Evening star., 1933-04-17

of course, and Mrs. Roosevelt, and Alice
Roosevelt. was impressed with Mrs.
Roosevelt's marvellous faculty in han
ding people. She had a manner and a
smile that went further than any guam
tity Of talk. She is still the same.
When T. r. Was President.
Mrs. Roosevelt was a born hostess;
she not only followed the routine of
entertaining officials whom it was neces-
sary to entertain, but she was very par
ticular about invitations to her smaller
dinners, and carefully selected the
guests. Groups at her table were always
in congenial company.
The simplicity of the home life OF the
Theodore Roosevelts was topic of IA
vorable discussion. II was related of
President Roosevelt that he objected to
the regulation whereby a woman would
rise when he entered a room. He used
to explode, I'm a gentleman and I
don't want to have women getting up
when I come in
In the Taft administration there we're
marked changes in White House man.
agement. The Tafts used automobiles
for the first time. Colored servants in
livery replaced the frock-coated ushers.
Mrs. Taft had genius for management.
Her dinners were not served by caterer,
but come from the White House kitchen.
While Mrs. Taft gave the impression Of
shyness, even GOODNESS. among new ac-
quaintances, her friends knew her as
tactful and thoughtful
When the Tafts came to Washington
everybody knew the new President had
not save money during his long years
OF public office. Mrs. Taft had been
obliged to worry over expenses. She
continued to keep her eye on economies
in the White House, but did not let
that interfere with the quality of en-
+ -tertaining
Comparative quiet settled on the
White House with the Wilson family
The first Mrs. Wilson and her daugh-
ters cared little for formal affairs. Mrs.
Wilson was an artist and lover of
beauty. and she busted herself with the
White House grounds.
The second Mrs. Wilson I did not
know before her White House days, but
I have learned to admire her since. In
the short period she was in a position
to entertain at the White House. be-
tween her marriage in 1915 and the
entrance Of this country into the war;
she was brilliant hostess After the
war came President Wilson's illness.
The White House was thrown open
again when the Hardings arrived, in
1921. Gayety with Mrs. Harding came
second only to her interest in her hus-
band. Another genius in the manage
ment of social affairs had taken her
place as First Lady. Mrs. Harding's
talents were not primarily social, how
ever. Few If any women in America
have understood politics as we'll as she,
nor has there been another with more
influence over her husbands career.
The next First Lady. Mrs Coolidge,
is remembered in Washington for her
laughter. I can think of no one who
laughs SO joyously, or whose laughter is
such delight to hear. I liked to 20
around with Grace Coolidge, not only
to be with her. but to watch the fasci-
nation she had for people. If there Is
instantly, but for her there is nothing
amusing in the witty speech uttered to
hurt some ones feelings.
Kindness Is also shining quality Of
her successor, Mrs. Hoover, who, al
though she has more sedate manner
and doubtless greater depth Of mind
than most of the women she knows, has
the faculty of making them all her
friends. I should say thoughtfulness
and her quick smile are her chief dis
tinctions
Tomorrow. concluding the series:
Why, We Lost in 1882 and How We
Shall Come BackD
Copyright. 1888. by North American News
nd naII