The Washington times., 1923-03-04
VARIETY STAMPS
LENTEN GAYETTES
OF SOCIETY FOLK
Dinners Disrupted BY
Command" of
White House.

VI Tic SApTSSSlOu t1aIuleS
without Hamlet" must have been
brought home to the italian am
bassador, Prince Gelasio Caetani,
during the last week or two. for
the guests Of honor at both Of the
important dinners he had planned
turned up missing"
In both instances 1t was some
thing that couldn't be helped,
since the Secretary OF State and
Mrs. Hughes. for whom the first
dinner was given, Cancelled all
their engagements because Of ILL
ness: and the Vice President and
Mrs. Coolidge, who were to have
been the special guests at the
dinner on Thursday night were
Commanded" to the White House.
Everybody - and a diplomatic
diplomat in particular-must recog-
nize the compelling force Of an
invitation from the President and
Mrs. Harding. But it must be ex-
ceedingly disconcerting to have
ones pet lions captured from un-
der ones very nose at the last
moment.
The same thing happened to the
Speaker Of the House and Mrs.
Gillett year or so ago, when they
had planned q dinner in honor Of
the Vice President and Mrs.
Coolidge-only to have their guests
Of honor hidden to the White
House for a dinner, more or less
ampromptu, for some visiting
notable, And I well remember
Mrs. Charles s. Bromwell's woe
when the British Ambassador and
Lady Geddes withdrew from her
dinner in their honor on one occa-
sion because q scion of British
royalty had suddenly come to town
and it was necessary to give a
dinner for him at the embassy
that same evening.
pRINcE CAETANI is bearing
out the prophesies that ne
would contribute materially to the
gayety OF the Washington season
and Is entertaining a good deal.
Not only has he had two impor-
tant dinners OF late. but he gave
o delightful reception on Monday
afternoon In compliment to Sig
nora Olivia Rosetti Agresti. It
wasn't a very large party. but the
company was carefully selected,
and seemed to include just the
persons whom the ambassador
most distinguished countrywoman
would most want to meet and
who would most enjoy knowing
her.
Earlier IN the day, Signora
Agresti had been entertained at
luncheon by the National Wom-
ems Press Club. and had told the
group of newspaper women as
osmbled something Of the condi.
ton Of Italy under the Facisti re.
gtme, prophesying tremendous in
dustrial development in her counr
Try In the next few years. Re-
membering some Of the prophesies
Eignora Agresti made to the same
group two years or 80 ego, and
how they have all come true, it
viii be interesting to watch de-
velopments. Signora Agresti was
entertained by several woman's
organizations, including the Con-
gressionai Club. during her visit
In Washington, and made her
Headquarters while here at the
clubhouse of the Association Of
University Women.
pRINCE CAETANI, who always
entertains at home and not at
Q hotel, as 50 many bachelor
hosts do, Il occupying an apart
ment at 1888 Massachusetts, ave.
nue. It 10 one Of the two com.
paratively small apartments in q
house where in most instances
each floor 10 given over to q sin.
gle suite. but for all that. 1t
boasts O long and beautifully pro.
portioned drawing room. with a
library or study at one end and q
charming dining room at the
other. It's the apartment the
Sumner Welles had for some time,
then 1t was vacant for q while,
and the last time was In it was
when the Marquis Alvarez de
Beunavista, of the Peruvian en-
bassy, commandeered 1t for the
recital which his sister, golden.
voiced Nine. d'Alvarez. gave last
spring, with her brother as host.
Prince Caetani's salon In at
ence comfortable and stately.
with some fine tapestries on the
wallis; and / hear that he is
bringing over more tapestries
which will outrival anything Of
the sort that Washington can
boast since the famous Draper
tapestries were taken back to the
Palazzo Ludovici, where they
originally hung.