Evening star., 1928-12-30
Tales of Well Known Folk
In Social and Official Life
Items of Interest and Personal Sketches Collected
in Review of Affairs In Old and
Eli New World

who holds diplomatic rank, as does the
representative of Australia in the Unit
ed States. In Dublin several of the
new members of the corps will arrive
before the new year and Mr.. Sterling
can preen his modest feathers. Natur-
ally he can wear no gold lace nor rich
embroideries. but he can pin a decora-
ton or two, especially that conferred
for heroic service in the stormy days
of Chinese civil war and on several
occasions in London during the World
War. None of the commonwealths of
the British Empire cares to assume a
diplomatic uniform, although as part
| of the British Empire they could, If
they requested 1t, get highly decora-
tive one from the college of heralds.
But they prefer the plain Western style
of apparel.
X X X X
Mr.. Gist Blair, who has for years
occupied the fine mansion of his father,
Montgomery Blair. Postmaster General
in the Lincoln cabinet, has on the en-
trance portico two marble baskets of
fruit Aage-old emblems of hospitality
and good cheer. These baskets are
especially timely now, and they appear
to be the sole survivors of such en-
blems, once often seen at the vestibules
of the older houses of Washington and
its mother city, Georgetown. The
Blair mansion, which has been appro-
priately marked by the Historic Sites
Commission, is an evidence that Penn
Sylvania avenue, from Fifteenth street
to the confines of Georgetown once was
the Mayfair of the Capitals residential
section. But with few exceptions this
distinction has passed. Graceful mar
BILE baskets of fruit were one time to
be seen on the cleaning white portico
of the Bancroft house nearby. But
at Christmas-tide some evidences of
good cheer are visible. Mrs. Charles
Boughton Wood has on her doorstep
a basket of holly tied with gay red rib
bons, but this way of bidding the passer-
by the compliments of the season is not
so universally observed as it was even
10 years ago. The Italian Ambassador,
like Col. Blair, has a permanent en-
blem of welcome and hospitality at
the front door of the Italian establish
ment on Sixteenth and Fuller streets.
These are cleaning, highly polished
discs of brass placed on each of the
panels of the double carved mahogany
doors. One means welcome and the
other conveys, in the ancient form of
mates in offering hospitality.
Xxx x
When Mr.. Myron Herrick purchased
the palatial mansion in Paris of former
President Grevy of France in 1924 for
something less than $4,000 he Sc
cured a memorable bargain for his
country in the long-discussed site for
a permanent United States embassy in
Paris. M. Grevy had died and left
several heirs, all of whom wished the
estate divided, and they avidly seized
on the gold which the Ambassador Of
fered instead of the rapidly declining
franc. Then Mrs. Auguste Wilson,
daughter OF President Grevy, liked the
idea that the property should pass into
ernment, as her husbands father was
a native of Pennsylvania who came to
Paris on a business venture. The Gov
ernment appropriated 100000 for the
embassy in Paris, and in 1919 this sum
was Sneered at in all real estate circles
of world capitals. M. Grevy spent
more than a million dollars, or 500,-
000, 900 francs, on his mansion, for it
was built on land enormously valuable
and comparable to a site on Lafayette
Square in Washington or on the busy
streets intersected by parks and Gov
ernment buildings. After being re-
munerated for the sum he spent the
Ambassador had tidy sum left for
furnishings, and Mrs. Parmely Herrick,
his daughter-in-law, has proved to be
an excellent person to perform this
valuable service Besides this, many
generous Americans who pass much
time in Paris have presented fine paint
ings, rugs and historic bric-a-brac.
Among these are Mrs. ,Whilelaw Reid,
who furnished superbly a bedroom
suite in the new embassy, and her
brother, Mr.. Ogden Mills, who main
tains a permanent home in Paris,
presented modern paintings. Mrs. Vim
cent Astor gave historic Persian rugs,
and Mr.. Thomas Lamont. Mr.. and Mrs.
George Widener, Mrs. Hamilton Rice
and Mr. John Ridgeley Carter have
expressed a desire to aid in the equip
ment if the Ambassador will name
articles he desires.
X X X
Alexander I of Jugoslavia celebrated
his fortieth birthday during the past
week but modestly refused to make the
occasion other than a domestic event
in the palace. Among Europe's young
est monarchs, this scion of the peasant