Evening star., 1923-12-30
by MARGARET B. DOWNING

The White House this Christmas
season has been more of COM
munity center in Washington than
ever before in it's history. The beau
tiful tree on the Ellipse and the sing
ing 'of carols with the attendance of
thousands of the citizens, just the
everyday Washingtonians unassoci-
ated with officialdom in the most re-
mote way, did much to make the
people say with junction, Our Presi-
dent and Mrs. Coolidge" For in the
intimate sense of rejoicing with
them and showing many points of
contact with the homely phase of
life, the present executive and his
lady have betrayed a deep under
standing in a. subtle way that not so
many years ago, they, too, were in
the ranks of the purely domestic. The
Coolidge boys are naturally of tre-
mendous interest, for they are the
iTSt youths in the old mansion since
Charlie Taft very reluctantly moved
into it from his place of honor of
being neNt-dOor neighbor TO Admiral
Dewey. All through the week the
cleaning residence of the American
Chief Magistrate has been the object
of affectionate attention and throngs
have passed quietly through the
northern park, looked kindly toward
the windows and in hundreds of in
every blessing on the occupants. All
Of which must have genuinely
heartening influence on the President
and Mrs. Coolidge and cannot but fill
them with a sense of compensation.
Though the good old fashion of
Keeping open house on New Year
day passed out of the National Capt.
tai at least a decade ago. there are
many homes where the great official
world pauseS for a brief courtesy
whether the chatelaine is receiving
callers or not. Many will stop to
See Mrs. Dewey who still occupies
the home in which her illustrious
husband spent his last years and in
which he went to his reward But
Mrs. Dewey rarely receives more than
a few visitors at a time while cards
will be received and in course of the
year, the callers may be asked for
an afternoon at home. Mrs. Elkins
as a rule receives her very old
friends contemporaries and associ-
, ates of the late senator from West
Virginia. Mrs. Hale will find her
card basket filled to overfiowing,
for she is seldom at home on such
crowded occasions. The official world
will stop at the home of the Chief
Justice and Mrs. Taft quite as much
White House as for their present
exalted rank. Without doubt there
will be scores of -wishers who
will pull the bell at DR.. Woodrow
Wilson's and these will include the
older diplomats, some of whom were
in washington during his two terms
and several of whom presented him
their credentials.
Col. and Mrs. George Harvey seem
supremely contented that their lines
will lie throgh quiet ways and that
they can discuss all topics as of yore
and without fear of untoward circum-
stances Mrs. Harvey has been aiding
Mrs. Coolidge in various amenities
during the past ten days and she de-
parted for home, which for the pres
ent will be in Deal, y. J.. and to
gather all her family together for
the first time in several years. Mrs.
Thompson, Dorothy Harvey that was,
and her small daughter will be with
her parents for the next year as her
husbands plans call him in SO many
parts of this and other countries that
she could not keep apace with his
movements. But the heavy responst-
bi1ities of London have left no trace
and the colonel is now light-spirited
as a boy. Somehow, he confesses that
he could not hear himself addressed
as Your Excellency" without the de-
sire TO laugh outright.
AS that would never do at all, he
habitually wore a scowl TO keep his
feelings under control, and he is con-
fident that the British never under
stood that his natural disposition is
amiable. Mrs. Harvey, who has what
might be called the downright char
-acteristics of the sturdy Vermonter
and who all her life has been accus-
toned 10 say what she meant, was
restrictions and the necessity of al
ways keeping aloof from general
comment on existing things.
from Peru to this Capital, DR.. Her
nando Velarde. Will naturally like to
pass his holidays at Lima, where
summer is in full bloom and all the
holidays are given over to picnic and
other al fresco amenities. Then there
are few who particularly enjoy hav-
ing two winters wedged into one year
and that is what all those journeys
from the south temperate to the
north temperate zone must prepare
for. Lima, which lies high in the
mountains, boasts of a salubrious eli
mate all through the year and an en-
, thusiastic denizen Of that ancient
city can almost keep up with a Cali
tornian in extoiling his native brand
ef weather. The new ambassador,
who will arrive with his family early
in January. will be under the neces-
-sity of looking for a home, since
Peru has never purchased an en-
baSSy, and the late incumbent, Senior
PeZet lived in Wardman Park Hotel
\ rumor preceding the new amba ssa-
dor is that he will select Il suitable
dwelling and his government will
buy it, the economical thing to do as
real estate goes in the National Capi-
tai Thus far Chilli is the only Latin
American power to acquire an en-
bassy. Several envoys have pur-
chased homes on their own account
as the former minister from Bolivia.
Senior Calderon, who owned a com
Portable house in . street near 18th
The minister from Guatemala. Senior
SANCHEZ Latour, bought handsome
rasidence recentlY in Now Ea rarrhira