The New York herald., 1922-11-05
WASHINGTON. D. c., Nov. A.

W.
to vote, or to get votes, cam
paigning wherever their party man
ayers thought that they would do the
most good in getting others to vote
and vote right"-interest in Washing
ton is largely centering in our i'm
ported society. the gentlemen of the
diplomatic corps, and, of course, the
ladies of their families. 1t is melan-
choly interest. For now that the corps
is settling down to winter quarters
one realizes that the summer casual
ties have been terrific.
Not even the fact that the President
celebrated his fifty-seventh birthday
last Thursday seFned TO make much
impression. In fact! while he had d
birthday, it is perhaps rather exas-
gerating to say that he celebrated.
For he spent most of the day at his
desk as usual, receiving the usual
number of visitors. and having the
usual number of conferences, and
watching over Mrs. Harding out OF
one corner of his minds eye. You see
they were bit worried about Mrs.
Harding, she had been doing so well,
and then she had-well it didn't
amount to a relapse, but little bit or
a setback, during the cold weather OF
last week. but it passed away very
nicely
Still the President didn't have much
OLA birthday, especially as compared
with his ffty-fifth, when the people OF
these United States gave him their votes
votes of confidence--in such over
whelning numbers that they landed him
in the White House and, inciden9tly' "a
peck"-yea many pecks-of trouble. II
almost seemed as IL there was more Oh
ficial cognizance taken in Washington
of the birthday of the Mikado last Tues
day than there was of the Presidents S
on Thursday. though of course the White
House was flooded with kilograms ana
flowers and such tokens OF good Will.
For there was any number OF ot1lclai
greetings and assurances or distin-
~uished consideration, from the Presi-
dents down, cabled to Toxic. and the
Charge d'Affaires and Nine. Saburi en-
tertained at luncheon and at dinner IN
celebration of Yoshihito's birthday
large luncheon, for members OF the en-
of Washington. and smaller dinner
Just for members of the staff
And at that It was not really the
Mikado's birthday-only his official
''iour de fete" as Il were. For Yoshihito
was careless about picking his birthday
and arrived on earth in August, an on
season." when the celebrating isn't par
ticularly good. So they decided to nave
his official birthday in chrysanthemum
time, and picked October 81 as better
suited 10 a nationwide celebration
AS already suggested, the interest In
the diplomatic corps is rather a melan-
choly one. The long prophesied "diplo-
matte upheaval" seems to be upon us.
The summer casualties have been ter
rifle and there is no certainty that the
tale is as yet anything like complete.
One finds oneself wondering where the
lightning will strike next. True, the
French bassador and Nine. Jusserand
arc back: the rumors that Jusserand
would retire or be retired arc for the
time being at rest. He and Nine. jus
serand arrived last Saturday, and there
arc rumors that II Is going TO take all OF
the veterans diplomacy to explain to
Uncle Sam just what his country's atti-
tude toward the ship liquor ruling is.
One doesn't envy him that little job.
Others who Return.
Also the Belgian Ambassador and
baroness dc Cartier are back. though
she has not as yet come down from New
York. but there have been no rumors Tor
the last year or more that Baron de
Cartier was likely to be transferred.
The Swiss Minister and Nine. Peteh and
the Swedish Minister and Nine. Wallen-
berg have also returned from vacations
a.. 4rfa
It is eminently satisfactory TO know they
arc hack, for there are no more popular
members of the diplomatic corps. as Il
is now constituted. than these two
couples. And on the same steamer with
the Wallcnbergs came the former Min
lister of Poland and Princess Lubomirska.
equally as popular in Washington. but
apparently not so thoroughly in accord
with their own Governments. since they
have not come TO stay, but to make
their permanent adleux.
Moreover there is certain uneasiness
as to Just what effect the change In
British Premiers is to have on the Brit
ish Embassy here--and there are those
who do not hesitate TO say the Ambas-
sador will resign. as the italian AM
basaador Ricci has done since the
Premier under whom he was serving Is
"out." But while Ricci's resignlng af-
fects Washington society very little not
half so much as Celesia's would, for In
stance-for Ambassador Ricci has been
very little i'm Washington during the al
most two years that he has been the
titular head OF the Italian Embassy. and
never made much OF dent on the citys
social consciousness (Signora Ricci has
never been over at all) both Sir Auckland
and Laddy Geddes arc personally popu-
lar, and there Is real dismay at the
possibility of losing them.
Still, their friends In Washington may
we'll be borrowing trouble. for they have
been in Canada most OF this week, hav-
ing left Washington last Sunday for
Ottawa. to visit the Governor-General
and Lady Byng there. They took only
Mr.. Tenant. tho Ambassadors private
secretary--with them. and got back yes
terday or the day before. Apparently
they went up partly TO make a social
call. and partly so that the Ambassador
and, the Governor General might select
a Canadian Minister TO the United
States.
Washington had sort Of "hunch''
that Ricci would not come back, in spite
Of continued assurance from the en-
bassy that they fully expected him. There
was feeling that IL there was the
slightest plausible excuse he would re-
main IN Italy. And the excuse certainly
presented itssfN in the very complete
italian domestic upheaval. which seems
TO have hit the entire Italian Govern
ment below the King
But when one considers that already
there is no Argentine Ambassador. and