Evening star., 1933-12-10
EARLY DEPARTURE
OF ENJOYS NOTED.
No Discourtesy Seen in Rush
From White House
Reception.

The fact that all the foreign Am
bassadors and most of the Ministers
accredited to the United Staes left the
White House at the last Thursdays re-
cepion long before the President and
Mrs. Roosevelt had withdrawn to their
apartments sheds light on the marked
difference In formality between such
reception in Washington and other
world capitals. The affair last Thurs
day was the first diplomatic reception
under the Roosevelt administration.
Besides the charge d'affaires of the
Soviets, Mr.. Boris Skvirsky, and few
Ministers Of the minor states, there
was only very small number of secre-
taries left in the reception rooms Of
the White House when Mrs. Roosevelt
at 10:45 pm made a tour Of the rooms
to talk with her guests She found
none of the Ambassadors and Ministers
and their wives in whose honor this
reception had been given. As soon as
they had shaken hands with the Presi-
dent and Mrs. Roosevelt they all hur-
ried to supper parties.
While neither the White House nor
the State Department is inclined to give
any Importance to this, their departure
was noticed by everybody.
Etiquette Varies.
1t is true that in every country the
etiquette Of these official receptions
varies. But the departure from a re-
ception at the Court of England before
the King and Queen have retired to
their private apartments would become
a major diplomatic incident, and any
foreign representative who had the
temerity to retire before his hosts would
not remain for long persona grata at
the Court of st. James,
Even at the much more democratic
and easily accessible receptions which
the President of France gives at the
Elysee, functions attended frequently
by about twice as many people as the
largest White House receptions, not a
single diplomat ventures to leave be-
fore the President of France has re-
tired
The situation IS totally different here,
1t was officially explained yesterday.
There Is no compunction for any
diplomat to remain in the White
House after he has been presented to
the President; the whole matter is left
to his discretion and feeling.
In years past, and especially under
the Taft administration, diplomats
stayed quite while after they had
filed before the President. The reason
for their lingering in the blue and other
most elaborate buffet was served after
the Misunderstanding was over. Huge tur-
keys and Virginia hams were served
and magnumS of vintage champagne
were opened for the distinguished
guests. The Taft creamed oysters were
q dish relished by every diplomat, and
there never was enough of it,
Entertainment Curtailed.
n,1ripy tho c,,rcocciua aJ, i,,ie e+r
the entertainment was greatly curtailed
until under the Coolidge and Hoover
administration the diplomats who at
tended this select reception did not
get even special glass to drink water
from. Az Ice cooler with plenty of
water and some two dozen glasses were
placed on a table for the use of the
1900 to 1000 guests. The food and
drinks were scantier every year, while
the crowd became larger
The Ambassadors, are, as rule, men
Of certain age, who require their COM
forth. Their tight-fitting, heavily gold
embroidered uniforms are a curse to
anybody. To stand in line during en-
hour or an hour and half in tight,
heavy uniform, and then to get glass
Of water, if you were able to get to
the water tank, is no joke. Hence pri
vate parties we're organized by the dip
lomatic corps Immediately after the re-
ception, parties where food and real
drinks were served. Nobody could
blame the diplomatic corps for skipping
as soon as it had gone through the
most essential part of the function
the shaking OF the Presidents hand.
Last Thursday, however. things were
different. The new deal was applied
to the diplomatic reception, too. The
number of guests was reduced to a
mere 1000 and the organization of the
reception was better than it had been
in many years While the serving Of
liquor Is still illegal, the White House
offered its guests an excellent fruit
punch (non-alcoholic) and cakes. |
There were no turkeys and creamed !
oysters, but there was enough decent |
refreshment to enable the distinguished |
guests to apply the rules of etiquette |
applied in their own countries, which is |
not to leave until the head of the State /
has retired to his private apartments. |
Since the precedent of diplomats |
leaving as soon as they have been pre- |
sented to the President has been estab- |
lished since the days when the White |
House ceased to serve food and refresh |
ments, the official authorities in Wash |
ington are not disposed to see anything |
wrong in the diplomatic rush from the |
White House last Thursday It's merely |
a question of what the diplomats con-
slider to be in good taste. 1t has been |
pointed out that as matter of fact |
that this time they stayed longer than |
last year. The rush did not begin until |
1905 pm, while the President retired |
at 10:45. In the last few years the |
ambassadors withdrew as soon as the |
Misunderstanding ceremony was over.