The Washington times., 1928-06-21
NEWS AND GOSSIP OF SOCIETY FOLK
Speculation Being in Order, HOlO About
The Next Head of the Senate Ladies ?
The Vice Presidents Wife
Is Ex-officio President
of the Club-and Sena-
tor Curtis Has No Wife

tor GURUS has mo VILE
Spe culatio n being the
order of the day just now,
such. Of the Ladies of the
Senate as are left in town
are indulging in some discus
sion as to what effect the
election of a Republican
ticket next autumn might
have upon this organization
of official women, which
plays an important part in
the scheme of things in Wash
ington.
The wife of the. Vice Presi-
dent, you see, is ex officio
president of the Ladies of
the Senate. And Senator
Charles Curtis, the Republi-
can nominee for Vice Presi-
dent, has no wife.
Logical Leader?
Should he be elected, then,
the question would arise as to
whether or not his sister, Mrs.
Edward E. Gam, who has been
his official hostess, would be the
logical leader for the group of
Senatorial hostesse S, which
meets each week during the Con-
gressional season for At picnic
luncheon in the Senate Office
Building.
Lame Ducks
There is a certain faction in the
club, which, fearing that the
group is growing unwieldy in
size, would rather like in future
to exclude from membership the
unmarried daughters or other
ladies' (see Congressional Direct
oryl presiding over the homes of
bachelor or Widower Senators, as
well as the large number Of lame
duck members. The slogan of
the CluD - OIIEG q H1C1ADC1 al"
ways a member. Most Of the
women who joined when their hus-
bands were in the Senate doubly
prize their connection with this
official club after their retirement
to private life and their number
Is becoming so great as to almost
challenge comparison with the
number Of actual Senate ladies"
In the club. So there might be
some opposition on principle to
having a Vice Presidents sister as
presiding officer.
Under rather different conditions
q similar question arose when Vice
President Coolidge became Presi-
dent Coolidge. Mrs. Coolidge, who
had been presiding officer of the
ladies' of the Senate, automatically
retired from the pest, although she
retained her membership in the
club and has frequently attended its
1uncheons all through her resi-
dence at the White House. The
late Senator Cumnins, who as
President pro tenn Of the Senate,
became its presiding officer, was a
widower with two sisters who
shared honors as his hostesses.
And there was bit of discussion
as to whether or not the elder
would become the First Lady" of
the Senate group.
Precedent
She did not. The post went to
the first vice president of the or
ganization, who CHANGED to be Mrs.
John B. Kendrick and she directed
the deetinies Of the group until a
new election brought Vice Presi-
dent Dawes to the Senate and Mrs.
Dawes to the Ladies Of the Senate.
In this instance, however. the
set up was different, for the con-
etitution of the club provided for
the succession of the first vice
president in the event that the
president passed out Of the pic
ture. And Senator Cummins
wife, had he had one, would have
been no more eligible for the post
than his sister.
When the new Administration
comes in, on the other hand.
there'u be quite a new deal-and
it will be amusing to see what
will develop, points OF precedent
and precedence in social inter.
course in this Village Capital
having never falling interest.
Home From Harvard
The Secretary Of War, Dwight
F. Davis, will return to town to-
day from Cambridge, where he
went to attend a reunion OF his
class at Harvard. Mrs. Davis and
Miss Alice Davis will remain IN
washington for a while before
1oining the younger members OF
the family, already established at
Dark Harbor. Me-, for the SUM
mer.
The minister of Denmark, Con-
stantin Brun, will leave tomor.
row for Bar Harbor, Me-, where
he will pass the summer.
The Minister of Commerce of
Canada, the Hon. James Malcolm,
of Ottawa, accompanied by DR..
Tory, director of the Institute OF
Research, and Mrs. Tory, and j.
W. Pugsley, a prominent Can
adam railroad official, are at the
Mayflower for few days.