San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-27
Function Which Had At
tanned Dignity. Of Institu-
ton Abandoned Following
Inauguration Of Numerous
Senate Investigations;
Publisher and Wife Away
Until Fall.
BY ROBERT t. SMALL.

Copyright by The San Antonio Light.
Washington, ID. c.. Mare 27.-In-
vestigation mania probably has put |
an end for all time to weekly social |
function which had attained the dig |
nitv of an institution during the last |
three years. This was the Sunday |
morning breakfast" at Friendship
the home of Mr.. and Mrs. Ned Nc
Lean.
The breakfast has included as many |
as 40 or 80 personages shigh in the
exclusive social circles of the capital.
Mr.. and Mrs. Coolidge, when the for
mer was vice president, were nearly
always present at the breakfast. Near
ly all Of the Harding cabinet was in
Guided and occasionally President and
Mrs. Harding themselves dropped in
on the festivities after church.
The breakfasts began anywhere
from high noon on. They were what
the English call ''hunt breakfasts
when they have followed a ride to
the hounds. The Washington affairs
were more appropriately church break
fasts for most of the official guests
arrived after the morning Sabbath ser
vices. To have an invitation to one
of these breakfasts was indeed the
hallmark of social prestige in wash
ington. 1t denoted place close TO
the throne, for President Harding,
the head of the nation, always was re-
garded as present whether he actualiy
appeared or not and TO break Dread
with the President and the first lazy
of the land always has been considered
the highest social honor that Washing
ton has to offer.
Coolidges Sought After.
When the Hardings were not pres
ent. the social honors centered always
upon Mr.. and Mrs. Coolidge who ap-
reared to enjoy these Sunday relaxa-
lions more than any of the other So
cial attentions they received here. Ihe
Coolidges were known in their wee
presidential days as the. most sought
4 after couple and the greatest diners
out" in Washington social history.
The investigations have put somei
thing of blight upon all OF the more
elaborate forms of entertainment IN
the capital and because OF the uns9-
licited prominence he attained through
an effort to befriend a member OF
the Harding cabinet, Mr.. Mclean
will probably not attempt an early re-
sumption of the social program when
was in full swing at his home up to
the time of President Harding's death.
n was stated at that time that the
McIean's social leadership in WASH
ington would not suffer an eclipse, be-
canse the McLeans had been quite as
intimate with the Coolidges as with
the Hardings during the time since the
Inauguration in 1921.
MAY Abandon Breakfasts.
The NeIears were the first persons
the Cooiidges, dined with after MT.
Coolidge had been sworn IN as fresl
dent. The dinner naturally was an
entirely private one. occurring, as !
did. during the. wait in washington
for the body of the dead President 10
arrive. ,,5
So much Of sad recollection would
attach to the hunt oreak1as!s Il
they were renewed that washington
fnIiv eynects them to be abandoned. at
Last mill n new administration be-
g;ns and new faces have appeared in
tbe higher inner circles. Secretary
Fall. nm TO the time of his retirement
from the cabinet. and Attorney Damgh-
ertv always were among the llvellest
snir;ts at the Sabbath gatherings
There are no indications that the Nc
Leans will do any social entertaining
=, or around Washington this spring
Mclean in Palm Beach.
They will linger late in Palm Beach.
Mr. Mclean hurried back there as
coon as he was released as witness
in tbe Teapot Dome proceedings ana
he took with him Ira Bennett, editor
az his Washington paper, and also
Jobn F. Major, the author of the.
samous Major kilograms and cryptic
Grams Major was one of the most
nngnacious witnesses the committee
has had before it. He volunteered
MI. Bennett was equally reluctant
and could not recollect any OF the
code personages mentioned in his tie lie
grams to his chief. When Senator
Cnrtis denied vehemently that he was
"nrincipal," Mr.. Bennett said If 1t
wasn't Curtis he be darned If he knew
who II could be, and the committee
let it go at that.
Back i'm Fall.
The chances are that when the Nc
Loans return from Palm Beach they
will go to their Virginia stock farm.
some 40 miles out of Washington at
Leesburg. The farm is on an electric
railroad owned by the McLeans and
lies within one of the most exclusive
sections of the old dominion.
By June it is expected the McLeans
will open their newly purchased home
in Cincinnati where they will remain
during the racing season at Latonia.
Then comes Bar Harbor and so Wash.
ington itself promises to be deserted
by the McLeans until possibly after
the election next November. BY that
time Washington's present state of
ebullition probably will have quieted
down.