Evening star., 1937-03-14
By John J. DAILY.

Washington custom, Is done
primarily for the purpose Of
~ rubbing elbows with the
great Of the Nation. From time i'm
memorial authorities have been on
guard against the practice, but still
it persists.
When Franklin D. Roosevelt took
the oath Of Office on January 20, 1887,
the first President of the United States
inaugurated on that date, a gate
crasher stood nearby, directly behind
Chief Justice Hughes.
No one-not even the Secret Service
men-knew the e-crasher was
there, within easy reach Of Americas s
highest ofhcialdom. The only unin-
vited guest.
That, however, is nothing new to
Washington, city of gate-crashers.
With half a million population, only
few receive invitations to high So
cial functions.
For a fee, professionals teach out
siders how to crash gates. As con-
sequence, out-of-towners and natives
alike get In on the big parties.
Gate-crashers even make the White
House. An unusual incident hap
pened in the Taft administration when
the late Maj Archibald Butt, who lost
his life on the Titanic, was a military
aide.
At that time, President and Mrs
Taft entertained a celebrated choral
society from the Midwest. The
singers staged a concert in the east
room before small gathering. After
ward, buffet supper was served in
the state dining room.
When the choir leader lifted his
baton to start the concert his eyes
rove over the assemblage of bassos. A
strange face greeted the director. In
the back row, roll Of music In his
hands, stood gate-crasher posed as
man could not sing a note. All he
did was open and shut his mouth. Nor
did he know any one in the choir
And no one knew him. With plenty Of
nerve, he had joined the singers In a
hotel lobby as they started to the
White House; gone in with them; seen
che President and the First Lady and
had the honor of being put out by
Mai. Butt.
It happens every day and night in
Washington. Gate-crashex make up
an army Of invaders.
COCIA affairs IN Washington are 80
many they overlap. Gate-crashers
proceed from one to another. Some
times they cause considerable trouble;
get away with other folks hat and
cloaks. On one occasion the president
OF the Board Of District Commission
ers lost his hat at reception given
by the German Ambassador. The
Commissioner got an old hat in return
for his new one. He tried to redeem
the lost hat. A list of guests invited
to the embassy disclosed no one with
initials like those in the hat received
by the Commissioner. A check-up of
the guest list proved, further, that
more than 200 unlimited guests were
entertained by the German Ambas-
sador-gate- -crashers all.
War waged on gate-crashers in
Washington during the Coolidge ad-
ministration one night put the bars
against guest Of honor who hap
pened to be young John Coolidge He
came to party given in his honor
and could not gain admittance. John
had left his invitation at the White
House. The butler at swanky resi-
dence would not let the Presidents son
enter.
In the Hoover administration the
social whirl in Washington reached
heights prevalent in the days before
the World War-before Woodrow Will
son first put the quietus on social
activities around the White House.
Gate-crashers came in droves and made
the grade all the way from embassies
and legations to the Executive Man
sion.
With the New Deal, Washington
merry makers are at it again. En-
bassies and legations, homes of cabinet
Officers, Senators and Representatives
are open constantly for important So
eial functions. Gate-crashers are run
ming full steam ahead.
With 50 many opportunities for
crashing gates, professional tipsters
are back in the game, advising novices
how to get into the social swim. So
ciety leaders, apprehensive for their
valuables, are forced to employ detec-
tives. First sign of this was at the
$4,000 party recently staged by Mrs.
Evalyn Walsh Mclean at her home,
Friendship. Pinkertons mingled with
the guests, looking for gate-crashers-
and throwing them out on their ears
A party recently staged in down.
town hotel by Acting Secretary Of War
Woodring for the first President OF
the Philippines, Manuel L. Quezon,
brought out new bevy Of gate
crashers. At two banquets held on
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