Evening star., 1939-04-23
BY PAULINE FREDERICK.

(Released by the North American News
paper Alliance. Inc)
Inc State Department and British
Embassy may have ideas in common
on some of the issues of the day,
but not on social climbers. Uncle
Sans protocol experts and his
Britannia majesty's representatives
part company when it comes to the
method Of handling the multitude
clamoring for invitations to the off,
cial parties for King George and
Queen Elizabeth, when they visit the
United States June 8 to II.
Both the State Department and
embassy admit receiving requests
every day for invitations to the
coming State functions for the
British sovereigns-the pleas for
White House engraved cards going
to Secretary Hull's aides, while Sir
Ronald Lindsay's staff opens those
asking for embassy bids.
How many of these appeals have
been received to date, none will say,
but both American and British Off
cials agree that the number can be
characterized as many" The let
tiers going to the State Department
are from Everybody" regardless of
society rank, if any. Many of those
received at the embassy are from
persons of British connections and
come from other parts of the coun-
try.
Views Seem to Diverge.
How these requests are handled is
the point at which American and
British views seem to diverge.
Something amounting to scorn
for the letters is evident at the State
Department. where they are being
fatty ignored. One official explained
that the few functions at the White
House will be so strictly official that
We won't get down to inviting other
people"
Meanwhile, at the Embassy, things
are different. Each request is being
answered by neat interim letter."
as it is called, which tells the re-
cipient in diplomatic language that
his request has been noted. When
plans for the functions at the En-
bassy have been completed. it will
be determined whether such a re-
quest may be granted. If not, the
interim letter" closes the matter.
Policy of Lady Lindsay.
Back of the British Embassy's So
cial policy stands an American
born woman. Lady Lindsay. whose
drawing room diplomacy has made
her one of Washington outstand-
ing official hostesses for the past
nine years.
When King George and Queen
Elizabeth set foot in the red brick
Embassy on Massachusetts, avenue,
Lady Lindsay will become the first
American-born British woman to
be their hostess.
If the state function in honor
OF the rulers is to be inside the EN-
bassy proper, it will undoubtedly
move with the same precision that
has marked the innumerable social
events there under the guidance of
the present chatelaine, whose calling
list ranks next to that of the White
House in size, and eutdoes that of
any other British embassy in the
world. All II members of the do
mestic staff have been carefully
trained in their respective duties
and will be equal to handling all
arrangements for the state visit
without any additions to the regu-
lar number of servants. Lady Lind
say always personally selects her
guest list and plans her menus for
official dinners.
Garden Her Special Interest
If the state function in honor
OF the British rulers is to be held
In the spacious gardens, already
famous for Lindsay parties, it is
particularly fitting that Lady Lind
say should be hostess. The gardens
have always been her special inter-
est. Her profession of landscape
gardener and architect, which she
followed as Elizabeth Sherman Hoyt
before her marriage, has expressed
itself since she came to Washington
in making the Embassy grounds
one of the show spots of the Capital.
1t was in pre-war Washington
that Elizabeth Hoyt first met Rom
aid Lindsay, then third secretary
OF the solemn embassy that crowded
the Connecticut avenue sidewalk.
He became engaged to marry her
cousin. In 1918, the first Mrs. Lind
say died. In 1924, Miss Hoyt be-
came the British diplomat's bride