Evening star., 1922-01-01


ing. in London about women in divided
skirts and riding astride. The prejudice
which exists in London. and indeed all
over the United Kingdom. against ma :
ture women sitting a horse astride has
never existed on this size. Mrs. Roose-
welt: who was one of the most womanly
of her sex and filed with every gentle
Impulse and worthy aspiration, habitu-
ally wore short skirt and sat sidewise.
In fact. a long sweeping habit on the
side saddle would be as much or a
curiosity on the bride paths or follow
ing the hounds in this country as pe-
ruffied crinoline skirt touching the uoof
all around would he in a ballroom. Yet
London mas in the royal parks at least,
Rotten Row and the fine bride paths
about the embankment ordered women
in trousers and sitting aStrlde OH the
inclosure, and during the recent racing
at Ascot and on private tracks where
KiEg George or his queen or any or the
royal Processes were present notices IN
large type and at every turn proclaimed
that no woman attired in trousers anu
riding cross saddle would be permitted
in the incloSure. Considerable curl
osi.y is manifested about the costume
the First Lady will adopt, for though
she has ridden occasionally since lie
riding 1ogs of the bifurcated type be-
came modish, flowing habits and side
saddle held in her day. one logical
complaint against the present mode Oh
wearing trousers and the masculine ac-
cessories is the way some young wonen =,
have OF keeping on riding clothes all
day and trampng the streets thus ar
rayed These customs do put the cos
tune into diSrepute and are arguments
against it even on the horse.
Those who incline to the historical
beginnings of the present sihootnis
running official program which Is IN
augurated with the first public recep-
tion in the White House held in nine
wears like to recall that Mistress
Dolly Madison was the hrst TO engage
Il major donu or to attempt TO fesu-
late and coordinate the amenities
of the presidential mansion. Ger
tainly she had good reason to attempt
the reform, because of the disorder
and ill feeling engendered every time
Presidents jefferson or John Adams
entertained. Mrs. MadiSon'S major
domo was. Jean Pierre Sioussat. who
had been 4 minor functionary at the
court. of Versailles and who fled to
this country after the execution of
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. SO
far as the simplicity of republican
court could be reconciled to the spIen-
dor of the French monarchS. Mr..
SiouSsat effected an orderly procedure
and his rules are followed in the
main today. He devised the rules of
precedent. but having been reared
where mobiles and diplomats ranked
next To ROYALTY, he accorded the dean
of the corps the place of distinction
Immediately following the President.
This. however, was accepted by some
chief executives and froWned upon
by others. and it was not until the
Mckinley administration that fhe
State Department took cognizance of
the controversy between Lord Paun-
cefote of Preston and Mr.. Gar
ret Hobart. then Vice President, and
declared in favor of the latter.
Although from the historical view
point. Jean Pierre Sioussat must be
considered the first major domo or
master of ceremonies at the White
House. the fathers of the country
were timid about giving official sane
ton to such an official and the duties
were performed under cover as it
were and for the private ear of those
directing state functions. Washing
ton Irving has left an amusing de-
scription of the New Year fete at the
White House in 1905, when the pub
lie crowded unrestrained through
the gates and into the mansion, cabi-
net officers and their families jum-
hled with legislators. shepherds of
souls. farmers, merchants, lawyers
the butcher. the baker. some in
heavy shoes and street garments
others in high boots and great coats
some IN slippers and satin frills, some
snuffing quite openly and others
chewing Illuminating fashion, as
though to say we must have comfort
for being deprived so long of our
pipes" 1t was Gen. Grant with the
bluff candor of the soldier confess
ing that he knew nothing of the va
garies of official etiquette and that he
must have the services of some one
who did, which led to the designation
of Gen. Orville f. Babcock for the
delicate service involved Gen. Bah
cock was private secretary of Grant
but he was later made superintendent
OF public grounds and buildings and
SO took over the proper conduct of
the officials levees. He separated the
classes into which public men logic
ally fall, placing the President, Vice
President and the executive set in
the first rank, and then permitting
diplomats, judges, legislators and
others to At in as suited the pleasure
OF the host when the amenities were
in progress
Gen. Theodore Bingham was one of
the most accomplished masters of
ceremony within the memory of the
present generation. He entered into
q working partnership with the State
Department and through the expert
knowledge which the foreign office
had of rules and regulations in older
evolved out of the previous chaos.
General (then Colonel) Bingham was
directly responsible for the suppress
ing of the ambition of the dean of
the foreign corps about representing
the person of D. sovereign and there-
fore being ranked next to the Amer
lean executive. 1t was explained by
the StateFDepartment that the Vice
President besides being the second
oncers OF .the nation by the will Of
the people expressed at the ballot,
was likewise the heir apparent of
the nStion and his place was inn
mediately after the President. An
other ruling of Col. Bingham's placed
all unmarried women below married
ones, no matter what the position
held by husbands or fathers This
suppressed violent upheayal in the
corps caused by the young Countess
Marguerite Cassini, niece of the Rus
sian am bassador, claiming precedence
over some married women, and of
those chatelaines of cabinet homes
who were not the wife of the official
In question but his mother, his sister
or his%daughter. Rules of etiquette
are SO well known and so rigidiy OBJ
served that assbanauet or levee now
lacks the picturesqueness of former
years when precedent was matter
of indivfduai interpretation
Mr.. Maurice de Barneville, SO long
identified with the Piedmont and Fau-
quier County Hunts clubs of Virginia,
is now an attache OF the American
embassy in Paris and conspicuous
membeI of the circle of young hunts
men who SO often accompany the
Duke de Uzes through the grand old
forestsso Rambouillet, in pursuit of
the great red stays which have been
denizens of these woods since the
middle centuries. Stag parties are
just being formed in France. and for
weeks Paris will be- bereft Of such
of her masculine residents that may
receive- one of those highly priced