Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-13
BY MARGARET B. DOWNING.


among the box owners in the Metro
politan Opera during the season of
1929-30 as not having leased or loaned
his preserves even for one performance.
OF course Mr.. Morgan did not feel the
urge to recoup his losses on Wall Street,
as did many others who were con-
sptcuous all Winter through their alb
Sence from the musical events. But
the veteran international banker had
very good reasons for his procedure. He
was never devotee Of opera, preferring
concerts and orchestral renditionS, and
in past Winters when he presented his
box to out-of-town friends he was dis
pleased to know that seldom did these
visitors conform to the spirit which
animates the original group Of box
owners In the diamond horseshoe.
Many guests were noisy and late and
restless, disturbed adjacent friends of
the Morgans and caused unpleasant
comment. Next Winter. it is said this
example of not permitting any but
members of the family to use box will
be largely followed. Mr.. Otto Kahn,
who is president of the board of man
4gement, has whin1Sically suggested
that those who wish to lease or loan
should have small booklet printed
stating the rules and the traditions of
the horseshoe and giving a succinct list
Of "dont's." Leasing or lending box
Is entirely a private matter with the
OWIcI, IlOG even JlCkeIS pass
ing through the usual attendants. So
the owners who pay, roughly, nothing
less than $4,000 a year are to be held
responsible for the conduct Of their les
aces or guests.
zen. Charles Gates Dawes has per-
Naps displayed more than the Gus
tonary Impotence over the delicate
problem of presenting his country
women at court. This has always proved
one of the thorny subjects for any rep
Tesentative Of the United States in Lon
don to decide. Since his return to the
post the Ambassadors cup Of endurance
has seemingly overf1owed by the persist
ent queries as to whether, since the
royal reception was held in Buckingham
Palace, the favored ones were really re-
ceived at the Court of st. James. Gen
Dawes search for exact knowledge has
led to the explanation by the proper
authorities in London that whoever was
responsible for the use OF the term
"Court of st. James" was in error, since
It could never have meant more In the
FIRST instance than the Court OF st.
James Palace, where for couple Of
centuries or more all royal functions
were staged. But about 1887 the royal
encourage moved to the Buckingham.
St James Palace was in high favor in
the time of the Stuart Kings, but few
traces of their pomp remained to the
middle of the nineteenth century. the
fire at Whitehall in 1893 having ruined
much Of the fine brick edifice which
faces Pail Mall. 1t has been retained
more for its historic association as the
scene of occasional court functions than
because of convenience or special ele-
gance. The late King Edward rarely
set foot in old st. James. but his son
clings to ancient associations and every
80 often he stages the annual Spring
court there. Every court chamberlain
in recent years has tried to emphasize
the correct method by always using
the term. Court will be held in st.
James Palace" or Buckingham, but to
correct the error on this side of the
Atlantic was heavier task than they
cared to undertake.
Mr. Willard Huntington Wright is one
Of the native sons in whom Charlottes-
vile, Va, takes pride, but this versatile
author so far shows no inclination to
claim the fame which rumor anony-
mously ascribes to him as the S. S. Van
Dine of the popular detective stories.
Mr.. Wright, in fact, betrays all the
ennui of Sherlock Holmes creator and
those who like intricate plots bewail the
fact that IN the last Of these offerings
Philo Vance is definitely retired and the
curtain is rung down on the series.
But so DR.. Conan Doyle did with his
crime detector, only to rescue him from
what seemed certain death. Mr..
Wright, who is deemed securely over the
literary horizon in such serious studies
as Richard Hovey and His Friends"
What Nietsche Taught" several au-
thoritatlve volumes on modern painters
and modern music, proved to the hilt
that he could master that always popu-
lar form of fiction, the solving of crime
mysteries. OF the ripe years between
40 and so, this son of the Old Do
mtnion. has high ambitions to write
something that will mark him for fame,
but his friends assert that he is still in
doubt about his medium. Many hope
1t will prove the greatest mystery tale
Of the twentieth century's third decade
as Wilkie Collins Woman in White"
and THE Moonstone" were In the mid
die nineteenth century.
The Prince of Wales has blithely en-
tered his thirty-seventh year and, ac-
cording to printed comment in London,
he is confident if he maintains his
liberty into his fortieth year, he will be
safe. 1t Is matter Of amused comment
that while his chums and military
aides invariably select as caddies those
comely maids who carry the bags on
European golf fields, the heir Of the
British throne has demure, not too
pretty, young matron, who has served
MN at MS tavor1te French club in
Dinant for several years. Edward of
Wales chats with his caddess amiably
and knows all about her husband and
two children and other details of the
family. If birthday or other anniver-
eary Is impending, he adds something
to the usual fee as his part of the cele-
bration. He invariably employs a cad
die proper when practical, and it is lust
this Summer becoming so difficult in
parts Of France and In Switzerland, but
when only girls are offered he selects
the most sedate and apparently the
least coQuettish. Literary London al
ready accepts that the next King of
Britain-whose accession, they hope
Is to be many years beforehand this
wish the heir seems to indorse most
cordially-will be bachelor and figure
IN the annals as .conspicuously because
Of his single bessedness as Queen
Elizabeth did for her lack of a consort
Maj Georges Thenault, assistant mil
itary attache for aeronautics in the
French embassy, who married Miss
Sarah Spencer, daughter of the late
Judge Spencer Of Omaha, and who Is
the historian of the Lafayette Esquadrille
for the World War period and its COM
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