The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-09-10
GHOST O. GAM
OUT AGAIN TO
HAUNT HOOVER
President Faces Battling
Problem of Seating at
Macdonald Dinner.
He LOSES EITHER WAY
Decision Is Certain to Irk
Mrs. Longworth or Her
Bitter Rival.
He LOSES EITHER WAY
BY RODNEY BUTCHER
NEA Service Writer

copyright. 1879. NEA Service AlO''
WASHINGTON. Sept. 10-Pre-
nnier Ramsay MacDonald's visit in
the interests Of peace on earth prob
ably will reopen the cannonade IN
Washington's social war.
And Herbert Hoover will be right
under the gun.
The summer armistice in the
Gann-Longworth struggle for pre-
cedence is nearly over.
Sooner or later this precious
little package is bound to be left
right on the White House doorstep.
And the British prime minister's
visit here is altogether likely to
precipitate that unhappy day.
Formal Dinner Looms
Mr.. Hoover, by all the rules OF
the game, must give formal DIN
ner in honor Of the distinguished
guest.
He must invite the highest off,
Gals of our government, and ex-
merits on social affairs fail to see
how he can escape inviting Nicholas
Longworth, speaker of the house,
and Charles Curtis, Vice-President
of the United States.
That means, of course, that he
must invite Mrs. Alice Longworth,
the speakers wife, and Mrs. Dolly
Gam, the half-sister and ofticial
hostess of Mr.. Curtis
Then he must decide where they
are going to sit.
It's TOuchy Situation
And that, as any one knows. is a
terrible question to throw into the
life of any man. AT this writing
1t is impossible to see how the
President and Mrs. Hoover can
make any decision which will not
infuriate either the Longworths or
Curtis and Mrs. Gam.
The only man who has made
env decision about Mrs. Gam is the
former Secretary of State Frank B.
kellogg, who ruled just before leav-
ing office that Mrs. Gam must sit
at table below the diplomatic wives
and then took the next boat Tor
Europe.
Curtis appealed that one, and
Secretary of State Stimson passed
the buck, refusing to let the state
department decide such matters.
Then the diplomatic corps de-
manded a ruling through the Brit
,ish ambassador, Sir Esme Howard
Score for Mrs. Gam!
Hoover and Stimson got together
and decided to pass the buck again.
Word was sent that this govern
nnent refused to acknowledge Juris-
ciction. but that of course any tav-
ors to Mrs. Gam would be appre-
ciated.
That left Mrs. Gam on top OF
the heap until suddenly Mrs. Long
worth refused to attend dinner
at which Mrs. Gam would nave
been given a better seat and the
only way out after that was to
avoid parties of any kind where both
women would have to be invited.
But there simply doesn't seem
to be any "out" for the HooverS.
To invite either the Longworths or
Curtis and Mrs. Gam to the pros
neCIlNG NAAAAAA~A
inviting them AL would be I'M
thinkable.
Not Apt to Refuse
The only break more unthlnkaoIe
under the local rules would be for
one of the two pairs to refuse
White House invitation.
Either Mrs. Gam or Mrs. Long
worth is bound to get it in the neck.
No geometrical formula has been
devised where guests can even be
ranked equally.
Most persons in Washington will
be glad to have the Gann-Long-
worth controversy settled. But
every one knows Hoover realizes
that he is going to have bad at
tack of the willies.
The embarrassment caused by
such frightfully important trifieS is
believed very likely to infuriate him.