Evening star., 1924-01-01
Nation Is Welcomed by President
At White House Ne,U Year Rites
CONTINUED From First Page.D

reception line, a glittering array of
dashing uniforms.
There were princes from the orient
and titled men of letters from the
occident, nearly every one in uniform
and each breast resplendent with the
decorations of a grateful government.
NJ. JusSerand, ambassador from
France, and his staff We're the first
to be received, followed Immediately
Spain, and the members of the dipio-
matte corps in the order of their rank.
Judges Follow Diplomats.
Chief Justice Taft and members of
the Federal and District Of Columbia
judiciary were next received; sena-
tors. representatives and delegates to
Congress, the officers of the Army,
Navy and Marine Corps and the DIS
trict militia. down to and including
the grade of captain, and officers of
the different government departments
next passed through the blue room
to wish the President and Mrs. Cool
idge a happy New Year.
Immediately preceding the gen
eral public. officials of social, patri-
otto and military organizations were
received. entering in the following
order: The Society of the Cincin-
natl. the Aztec Club of 1S47, the AS
sociated Veterans of the War OF
1861. the Military Order of the
Loyal Legion Of the United States,
the Grand Army of the Republic. the
Medal of Honor Legion. the Union
Veteran Legion, the Union Veterans
Union, the Society Of the Army of
Santiago. the Spanish War Veterans.
the American Legion. the Army and
Navy Union, the Minute Men, the So
ciety Of Colonial Wars, the Sons of
the American Revolution, the men,
bers of the Oldest Inhabitants Asso-
citation of the District Of Columbia.
General Public Received.
And then came "the general pub
lto"-the men. women and children of
the nation. 1t was just about 10
o'clock that the first stepped up to
the northwest gates to the White
House grounds and said they would
wait to see Mrs Coolidge and the
President They were true har-
bingers of the non-political nature of
the crowd. too. for one was Mrs.
Catherine Carpenter, a democrat from
Missouri, and the other young
woman-"just republican"-from
Now York.
Despite the chilling winds that
swept down Pennsylvania avenue.
long lines had formed in front of each
of the north gates of the White House
grounds long before noon. and by 1
o'clock, when the public was admit
ted, there were thousands patiently
waiting to move by inches through
the big plate glass doors Of the main
entrance. In the line were repre-
sentatives of every state in the
Union and. perhaps, each of the ma
tion's insular possessions.
Only during the reception to the
diplomats and officials was any differ
ence of rank shown, and then only
to carry out diplomatic procedure
R2nklrG finQnnjarS and
en- high in social circleS-personS ac-
customed to being shown some defer
ence in their own circleS-took their
turn with the humble. It was the peo.
were treated without distinction.
The public was admitted through
the front entrance, passed through
the lobby into the blue room and left
by way of the east entrance. Extra
ordinary police protection was thrown
around the white House during the
reception. Inside the White House
police and secret service attaches hat
charge, while every street adjacent
to the grounds were patroled by
dozen or more members of the metro
politan force.
The public line will be closed a.
2.3O o'clock so that the President ane
Mrs. Coolidge may have some part o
the late afternoon to recuperate iron
their five or six hours of continuous
standing ana receiving. All thde eiii'
it is estimated that more than sever
thousand persons will have passed
through the White House in the pub.
lie line. alone and indications pointed
to a record-breaking crowd.
Traditional Setting.
The setting for the reception was
much as 1t has been for more than
hundred years, the advance of time
bringing but little change even IN
detail. The Presidents flag and the
Stars and Stripes fianked the doorway
into the blue room, where the Presi'
dent and Mrs. Coolidge stood to re.
ceiye. and the Marine Band! in two
sections was stationed, one on either
side of the great marble entrance
hall through which the main body ol
visitors passed to greet the hosts.
The members of the cabinet anc
their ladies, headed by the Secretary
of State and Mrs. Hughes, were as
sembled in the blue room when the
President and Mrs. Coolidge entered
at IL o'clock and they received thu
first handshake from their hosts. AL
most Immediately they took theil
positions by the wide doorway of thu
eign missions, headed by the dean o,
the diplomatic corps, were received
The historic vases on the even more
historic marbla nlantelpiece wer'
filled with fragrant flowers, and jus
back of the President and Mrs. Cool
idge were arranged a few tall palms
Flowers on the mantels in each room
of the state suite were admired By
the thousands of visitors hurriedl1
passing through and about the rooms
were effectively placed few palms.