SOCIAL SQUABBLE

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1929, Page 2

SOCIAL SQUABBLE

WASHINGTON EXCITED

SAN FRANCISCO, April 17

The United States lias been Kicking with intense excitement uncut a question of social status at Washington, but an element of humour was in,eeted into the .squabble when Secre.ary of State, Stiiu.son, was asked in a trenchant letter by Senator Norris, depuhiican of Nebraska, either to announce a decision on where Airs Edward Everett Garni, sister and hostess of Vice-l’resident Curtis, »Tiall sit. at

official dinners, or refer the problem to the World Court. The social war started when VicePresident Curtis laid before the august State Department at Washington a firm protest against its decision that his sister and official hostess should rank below the wives of the foreign diplomats at official dinners. Just- be.l-.'re lie rotiied at the end if "A larch, .Secretary i-Yaiik Kellogg informed S.r Esme Howard, the British Ambassador, and Ibe dean of Lite Diplomatic Corps, of this ruling on the -.eating arrangements at official dinners. Air Curtis was considerably moused and went personally to the new Secretary of State, 'Henry L. Stimson. to seek a reversal ol the Kellogg ord.er. The seating of guests at official dinners is one -of Washington's -social ■problems and it is Hie subject of great diidv, there existing an informal code >f laws on the question. It is even he thesis of books, some serious, since li t- hectic days of President Jackson, wln.-n tli* wives of sonic of his Cabinet refused io recognise the brill-:.* of bis Secretary of War, Peggy O’Neil, and caused, a Cabinet breakup. Vice-President Curtis notified the State Department that AI vs Gunn would be bis official hostess and he islced “full recognition” for lu*r as aicli. Alls Curtis died five years ago ind Air Curtis since made his home with All* and Airs Gann. # Senator Norris is recognised in the Senate as a master of wit and.humour, and his jocular letter to the Secretary of State injected a light touch in the perplexing situation confronting the society of the capital. While Air Stimspu remained closeted with his problem Air Curtis declared iie did not regard the ruling of former Secretary Kellogg that All's Gann ranked below the wives of foreign diplomats at official dinners at final. Washington was waiting anxiously for the decision, and there were reports of betting on what the answer would be. “I most earnestly urge you,” Senator Norris wrote to Air Stimson, ‘‘to hurry up your decision on the extremely important question that lias been submitted to you regarding the poslion at the dinner table of the sister if the Vice-President of the United •States. Unless, this decision is exledited, very serious interference will •csult in many important social activities. "Until it is known definitely where the Vice-President’s sister is ;oing to sit, it will be impossible for many socially-minded Washingtonians to properly shine in society, in accordance with their, social and financial ambitions. Many social functions are waiting anxiously and breathlessly for von; decision.

•ft is extremely important that society know, without delay, whether the Vice-President’s sister shall sit next to the dark-skinned official from Liberty or whether she shall he 011 the right or Hie left of the slant-eyed statesman font Shanghai. ‘SUFFERING FROM SUSPENSE.’ “Not only is society in our country suffering in suspense, but the question seriously affects our international relations. Tour predecessor officially gave notice u> all Ambassadors assembled in Washington as to just where the Vice-President’s sister should sit, and all nations assembled in our capital have taken official notice. This decision has been appealed from, anil the entire world is watching your official action with intense interest-. The League of Nations, the World I‘onrl. the maintaining of a big navv, the conducting of a. war ill Nicaragua., arc all important, and may effect the pejico -of the civilised world, but they sink into insignificance and fade into oblivion when compared with the great no stion that is now agitating the

" hole world as to where the ViceI' -xsio iii’s sister shall sit at the dintable.

“I have no personal interest in the decision. I' am only interested and I am writing as one of the common, ordinary citizens who, in a very small way, contributes in the shape of taxes toward the upkeep of this great mysterious social sham, which towers in importance over questions of national and international import. If you delay this decision too long, the common people of America may have their eyes opened, and may discover that issues in campaigns, usually fought out along national and international lines,' are second in importance to the social functions of our capital city.” "CIVILISATION SHAKEN.” "We have just emerged from a campaign where we • talked about the tariff; -we argued about farm relief; we secretly and covertly talked about the Pope; we were agitated somewhat about, world peace questions, the League of Nations and the World Court, hut the. common ocople did not seem to realise that these were all bluffs—that’ they were onlv deceptive surface indications of n disagreement about political matters and domestic

matters, when ns a matter of I'nct'llic real contest, as is now shown by-'tlm agitation going on in the civilised world was whether if we elected a Vice-President who was a widower and whose hostess was to he bis married sister, the entire superstructure and underpinning of civilised government was going to be. shaken !<i the very foundation with dangers‘of enntrovensies, even leading to war. unLil it could be officially determined by you

whore the Vice-President’s sister should sit at the, table, or indeed whether she should have a*iy din-

While you are deciding this question you might just as well also decide what is going to happen bo the vice-presi-dent's sister’s husband Just as soon as you have detetrminod where his sister shail sit, you will he confronted at one with the problem of finding a place at the table for her husband. Either decide it without delay or officially report a disagreement on your part to the President of the United States and ask him to submit it to he World Court Hoping that, without further delay, you may relieve official society of the terrible suspense in which it now finds itself. I am, very truly yours, G. W. Norris.” KANSAS 1 XI>J G N A X P. The Western capital ciC Topeka of the Stale of .Kansas, bom, of the Curtis family then took up 'he gage, Charles .VI. Marger. of the State Hoard of Urgent,s. of Kansas, publicly announcing he had urged ‘'Charley Curtis to gel his rights if it, took all summer.” Continuing. Mr Harger said: "Kansas will rally behind Curtis in his efforts to upset society rules of the effete East and put his women folk in their proper place in the parade. What are a lot of bejewelled Ambassadors’ wives, that they should he pushed ahead of a Kansas woman? The countries they represent owe us money. Until they pay up they should be modest and stay where they belong It is lucky that the Navy Hill was passed, for if worst comes to worst it may be necessary to fire a few shots to .--ettle this matter. Wars have been fought for far less cause” The fiery and stentorian Alabama Democrat, Senator Heflin, hero of a squabble at Washington, entering the fray, said: "I am not going to have this issue bandied about by a. bunch of diplomats dial l uring likes so many blackbirds. It is un-Ame-rican to chuck the hostess of the vicepresident down at one corner behind some foreign diplomats and not have her share equally with the vice-presi-dent the recognition given him.” Heflin threatened to introduce a resolution in the U.S. Senate that the Senate and House should declare that the President and his wife and the vicepresident and his wife, or his next of-kin and official hostess should rank accordingly at official dinners. Numerous suggestions were miade that the diplomats might solve the situation by momentarily giving up

Lheir precedence right .if a delicate situation arose but these' suggestions were pushed into the 'liackgroiimj, as several high-ranking '’iiffimhiTS of the corps let it bo known that they were not in a posiiioti to- v.nimtarify relinquish their' positions in'■‘the precedence scale. They pointed' out' that their Governments might seriously object and might possibly ' feel 'offended it they, as ropn'seiiiniivi-s in• .'Washington, were, to take places inferior io those which social and -diplomatic usage gave them There was a meeting at the British. Embassy and it was the largest since Sir Esnio Howard summoned tiie heads of the mission’ to conskier Hie diplomatic liquor situation a iter the Washing,loll police; .seized 00 cases of immune liqoiir consigned to the Siamese Legation. Evidently it was decided Irt recognise the. claims of Airs Gann and afford. her the position she had sought at social affairs in Washington functions, where foreign diplomats u-utalh attend.