The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-27


season for Washington's favor1te
indoor sport-shaking hands with
the presidents in full swing. The
public stood patiently in the colo
for hours on New Years day to
shake the presidents hand in old
New York style. The diplomats
busted off their gold braid and
booked hats and went to greet the
executive at a subsequent recep-
ton held in their honor.
The members of the supreme
court and other prominent legal
officials have had their turn, and
before the winter is over the sena-
tors and representatives and their
families, and the army and navy
set will be reminiscently compar-
ing the Harding reception with
those of other presidents.
We sDsile when We recall the &C
counts of Washington afternoon
levees at which he formally re-
ceiyed once a week Picture Wash
ington standing hat in hand beside
a mantlepiece. Each guest is pre-
scented formally and the president
bows without shaking hands and
the guest retires to vacant place
in the circle of guests which is
forming around the room. When
the last visitor has been presented,
Washington goes around and
speaks to each in turn and takes
his place again. Then the guests,
one by one, come up and take leave
of him.
Yet a modern presidential recep-
ton is no less quaint and ceremon-
ious, though conducted on a huge
scale compared to Washington
select afternoon affairs.
The diplomatic reception the
other night is good example of
the procedure on such occasions ;.
Arriving at the White house a few
minutes after $50, the hour set for
the Harding receptions, your car
gets in the long line which by that
time extends half way round the
White house grounds and is grow
ing steadily. After half an hour of
advancing a yard or two at time,
you reach the East Portico, where
machines are being unloaded three
at time, and present the essential
admission card.
After checking overcoat and hat
you get in another line, this time
a line of women in rainbow colored
gowns, and men in evening clothes.
They are formed about six in a
row, almost the entire length of the
long ground floor of the east cor
ridor.
Weary Wait i'm Line.
In the long, comparatively mar
row passage, the noise of laughter
and chattering is like the roar of
the subway. One man is saying to
his partner that he is willing to
with this regiment of guests the
president and his wife won't care
to hold hands when they talk it
over afterward. A weary matrOn
two rows back thinks it would be
so nice if the White house provided
rolling chairs like the ones at At
lantic City
With cheerful banter the crowd
moves along like an exotic bread
line, slowly working its way down
the corridor into hall, upstairs,
and into the main entrance hall of
the executive mansion. Here, the
marine band in the red coats of
it's dress uniform is playing a live
ly air, and some people begin 20
think the president is at hand. Far
from it.
The line is made to form into
couples and in that arrangement is
guided across the hall between the
interesting portraits of the two
most recent presidents-Taft seat
ed comfortably in big chair on
the left, and across the hall, Viii
son, looking as he did in the early
days of his administration.
Around the walls of the state
dining room the line serpentines,
on through the red room. and at
last, after an hour of standing and
shuffling, you reach the blue room
and the objective. Your name is
pronounced to the president by an
aide. The president shakes your
hand swiftly and smiles politely,
though you are perhaps the thou
sandth person in line and 1000 are
to come. You are then shot along
to Mrs. Harding who sweeps you
over to Mr. and Mrs. Hughes, and
from there you are directed at
once into the east room.
The handshaking is dispatched,