The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-07


Ainsa. This must have been the
last festivity on their date book
. before they, too. slipped away to
school after a holiday such as any
sub-deb might dream about. They
are an engaging pair Of young
sters, as alike as two peas lii III
pod, and as the nieces Of the popu-
lar Mrs. McNamee and sisters Or
the equally popular Patricia Ainsa.
they have had all sorts Of lovely
parties given for them.
RUT for all the gayeties which
have succeeded it. New Year
Day still stands out as the red-Iet
ter day Of the last week And the
world and his wife are still talking
about some Of the festivities there
Of. notably the Mclean ball ana
the diplomatic breakfast.
It IS odd how such function
which dates back to the early days
Of the republic. can be repeated
year after year under pretty much
the same circumstances and, iii
the main, with the same person.
mel. and yet have ali individUaT
flavor on each occasion. TO be
sure, however, 1t is still something
of a novelty to hold this historic
function in the Pan-Amerfcan
Union. The Bryans did it on one
occasion, and have a hazy idea
that the Knoxes did before them
but I refuse to remember back
that far. Then, as you know,
there came, a hiatus in the Sc
quence of annual breakfasts. due
to the war. and on the one or two
occasions when the Robert Ian
sings were hosts at this traditional
function It was given at their own
home and the guests were limited
to the chiefs of missions ana the
ladies Of their families.
So, after a lapse of so many
wears, the use of the Pan-American
Union for the breakfast last year
had all the interest Of an innova-
ton. This Year the ARRANGEMENTS
We're exactly the same as last, but
somehow there was a difference in
the atmosphere. 1t was q little
less brilliant, perhaps, due to the
absence of uniforms. To be sure.
the military and naval attaches Of
the various embassies and lega
tons were in full regalia, glittering
with gold lace and dec ms, md
so were the White House aides,
who were on duty for the day.
But with one or two exceptions the
foreign ENJOYS and the civilian
members of their staffs wore sim.
pie morning dress this time, where.
as last year, having come directly
from the New Year reception at
the White House, at which court
dress was de rigeur, they were in
Aui Q1pIOHldllC UNIFORM.
On the other ha id, this seemed
to be a chummier party, the
guests breaking up into animated
groups and bidding one another
Happy New Year" in so many
languages that one needed the gift
of tongues to take it all in. There.
were lots of new faces among the
corps, but the strangers were no
surrounded by groups of their col
leagues clamoring to be presented
that they could have no feeling of
stiffness.
I Asst year the spotlight seemed
to be centered upon the Ger
man and Austrian representatives.
who had just presented their cre-
dentials to President Harding and
were making their first appearance
at an official function. And eyerv-
body was curious to see Just how
they would be received. This wear
the new Italian ambassador, Prince
Gelasio Caetani. had the leading
role, and most engagingly he play
ed 1t. Everybody seemed to want
to meet him, or, at all events. to
get good look at him, and heard
his name whispered a dozen times
as trailed him up and down the
Hall of the Americas, to stumble
on him finally In the midst of d
mild filtration with Princess Bi.
besco,
He's very geed-ieeking. tall ana