Evening star., 1923-11-04
Tales of Well Known Folk
In Social and Official Life
Romance IN Career of First Cuban Ambassador
to United States-Mrs. Coolidge Relieves
the Social Monotony.

DR., Cosme de Ia Torriente. who en-
Toys the dual honor OF having been
on the same day elected president
Of the league Of nations, sitting In
Geneva. and appointed by President
Eayas as the first Cuban ambassador
to the United States. has had q most
romantic career. 1t is doubtful II
any other member of the exalted
circle Of ambassadors now serving in
Washington ever saw the inside OF
an American jail-that is, an occu-
pant AS young patriot. DR.. Tori
snte ran afoul of the neutrality laws
OF this country during the Cuban
,nsurrection in 1858, and because
Of his successful fllibustering expe-
ditions and at the instance OF the
Spanish minister, Dupuy de LONE, he
was arrested in Washington and
served a short term OF Imprisonment
in New York city. whittier he was
taken. Considered one or the most
eminent of Spanish publicfsts OK To-
day. DR.. Torriente is revered equally
for the services rendered the cause
Of Cuba's Independence, cause Whlch
ne served as a soldier In the ne!o'
as q diplomatist in the junta at wash
as a lawyer and statesman. He was
born in Cuba of the opulent class ana
spent his youth on his fathers sugar
plantation near Matanzas. He was
ward at the University of Havana
Ind at Columbia, New York. AT tn
successful termination OF the span
ish-American war the present Cuban
ambassador was appointed as gov
srnor Of Havana and was closely
associated with Gen. Leonard Wood.
He served first as secretary of the
Cuban legation at Madrid and then
as it's minister, and was recently sec
retary Of state under President
Menocal.
Washingtonians of the older genera
ton are much interested in the return
OF Mr.. and Mrs. Lewis Nixon, formerly
prominent members OF VANITY FAR, put
recently residents of London and Paris
They arrived last week on the Presi-
dent Monroe. Mrs. Nixon was Agnes
Do PHI. daughter OF Senator ph o,
Portland; Greg, and she She passed ai,s'
some years spent in New York and
Portland she returned to Washington
about ten years ago, when Nj. Nixon,
who is the we'll known inventor, had
some Of his designs before Congress.
made a brilliant debut here about 1897.
and was soon after married TO
Frederick Thornton. an Englishnan,
Who took her to London. Since her
widowhood, she has made her home IN
New York city, and her youngest
daughter is about to be presented to
society, and may possibly visit tne
NixonS later in the season when they
in recent years a very popular home
near Hampstead Heath in London, and
was as generous hostess to wanderers
from the Pacific coast, The late Joseph
Norton Dolph q as member OF tne
Senate when 1t was dubbed the Mil
iionaire SG.b, and his fortune made in
timber lands along the Columbia river
vas not surpassed even by thal OF
Senators Aldridge or Leland Stanford.
who served with him. The Family;
Concessions, and Mrs. Dolph died in
rather meager circumstances. Mr..
Nixon, however, retrieved the fortune
through his inventions.
Mrs Coolidge has been passing
busy days, for, possessing in
marked degree prudence and fore
sight, she has been taking over minor
obligations In the less strenuous
times, in order that later weeks may
innovation has been her reception of
small groups of women in the official
world, giving them san opportunity
10 call and meet her personally II
only for moment or two. This cere-
mony. happily over. they can go
about their other duties with an easy
mind for though Washington takes
official etiquette less seriously than
capitals are prone to, one hard ana.
fast rule relates to calling at the
White House at the first possible mo-
n1ent after arriving. But many MEM
bers of official society were embar-
rassed over asking for reception,
in view of the warnings issued SO
hn tYvna q nd
strength of the Chief Magistrate of
the nation and Of its First Lady"
Mrs. Coolidge. realizing this. has
xraeiously let to be communicated to
all newcomers the rules which now
hold and her availability on certain
afternoons. In the diplomatic corps
this courtesy has simplifled conditions
greatly. and has made for the COM
fort Of the late arrivals. The foreign
contingent Is now the strongest nu-
we'll az the most influential In the
Social sense, and at present counts
more than, three hundred persons on
whom every detail Of accepted eti-
tiuette is obligatory.
Washington is apparently ready to
acknowledge its tremendous esthetic
debt to Thomas Jefferson and a result
is an enthusiastic cooperation In the
movement to purchase his former
home. Monticello. and transform it into
= national shrine. Jefferson was the
first Executive to provide art and music
tor the young Capital, for it was during
his administration and largely through
his efforts that Benjamin Latrobe went
20 Italy to secure the services Of artists,
woodcarvers and various artisans to
give some semblance OF beauty and grace
10 the interior Of the Capitol building.
Most Of this work, particularly much
of the carving in stone and the first
mural decorations. were destroyed when
the British 9red the legislative halls
But they we're replaced In later years
tnd according to the original design.
It was these homesick Italian artisans