Evening star., 1927-05-08
BY MARGARET b. DOWNING.

BY MARGARET b. DOWNING.
President and Mrs. Coolidge in show
Ing a preference for the circus follow
q tradition which has been accepted
as obligatory on the occupants of the
White House, and which has almost
q century of precedent behind it. It
was on March %, 1880, that the first
CIRCUS came to the Federal City, and
its advent wGs described by the Ma
tionai Inteligencer as "a grand assort-
ment of performing animals, which
could be viewed near the Center Mar
ket." President jackson and his
much-perturbed cabinet laid aside the
worries of state to enjoy an afternoon
in the inclosure, and the sparse popu-
lation of Washington, almost to the
last man, woman and child, was re.
corded as present. After this date,
annually the coming of the circus was
announce | in the local papers, first
rs an advertisement and then as a
news story, with the comment that
the President expected to attend.
But President Roosevelt may be
said 10 have placed the circus on a
social footing. In the various roles
which he filled before he became Chief
Magistrate he would foregather his
family and intimate friends and make
circus night a gala performance.
After he became President he invited
all the members of what was known
attend with him, and as a consequence
official Washington was as well repre-
scented in the tent as though 1t were
an evening levee at the White House.
President Mckinley was a circus fan,
and he delighted to invite a company
Of young people to the show, as Mrs.
McKinley's invalidism prevented her
attendance Many recall the Chief
Justice when he was President with
his boys and young daughter having
The best of times in the circus audi
ence. President Wilson from small
boy enjoyed the circus, and President
Harding also seemed to get a thrill
or two in the course Of the evening.
DIR. and Nine. Charles Louis Seya,
the retiring Minister from Latvia. who
expects soon to leave the Capital for
their home in Riga, will be keenly
missed. not alone among their col
leagues, but in many local activities.
DR.. Seya was a member of the Arts
Club. and frequently exhibited the
fine canvases of Latvian artists, and
there were many masterpieces in the
legation The retiring Minister had
been professor of law and jurispru-
dence in the University Of Riga, and
was among those who sat in the coun-
ellis of his country after the independ-
ence of the Baltic states had been
proclaimed. and aided in framing the
Latvian constitution. In 1921 DIR.
Seya opened headquarters of Latvian
independence in Washington and be-
gan an able and finally successfully
campaign for recognition by the
American Government. This came
when President Harding received him
as charge daffaires and appointed
Mr.. Frederick Coleman as Minister to
the three Baltic republics-Latvia,
Esthonia and Lithuania. DIR. Seya
served until 1924, when he was APP
pointed Latvian Minister to Esthonia.
Shsrtlv after he was summoned to
Riga to be minister of foreign af-
fairs. He returned to Washington on
his second mission as full-f1edged
minister in 1925.
The Canadian Minister, Mr.. VIM
cent Massie, has introduced a new
note in the conduct of his chancelry,
in n street and one which he pro-
poses to maintain in the permanent
legation, in Massachusetts avenue.
The front door stands open through
out the working day, from 10 to D,
and a genial-looking middle-aged man
presides over a visitors book. Those
who look in without special purpose
are invited to write their names in
this book, and the fat volume is al
most one-third filled, although this
legation counts barely three months
of existence. To the left sits gor-
geously attired mounted policeman,
looking very studious, with a high
pile of cards and an index at hand,
but standing to attention on the en-
trance of an official visitor. At present
the Canadian legation is in a retired
where the juvenile popu-
lation is at a minimum, but 1t viii
he a different story when the lega-
tion Is next door neighbor to the
Force School and the Scarlet-coated
corporal of the "Mounties,' who now
has such abundant leisure on his
hands, will no doubt be kept very
busy at the entrance to prevent an
invasion of the admiring Juvenile
throngs. The Minister and Mrs. Mas
sic, having many details to complete
in their new residence, could not per.
sonally receive one-tenth Of those
who wish to pay respects. Hence the
visitors book, and by this means the
Minister intends to keep track of
Canadians passing through Washing
ton and who, after the established
custom, will call at the diplomatic
establishment and write their names,
and also of those who are interested
enough in the Dominion of Canada to
seek its envoy.
The Ambassador to London and
Mrs. Alason Houghton with several
members of the staff, including both
military attaches, Col. Kenyon A.
Joyce and Maj. Stewart o. Elting,
were recently the guests of Sir Henry
Fairfax Lucy and Lady Lucy when
the celebrated Warwickshire hounds
made the run from Charlec0te Park,
just outside of Standardization
This is the very heart of the Shake
speare country, and those who know
the life story of the great bard recall
that he was hailed before Sir John
Lucy accused of poaching, and also
that ne worked for a time in Charlie
cote Mill, then as now the property
of the barOnets. Very likely the
scene, as the Ambassador and Mrs.
HoughtOn and some so other Ameri-
can guests enjoyed it. does not differ
materially from the Elizabethan days.
Sir Henry Fairfax Lucy is NJ. +. ii.
for the Warwickshire Club and when
big hunt is on the hounds run also
from bennington. Banbury and
Wellesbourne. Charlecote Park is a
show place and the venerable clipped
Yew hedges We're old in Shake
speare's days, and the flower garden is
filled with the homely blooms immor-