The Holly chieftain., 1922-01-19

ington before he was
The British embassy, great building on Con-
necticut avenue, whose warm red brick exterior,
has recently received coat of yellow paint, al
ways has been the scene of frequent social hOspi-
tality. Today 1t has, as ambassador and host,
genial and naturally social chief Lady Geddes
Is American born, fact which probably Is duly
appreciated by her husband today in more ways
than one. for this American wife of British am
Eassador knows what the visiting foreigners expect
and what Americans expect, and knows how to
coalesce things that the social current moves
smoothly although 1t must move rapidly
The Japanese are great entertainers. All Wash
ington likes to go to the affairs given either by
the Japanese ambassador Baron Shidehara, and
his wife, the baroness, or by his Juniors in rank
and place. Ordinarily the Japanese ladies wear
the evening gowns of western usage but OCCASION
ally and probably with signs of relief they appear
In the comfortable and beautiful costumes Of the
homeland A real Japanese reception is feast
for the eye and Washington today more than ever
before knows what real japanese social affairs
can be in picturesque effectiveness
The Baroness Shidehara, who left Washington
scme months ago with her children, has recently
returned. During her absence the ranking lady
was Nine. Saburi, wife of the first secretary of
the embassy, and in the absence of the wife OF
the ambassador she acted hostess at the great
formal affairs given by the ambassador. Nine.
Saburi formerly lady In waiting to the empress
of Japan. and her husband, Mr. Sadao Saburi, was
tutor to the crown prince. Both are clever lin
guists, speaking English fuently.
1t is customary for all hostesses of embassies
and legations to be assisted at receptions teas
or whatnot by the members of the staffs their
wives, sisters daughters and mothers If they hap
pen to possess them. One rarely hears of an enter
tainment being given by diplomat outside of the
official residences. 1t naturally follows that these
official homes must be of generous dimensions.
Cor, fayp nod Inv thp hOn, pOpo ppta
but the majority are leased. The Mexican gov
ernment has purchased the residence on Sixteenth
street of former secretary of the treasury, Frank
lin MacVeagh. for use an embassy. Russia.
whose emissary occupies an anomalous diplomatic
position, owing to the chaotic condition Of Rus
sian governmental AFFAIRS purchased the great
Pullman residence some years ago 1t stands on
Sixteenth street few blocks north of the White
House. Just across the street from the Mexican
embassy, the Cuban government has erected a most
pretentiOus legation to house Its representatives.
The British government owns its embassy and the
legations of China, the Netherlands and Siam are
the property of the countries which they represent
All the foreign official residences located with
in certain radius, wide one to be sure, in the
northwestern part of the national capital.
During the past few years and since the war the
embassies and legations have increased materially
In number. There are A official foreign homes
here Twelve of them are embassies and "a are
legations. AS soon as International relations are
thoroughly established between the United States
and Germany and Austria there will be two more.
Before the limitation of ornaments conference
brought the vast number of temporary diplomats
to Washington there were approximately 400 mem.
bers of the corps in residence here. Four embas.
sizes and one legation are presided over by won-
en- who, before their marriages, were Americans.
This is not large number compared with some
former years, when the number up to more
than twice that. 1t is interesting to learn what a
mixture of natonalities through ntermarriage
there is in the diplomatic corps of Washington.
For example, Rumania Is represented by Prince
Bibesco, whose wife, the princess is the daughter
of former Premier Asqulth of Great Britain.
The assistant military attache of the Italian EN-
bassy Is Captain Carlo Huntington, whose last
name indicates his American ancestry Many Euro
pean diplomats have contracted international mar
riages, but those from the Iatln-AmerIchn coun-
tries and from Asia almost invariably marry won,-
en- of their race. However, the counselor of
the Chinese legation, Mr.. Yung Kwai, has for his
wife, Massachusetts woman. They have large
family of children who, unlike the majority OF
foreign children in Washington, being brought
up us Americans
The past year has many changes in the
personnel of the diplomatic corps. Italy has sen,
ambassador, Senor Rcc Who with his