Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29
Tales of Well Known Folk /
In Social and Official Life
American Diplomats Abroad Rapidly Advancing
- in Popular Favor-Ambassador Greeted in
Britain by His Military Title.

him and that in less than four months
he will be applying for a pilots license.
It was just this length Of time which
was required to perfect Col. Lindbergh's
! wife from a diffident amateur to q
| worthy, reliable pilot. It opens an i'm
mensely interesting subject. and more
eyes than those of Mr.. and Mrs. Lind
bergh will be fixed on the flying activi-
ties of Mrs. John Coolidge.
X n y \
Although the marriage of John Cool
idge and Florence TrumbuN will not be
written into the marital history Of the
White House, yet these nuptials possess
one unique distinction: They are the
first to take place out Of that vener-
ated national mansion where the entire
diplomatic corps. not present in. reality,
was represented by q beautiful gift
made in unison and a book containing
the names of the donors and a few
| words Of felicitation. from each. When
February was drawing to close and
the days of the Coolidge administration
were very few, Lady Isabella Howard,
| wife of the dean of the corps. requested
of the retiring First Lady an audience
| for herself and small group of ladies
| from the foreign contingent. Then with
gracious address conveying the appre-
citation of all the members Of the corps
| for the President and his lady and the
kindly wishes all entertained for the
| happiness of their young son and his
promised bride, beautiful silver and
| crystal centerpiece was presented, which
was engraved with their names on the
occasion of their union, space being
left for inscribing the date, and the
| gift as from the corps also was en-
| graved. A handsomely fooled red leath-
HOO IAa vtw 4IA NE al a
donors was handed Mrs. Coolidge, with
sum adequate to inserting the date
at the proper time, and even funds to
| fill the lovely bowl with appropriate
| flowers on the nuptial occasion. A
| simpler yet more sincere tribute from
this group of foreigners, knowing that
the marriage would occur after Mr.. and
Mrs Coolidge had ceased to occupy their
exalted posts, has never been recorded
In the national annals.
Lady Isabella Howard is credited III
Madrid as well as In Washington for
suggesting that the diplomatic contin-
gent act in unison on occasions which
call for the bestowal of gifts. Several
times when the present British Ambas-
sador was serving IN Madrid. Lady 1sa-
a gift book containing all the names
should be given instead of the old way
of those in affiuent circumstances pre-
senting what others could not afford.
and in the straitened conditions after
| the World War many were unable TO
afford anything except Of trifing value.
Auspiciously launched in Madrid. the
custom went to other capitals of Europe
and proved eminently satisfactory. Even
| 70 1n civ of HnMorC n
| potentateS on special days, one beau
tiful cluster is sent by the entire corps
instead of all its members swapping
the house with individual offerings. It
will be remembered that previous to the
| joint gift to Mr.. Coolidge and his bride
little Setsu MatSudaira received lovely
tea service from the associates Of her
father.
Mr.. Sidney Webb, who gracefully ac-
| guessed when King George conferred
and who is secretary of dominions in
the cabinet of Mr.. Ramsay Macdonald,
has automatically placated the social
dragons in regard to his wife. Mrs.
| Webb smiled and showed every evidence
Of pleasure that her husband had been
so honored by the King, but she deemed
1t a personal acknowled gement OF his
no claim. Hence, although her husand
must be known as Lord Passfleld, she
would continue to use the old name OF
Mrs. Sidney Webb" and the outcry
against this echoed from one end Of
the kingdom to the other. Mrs. Webb,
like Mrs. Philip Snowden, had shared
her husbands political battles all these
years, and in both instances they have
been called prime factors In the sue
cess and progress of their liege lords in
speeches and in the press. Many were
| inclined to blame Mrs. Webb for her
attitude in declining to become her
| ladyship and predicted the total wreck
of precedents. But Lord Passfield de-
| clined to get excited, said the matter
/ was not Of first Importance and would
adjust itself. This was realized during
the past week, when it became the OBJ
| legation of Lord Passfield to give state
| reception, and the invitations thereto
were issued by "the Secretary Of the
Dominions and Mrs. Sidney Webb"
Britain has accepted more numerously
the habit of husbands and wives being
has this country, and the precedent set
| by Mrs. Webb, it is predicted, will lead
farther. .
Miss Grace Alexander Roosevelt. the
oldest daughter Of the newly appointed
governor general of Porto Rico, will
| not be of the family party this coming
| Christmas. Nor will the two older sons
of Col. and Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt 60
to San Juan until Christmas. as both
have re-entered Groton. Miss Grace
Roosevelt sailed in the latter part Of
August with an aunt. and has since
| been entered in a well known school OF
Paris, where 1t is planned to have her
study music, modern languages and lit
erature for the next four years. There
will be, of course, visits during the Sum-
mer vacations and, perhaps, some
breaks at Christmas. But she Is stu
dious young person and quite commit
ted to her fathers passion for seeing
strange lands and curious people.
Named for her mother. she has grown
so remarkably like her that even friends
mistake their identity. Some young