Evening star., 1923-12-16
Children S Hospital
Dance Retains First
/ Place in DC. Charity
Annual Event of Thirty
Years Shows NJ a r k e d
Growth in Attendance and
Popularity.

Despite the growing number of
benefit balls. the annual dance for the
Children's Hospital remains "the an
nual charity ball" of the Capital.
Groups of society women sponsor this
or that benefit. but everybody" goes
10 the Children's Hospital ball, partly
because it is given for such an ap-
pealing charity and partly because it
is the thing" to do and has been for
over thirty years.
The charity ball, which is to be CIV
en- this year on Wednesday evening.
January 2, dates back to the days
when Washington society was COM
pact unit and wnea everybody could
and did-work together for a popular
cause. II had it's beginnings in the
old Arlington Hotel. under whose
hospitable roof Dom Pedro. Emperor
of Brazil, was entertained and where
Albert, King of the Belgians. stayed
when he came a-visiting in his strip
ling days and when no one dreamed
that he would ever be king. And in
those days the ladies of the commit
tee made the salad for the party with
their own hands.
Growth of Attendance
For many years the bali has been
given at the New Willard Hotel with
the attendance growing until both
bathrooms had to be requisitioned and
supper served downstairs This wear.
as usual. the entire ballroom suite
viii be used for the dan ing. The
smaller room will be set aside more
especially for the younger set Moth
ers OF schoolgirl daughters who will
he home for the holidays, are arrang-
ing box parties and among those who
have already taken boxes here where
the younger element will hold sway
are Mrs Frederic Atherton, who Will
Frederick Brooke, Mrs. Cary T. Gray
son and Mrs. Price Whitaker of
Wheeling, w. Va, who is spending
The winter in Washington and who
VII share box with Mrs. Harold
Walker.
20 far the President and Mrs.
Coolidge have attended no balls. not
even the Navy relief ball, at which
IN former administrations the Chief
E%ecutiye, functioning as comman-
Quently to be present. But there is
ample precedent for the Presidents s.
going TO the Children's Hospital ball,
since up until the war and subse-
quenty President Wilson's Illness
Tut stop to his attendance at any
such function, the charity ball had
been one of the few festivities at
whiN the President and his wife
always appeared. The late Presi-
dent and Mrs. Harding, too. were
present at this ball the first year
they were in the White House. They
We're unable to attend afterward
because of Mrs. Harding's Illness
But the Children's Hospital ball of
last year will go down on record as
The only benefit ball which Presi-
dent Coolidge attended while he was
Vice President. with the exception of
the great ball for the Child Welfare
Society on the evening Of Inaugura-
tion day. 1921.
DistinSuished SPONSOR.
This time. at all events, the ball
VIII be sponsored by some Of the
cabinet members, for Mrs. Hughes,
Mrs Weeks and Mrs Wallace are
patronesses. and Mrs. Weeks like
wise has a box. On the long list Of
box holders are many women who
have had boxes year after year. nota-
bly, Mrs. L. T. Stotesbury of Phila-
delphia, Mrs. Marshall Field, Mrs
Robert VI. Thompson, Mrs. Charles
Boughton Wood, Mrs. Thomas Bell
Sweeney. Mrs Victor Kaufman, Mrs.
stephen +. Elkins. Mrs. John Crayke
Simpson. Mrs. George T. Marye and
Mrs. willard Brownson.
Because of the demand for boxes.