Evening star., 1923-07-22
Mr.. and Mrs. Wright
Extensively Known
In Capital Society
Third Assistant Secretary OF
State Reached Post Here
Through War Record.

Mr.. Joshua Butler Wright, who, as
h career" man in the foreign service,
has. through the usual gradations,
reached that exceedingly pleasant
fos. in the State Department, the
third assistant to the Secretary OF
State, is we'll known in Washington,
where be has several times been sta
toned. Mrs. Wright. formerly Har-
riet Rodnkan Switzerland, daughter
of Rear Admiral and Mrs. w. III. H.
Switzerland, is as much Washington
ian as a member of a naval family
can be. and passed all her early girl
hood here, where she has been well
coined back by a number of friends
and relatives. Mr.. Wright comes
rom~Irvingto ton on the Hudson. but he
has been a citizen of the world for
many years. Should he determine
to follow the fashion of the hour and
write his memoirs, he has many ex-
citing episodes to reveal. For he was
In Petrograd when the fate OF for
eigners, even of diplomats, was rather
precarious and when the ambassador
from this county. David r. Francis,
was Kissed in the streets and his
dwelling and office stoned Mr. BUT
lef was in London when air raids
were the routine rather than an
event, and when dining in public and
private so often meant to snatch ali
one could handle and fly to a nearby
cellar.
1t was under the exciting conditions
which prevailed in London early in
1916, when the Teutonic armies were
at the height of their victories on
land and sea. that Mr.. Wright ana
Miss Harriet Switzerland were mar
ried He was then attached to the
American embassy and the young
cesple at once entered into the sub.
dued and rather circum scribed social
life which London knew in those
tragic days But before Mr.. and Mrs
Wright left London, normal condi-
tions prevailed and they We're among
the frequent entertainers of the nu-
merous Americans arriving on various
missions. Mr.. Wright, from being
assistant counselor under Mr. irwin
LauEhlin. had. on the retirement OF
that gentleman, been promoted to
counsel or, an important post, which
he filled with zeal and entire success.
Mr.. and Mrs. Wright secured pleas
ant home near GroSvenOr Gardens,
now leased by Mr.. Frederick Sterling
of St. Louis, who married Mrs. Dor
othy Williams McComb of this city
and the recently appointed counselor
of the American embassy in London.
Mr. and Mrs. Wright have lately
returned from the an-Amertcan
congress in Santiago de Chile, where
Mr.. Wright was a special repreSeh-
tative of the State Department ana
Mrs. Wright was Appointment hostess
of the American delegation. Years
of training in alien lands have pre-
pared her for every social emergency.
and she has. in addition to many ac-
complishments, a wide acquaintance
with the Latin tongue. French, Span
ish and Italian. She is the elder OF
the two daughters of Rear Admiral
and Mrs. Switzerland, and was edu-
Gated here and in Paris. With her
a
con of New York, Miss Harriet
Switzerland was presented to Wash
ington society during Il particularly
brilliant season Immediately follow
ing 5the Spanish American war. and
both were very popular. especially in
diplomatic circles. Admiral SoutEer-
land, then minor officer of Dewey 8
fleet. was, after the victory of Manila,
dispatched to take possession of the
islands of Sulu and to get the capitu-
latiop of the sultan reigning over
that watery domain. This he accom-
plished with such ease and with SO
many picturesque accessories. that
the entire chapte is more like an act
in opera bouffe rather than Il serious
achievement of the United States
Navy. Capt Switzerland was later
appointed military governor of Sulu.
and he was accompanied to his post
by his wife and two daughters. The
sultan promptly lost his heart to the
present Mrs. Wright and offered her
some extraordinarily handsome pearls
in addition to place in the harem.
Such an offer, as well as some
splendid pearls. it will be remem-
bered. was also rendered to Mrs Taft
who as the wife of the governor of
the Philippines made an official visit
to the gallant sultan's islands.
Mrs. Wright has not spent much
time in Washington since she re-
turned with the third assistant secre-
tary' of state from South America
and is at present making series of
visits with Mrs. Bacon on Long Is
land She will Ia Ter q the north