and Mr..
Harding's chief naval aide. alternated
throughout the day in the matter OF
making the presentations. Looking into
the Blue Room just after the Admins
tration party had entered one saw the
members OF the Cabinet and their wives
drawn UP in two lines making an aisle
from the door almost back to the win
dows. and the President and Mrs. Har-
ding were disclosed at the end Of this
aisle. having taken their stand on
small rug there. ready to receive all
comers.
The way the Cabinet was lined UP
suggested the irreverent idea that 1t was
"all set for Virginia reel or a Paul
Jones. the Vice-President pairing with
Mrs. Hughes, the Secretary of State with
Mrs. Coolidge, and SO on. But nothing
Of the sort happened: in few moments
they had broken ranks and were moving
around quite freely, visiting together.
and apparently having q most agreeable
time. leaving the President and Mrs.
Harding to do the heavy receiving.
The President and Mrs. Harding stood
with their back to the windows at the
far end OF the Blue Room, facing
toward the Cabinet and guests honore6
by special invitations to assist at the re-
ception. The long line Of New Year;
callers, coming to greet the Chief Ex-
ecutive and his wife, passed in single
file down an aisle between. paying little
attention to the other occupants of the
Blue Room until they had paid their
respects to their hosts, after which Of
ficial guests fingered chatting in the
East Room or the Green Room or
mingled with guests in the Blue Room.
Among those assisting in the Blue
Room were Mrs. Henry p. Fletcher,
49, TOT
and the wives of the various assistant
secretaries Orwell, of about every
thing; Mrs. Frelinghuysen. Mrs. New,
Mrs. Frank Willis, Mrs. Eugene Hale
and a few others of the senatorial
women, and a few of the Congressionals;
Mrs. Gillett of course, Mrs. Mondell,
Mrs. James r. Mann, Mrs. Frederick
Hicks, and Mrs. Sawyer, and Miss Har-
Ian, Mrs. Fred Grant. daughter-in-law
of former President, and Mrs. Rich
ard Townsend. and Mrs. Marshall Field
socially prominent but with no real
official connection. except, Of course,
that Mrs. Townsend's daughter is Mrs.
Peter Gerry, wife of Senator Gerry of
Rhode Island.
Miss Boardman was there, and Mrs.
Talf. the latter looking very frail. 1t
made one realize what the burden Of
White House entertaining can do. for
not-very-strong woman who takes 1t
very seriously. Mrs. Frederick Man
nng-formerly Helen Taft, you know
I did not see her, though she was In
town. She and Prof Manning had
been spending the holidays with Chief
Justice and Mrs. Taft and there had
been quite a good deal of quiet enter
tanning for them among Mrs. Manning's s
old Washington friends. But except
that she was honor guest of the Bryn
Mawr Club at a luncheon while she was
in Washington Mrs. Manning made
practically no public or even semi-pub-
| lie appearances. She and her husband
have now gone back to New Haven.
Just before the Presidential parry
came down for the reception couple
of marines appeared carrying great
silken standards-thc Stars and Stripes
and the Presidents personal flag. They
| took their stand one on each side of the
entrance from the foyer to the corridor
on which all the state apartments open,
and every arriving guest passed be-
tween OF under a sort OF arch made by
the two flags. Which somehow pleased
me.
| Secretary Of States Reception.
| over at the Pan-American, whittier
the diplomats betook themselves for the
Secretary of States New Years break
fast, it was very much the same. 1t
was my fortune to be close to tho
Prochnks entering the big hall of the
Americas where the breakfast was
served. I don't recall ever having been
in that beautiful room SO early In the
day. and II was pleasure to find It
almost more beautiful with the sunshine
streaming in than 1t is under the
softened rays of electricity at night.
Entering the room at the same time
with DR.. and Nine. Prochnik. who are
here reestablishing Austrian diplomats
relations. were the Wallenburgs. the
Swedish Minister and his wife and very
attractive young daughter. They were
chatting most cordially with tho new
comers. and indeed tho Prochniks are r.
most appealing couple-the husband n
scholarly. rather serious looking man.
tall. slender. with an almost spiritual
expression: the wife brown eyed and
smiling. vivacious and with a pretty
color--a distinctly viennese type. Her
gown was of soft toned gray velvet,
a one piece dress conservatively short.
with a wide band OF seal around the
bottom OF the skirt. The bodice had the
fashionable bateau neck. which she
wore better than most, and the sleeves
we're full length and loose. of all over
| gray idCe 10 ffihlCn tUc NtiNtt.
Inside. Basil Miles was presenting the
arrivals to the Secretary of State. who
in turn introduced them TO Mrs. Hughes
and she to Miss Catherine Hughes. He
greeted the Procnniks. as the Hardings
had with the same even cordiality he
was showing to all his guests. IT was
pleasure a few moments later to see
the French Amba assador greet them
with all appearance of real warmth
throwing into his manner even more
,empressement than he was showing his
other colleagues toward whom his atti-
tude could be In no doubt.
The Germans were rather a larger
group-Herr Lang. who had just ar.
rived on Saturday as Charge and pre-
rented himself Mt once that he might
get In on tho official amenities of the
New Year: Baron Won Thermann, whc
had been here for a month getting
things started; DR.. Riesse and Mr.. vor
Classen. and two ladies', Baroness vor
Thermann and Mrs Riesse. But ! dlt
not see them until after they had beer
In the room for some time. and while
there WAS certainly no discourtesy
there sconed rather less warmth in the
| nj sffrrouudfu0 fbcYn than IN,