Evening star., 1925-10-18
BY MARGARET b. DOWNING.

Bl MARGARET Is. DONNING.
The Ambassador to Japan and Mrs.
Charles MacEeagh have been for
some years quiet, though regarded as
forceful members of Washington 5
Semi-otficial circles. Mr. Edgar Addi-
son BanCroft's successor in Toxic is
an example Of what might he called
hereditary talents in stateCraft and
diplomacy. since he is the son of the
late Wayne MacNeagh. for SO many
years brilliant exponent of the
American foreign service. He is the
cousin of Franklin MacVeagh. Presi-
dent Taft'S Secretary of the Treasury
The MacNeaghS We're proprietors of
rich farms in Chester County. Pa.
and the foundation of their large for
tune was in food staples and fruit
trees. The new Ambassador to Toxic
has spent many years in Washington
and has maintained a hoSpitable home
at 1870 New Hampshire avenue. MrS.
MaCNeagh before her marriage IN
1887, was Miss Fannie Davenport
Rogers of Buffalo y. Y. In their
early married life they We're frequent
" the guests of the late Mr.. and Mrs.
Wayne NlacVeagh in their home.
which for 10 years was at 1919 Massa-
NacNeagh. sistor of the diplomatist
reigned as a belle in this house, and
her marriage to Frederic Z. Smith oC-
CURED there some 20 years ago.
The Charles NaCNeaghS and the for
mer Secretary of the Treasury, Frank
lin MacNeagh, and his son Eames,
who live at 1855 Sixteenth street,
make a compact little company of
Chester County folks, who hold pleas
ant reunions with each other all
through the Winter. \ graduate Of
Harvard In 1881, Mr.. Charles Mac
Neagh took up the law at Columbia,
In New York City. and later received
the LII. ID. from George Washington
University College of Law in this city.
Mr.. Frederic Bancroft. the eminent
historian and author of the standard
life of William II. Seward, Is the only
brother and principal heir Of the late
Edgar Addison Bancroft, late AmbaS-
sador TO Japan. The lamented envoy
left no will. or at least no such a
document has been discovered, and
his fortune mounts to almost 81 .000,-
600. There is one sister, formerly
Antoinette Bancroft, now Mrs. Allan
Pierce of Waterbury. Conn. Frederic
Bancroft, who is one of the most
illuminating political historians this
country has ever produced, is. like
President Coolidge. a graduate Of Am
herSt- He took the a. r. degree In
1882 and later the Phi. ID. at Columbia.
After that he made the rounds of the
necessary seats of learning in Europe,
preparing for historic writing. He
holds degrees from Berlin. Paris and
Gottingen Mr.. Bancroft is known to
hundreds of WashingtonianS as the
capable and helpful librarian of the
State Department, where he served
for four years, 1882. He has filled
the chair of political history at Am
herSt, at Columbia, at Johns Hopkins
and in the University of Chicago. His
brother, the late Ambassador. was a
widower, but Mr.. Frederic Bancroft
is bachelor and has resided for
many years at the Metropolitan Club.
His last comprehensive work. The
Domestic Slave Trade was published
in 1924, and he is now engaged in
writing "A History OF the Confed-
crates"
Mrs. James Rockwell Sheffield, who
has accompanied her husband, the
Ambassador, TO his post in the City
of Mexico for the first time since he
assumed diplomatic honors, will pre-
side over one of the handsomeSt for
eign establishments which this Gov
ernment maintains. 1t is on the pic
turesque Gale de Londres in the most
attractive part Of the old city and
within easy distance of the President s
palace, the executive departments and
the fine opera house. Mrs. Sheffield
is from Cleveland. and she and her
sister, now Mrs. Herbert Mcbride Of
New York, had a brilliant social
regime as the Tod twins" There is
a young sister, Mrs. Frank Billings of
Cleveland, who is to make a visit to
the American embassy in the ancient
capital of Montezuma during the com
ing Winter. Mexico City opens it's
official social season together with
the rest of the world on January l,
and it's gayety, now that political con-
ditions are more tranquil, bids fair
to rival the glories of the DiaZ era.
The foreign colony in this marvellous
old city is always numerous. and re-
Gently it has almost quadrupled it's
population, a full third being Ameri-
cans, with a good sprinkling of Brit
ons. Though many of the historic
parts of Mexico City We're ruined dur
Ing the many bombardmentS Of the
civil war, which lasted almost Is
years. enough remains to make it by
all odds the most interesting munich
pality in the New World. Mrs. Shelf
field had never before seen the Mexi-
can capital. and she is taking keen
relish in sightseeing expeditions
planned for her by American friends.
She is the granddaughter of David
Tod, Ii former Governor of Ohio.
Mr. George Emlen Roosevelt and
Mr.. Samuel Riker. jr., of New York
are among those who, answering the
call of Mr.. Wynant b. Nanderpool,
president Of the United States Golf
Association, to build houses in the
fuckers Town section of Bermuda,
and so rally TO the support of Mid
Ocean Country Club, which owns a
large section Of land. The Mid-Ocean
club, which IS mainly devoted to golf,
though there are tennis courts and
swimming pools, was originally de-
veloped by Il group Of American golf
enthusiasts, who were to have pro-
prietary rights in the property and
to hold all privileges of membership.
So few Americans, however. sub
scribed sufficiently to the fund that
the Bermuda Development Co
has taken it over. and the president
is now Sir Frederick Lewis, chairman
of the board of managers of the
Furness Wyeth Steamship Co, who
resides in Hamilton. Mr.. Allan
McLane, jr., is vice president of
the Mid-Ocean Club, and he and Mrs
MCLane, who was Miss Edith Pratt
of Locust Valley, Long Island. are
among its active members Under
the new management, and at the ear
nest request of Mr.. Nanderpool, the
club course will he open to any Wis.