Evening star., 1923-04-22
Alaska Trip 7-Year Dream
Of Mr.. and Mrs. Harding
White House and Cabinet Officers Homes to Be
Deserted This Summer for First Time
In Years

glance at Honolulu. but will tarry
for some time in New York. Washing
ton and other cities along his way to
Pacific port of sailing. Before
leaving England he presented to the
British Museum the sword, the hat
and one of the saddles Of the great
commoner who brought about the
execution of Charles ].
One of the most beautiful and artis-
tic homes in Washington. the Cuban
legation, has been closed all this sea
son, for the reason that the Cuban
senate still dallieS with the bill to
raise the rank OF it's minister to this
capital to that of ambassador. Mean
time. since all of the staff are bache-
lors. there has been no entertaining
of formal kind and the superb Louis
SieZe drawing rooms are sWathed in
linens. The Cuban legation. which is
fianked on the one side by the Swiss
and on the other by the Polish
establishments. was erected almost
as work of love by the recent min
lister, NJ. Carlos de Cespedes. and his
wife, who was Signorita Laura Ber-
TIM. an artist and musician and a
member of a distinguished Roman
family. The mansion was almost
three years in building and Nine. de
CespedeS spent the better part OF
another in Italy selecting the splen-
did Florentine dining hall equipment
and the marvellous leather and cary
ingS for the libraries and offices.
The main floor is of soft. lovely mar
BILE. But NJ. de Cespedes found all
that he desired in building material
in this country and also artisans to
serve his purposes. The suite OF
drawing rooms fill the entire circle
about the hall and are divided dis
tinctly into those for social purposes
when the chatelaine receives alone
the great salon when the minister
receives with his lady, and at the
extreme right a handsome apartment
furnished in the glories of Venice in
the days of the Doges, which is Il
private reception room for the min
lister alone and for ceremonial call
erS. The dining hall lies beyond and
is one Of the statliest apartments In
the city.
a small coterie of friends from
Washington joined Col. and Mrs
Joseph l.. Willard when the portra il
OF the former by the famous Hun
garian artist LasZlo was unveiled in
state capitol. in Richmond. The
former ambassador to Spain had
served a term at lieutenant governor
of the Old Dominion. and was conse-
quently the presiding official of its
senate. Neither Mr.. nor Mrs. Kermit
en- route to japan. Nor were the Hon.
and Mrs. MerEyn Herbert. the former
the brother of the bereaved Lady
carnarvon, who FASTENED to her side
when the earl's death was announced.
Though Col. willard has extensive in
terests both in Washington and in
Virginia, he does not visit either
! vicinity very often. Mrs Willard is
! the cousin of Andrew Jackson Mon
tague. sometime governor Of the
state and now member of Congress,
and also Of his wife. and she fire.
quently makes brief sojourn in their
home. Col Willard's portrait is the
gift of his wife, and Representative
Montague made Il neat presentation
speech. The Willards will sail shortly
for England, when they hope to lease
and perhaps buy a suitable country
seat either in the Scotch Highlands
or in the Cumberland district of Eng
land Mrs. Herbert, the second daugh-
ter, whose wedding was sOlemniZed
in Madrid shortly before her fathers
return to this country, is to pass the
summer with Lady Carnarvon.
1t is more than probable that Mrs.
Charles Frederick Hoffman and Miss
Marian Hoffman Of New York will
join the long list Of notable Ameri-
cans permanently domiciled in Eng
land. They have leased for the third
time the splendid domain. Blickin nG
Hall. at Aylsham in Norfolk with its
historic park of more than 1000 acres.
The great estate is for sale. being
one of the holdings of the Howard
family. which they find impossible to
retain because of the cost of main
tenance and the swelling land taxes.
BlickinG Hall was erected in the late
sixteenth century and contains a
baroniai apartment which is 200 feet
long and about so wide. with carving
of Flemish oak and massive stained