The Washington times., 1922-04-30
Concerning the
DebutanteS' Ball
And Some Others
Heads of Army, Navy
and Marine Corps
Present.


end for a week which had begun
with one of the smartest and
rrettiest balls OF the season-the
"Debutantes' Ball." the invitations
called it-incidentally announcing
# as their first annual" and for
the benefit of the Victory Memorial
Building Fund. You know all
30 about that. It's Mrs. Henry F.
/, Dimock's pet project. to which she
has been for years devoting a great
deal of her time and a goodly
amount Of money and energy, and
" drawing freely on her very large
'. social influence in it's behalf.
While II was a benefit, II was
;, not open to the general public, but
d only to a rather carefully selected
!, list, who were invited to buy tick.
: cts at so much apiece. 1t was to
:. have happened at the Willard, and
when the Willard ballroom was
:, gutted by fire thirty.six hours be.
q fore the date set. the prettiest and
smartest Of Washington's younger
u set were in despair-until General
. Pershing came to the rescue-he
q. and General McGlachlin-and Of
!, Tered the use OF the officers club
out at Washington Barracks for
b. the purpose. And that was a beau
uful solution of the difficulty. 1t
wasn't as big as the Willard ball.
D, room, but having 1t down there
made 1t very much like a private
ball. And having 1t in a military
reservation gave II a military char
ecter-there were naturally more
uniforms, and splendid flags were
ready to hand for decoration pur-
poses. So 1t really was a lovely
party.
1t was essentially young girls
Numerically a debutantes' ball
with only a scattering Of elders
enough to keep the youngsters in
bearings oiled so that everything
ran smoothly. And the girls were
% pretty and flowerlike all bios
soming out in their new spring
and summer evening frocks-so
fresh. and so fragile and so very
very young! 1t was rather anus.
ing to see the three heads Of the
service-and their varying ideas Of
costume. General Pershing was
there very much so. But the
casual outsider would have to look
twice at the dignified gentleman
in swallow tail to recognize him.
i own to. a weakness for a uni
form-and I admit the General did
not look like himself-not so beau.
full as usual-in a mere everyday
or every mans every night dress
suit! But he's been wearing II
" quite little lately-since the order
= requiring army officers to wear
uniform all the time was with
drawn. OF course there's nothing
very glorious about the tan service
uniforms that have been "regula-
ton" for army officers since the
war. But after all uniforms is uni
forms, even as pigs is pigs.
Then there was Admiral Coontz
in uniform to be sure, but not
In dress uniform-just in his every
day workaday clothes. with as rev
trimmings as the ranking officer
OF the navy could well wear in
public in the evening. And finally
there was General Lejeune-who
Is not addicted to gold lace. or fix.
ings Of any sort-who rather re-
toices in being plain John lie.
jeune," as far removed from
foppishness that he's inclined to
be something Of a "roughneck."
And he was In all the glory and
gold lace and trimmings Of tho
major general commandant Of the
United States Marine Corps. You
rubbed your eyes-and wondered
what had struck General Lejeune
until you remembered that he
had a debutante daughter, who
would wish her father to be q
credit to her-and you saw-or
fancied you saw. Laura Lejeune's
fine Italian hand on the sartorial
splendor Of Major General John
A. LeJeune. 1t was such a com.
plete reversal OF what experience
had taught one to expect Of those
three, that It was absolutely funny.
THE army dance at Rausch.r's
tho last Of this season
was a huge success, and then
there was the embassy party last
evening. This was given by the
Argentine Ambassador and Nine.
LeBreton for their niece. Miss
Manuela Llovcras, with the
cream OF the younger members
OF the diplomatic corps and their
especial playmates in official and
resident society as guests. Nu-
merous dinner parties were given
beforehand.
There una m much 0otp~ an