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Show II Taft Will Address Suffrage Association. I . By Mrs. Louise George. Special to The Tribune. WASHINGTON, T. C. April 2 Has the president changed his mind? Well, forty years is ample Lime for a man to alter Ills opinions, but tho leaders of the H National Woman's Suffrage association, H which will meet In Washington. April 14. lire ardently hoping 'hnl William Howard 1 Taft Is of the nan:- opinion In regard H to votes for women us when he rend his graduating essay at the Woodward hlh school In Cincinnati, nn the subject "Why Women Should Vote" For the first time in America' a chief oxecutive will addresH an equal suffrage convention, and, con-H con-H siderln? the president's decided stand in early life, and the bias given to his opinions by Ills beloved maiden aunt. Miss Mildred Torrey, who believes in public rights for women, why, "perhaps," say the suffragists, "he may put himself on record for our cause." On account of her official position. Mr?. Taft refuses to be interviewed ou the suffrage question. H but several years ago. when her husband H was not no prominent, sho expressed her-B her-B self upon several occasions us favorliiK j the ballot for women, and laughingly said to a friend: "Will converted me." Society in Washington is too busy to feel a single thrill over the approaching suffrage convention. Easter week has brought a burst of gaiety In its train. College boys and girls throng the streets of ihi capital. Yale. Princeton. Harvard. Smith. Wellesley, Byrn Mm and Vassal-arc Vassal-arc represented in the Easter visitors and they brighten the lnndscapo as ef-fectually ef-fectually as the gay crocuses that star the lawns, the bursting bloom of the magnolia grandlflorn, and the brilliant forsylhla hedges, Belle Until Sixty. H The White House is overflowing with 1 youthful guests, friends of Helen Taft and Robert Taft. and the old and the young have started In right merrily to j dance through the remainder of a notable dancing season. "The American girl conir-s dut at G, and iu a belle until sho Is CO," commented a foreigner a few days ago, notln the many school girls who figure in Washington society, and as truly Is It said that Washington is the paradise of the middle-aged. For senators "and representatives, and their wives, whoso children arc grown up. throw themselves into the soda', whirl with the abandon of IC. The Christmas, dance, planned for the young people at the White House Willi fl so much Joyful anticipation, hnd to be H given up on account of the death of the H president's sister-in-law. The recent H tragedy of Mr. Lauglilln's death threat-H threat-H cned to upset the Easter plans as well, but Mrs Taft wisely concluded not to allow their sorrow to shadow the voca-1 voca-1 tlqn for the college hoys and girls, and 1 the dance of Easter Monday at the 1 White House was the happiest affair of H the Taft administration and tho begin-H begin-H ning of a week of unparalleled gaiety in H , "Washington. Mrs- Taft's sister. Mrs. H Louis More- has been of great assist-H assist-H once in entertaining the young people the past few days. Like the other daughters H of Judge Hcrron. Mrs. More is a hand-H hand-H some, accomplished woman, educated H worthily to fill a high place in socloty. j Indeed. Mrs. Taft is fortunate In having H so many attractive sisters, for they have H made it possible for her to carry out the H whole social programme at tho White House, without a hitch. Mrs. Laughlln H nnd Mrs. Charles Anderson, in turn, have j been tho gracious representatives of the j first lady of the land on a number of oc-H oc-H ensions. though Mrs. Taft has been able to take a more active part herself than j was anticipated nt the beginning of the j season. Shu has courageouiiiy stood lr-H lr-H line and shaken hands with every guest at several of the large receptions of the winter. White House Belles. Two popular White House belles of this season are Mrs. Taft's nieces, the Misses Anderson of Cincinnati. Thoy arc among the best known of the young people peo-ple In the Cincinnati smart set, in which the Tarts, the llerrons. the Andersons and the Longworths are leaders. Both of the girls arc brunettes of the slender, graceful type, and both nro above medium me-dium height. Miss Harriet Anderson, the younger of the sisters, Is a member of the Easter house party at the oxecutive mansion, while Miss Catherine Is the guest of the Misses Sutherland, daughters of Captain Sutherland. The White House dance of Easter Monday was followed by a ball at the German embassy Tuesday evening. In honor of Miss Helen Taft, when Countess Alexandra von Bernstoff, daughter of the j German Embassador and Countess von , BernstofT, was the hostess. Gayest Event Easter Week. ! But tho ploLuresquc sail loft of tho Washington navy yard was tho setting for the gayest event of Easter jWeck, the ball given under, the auspices' of the Naval Relief society. Mrs, Meyer, wifo of the secretary of tho navy, received with members of the committee. President Presi-dent and Mrs. Taft graced the occasion. Officers came in uniform and the gayly-gowned gayly-gowned women wore fancy hend-dresscs or full fancy costumes. Coiffures were fearfully and wonderfully constructed and adorned with birds, fruits and Mowers, and there were many powdered headH. with drooping feathers, and piquant faces beneath, coquetting with the brass buttons but-tons on tho officers' coats. Postmaster General "a Fuss." The bachelor of the cabinet, tho toll, fair postmaster general, Frank Hitchcock, Hitch-cock, was the host for Thursday evening, when he entertained with a ball at Rauscher's. Now, this eligible cabinet member, in spite of the diatribes the magazines are hurling at him, has cut a wide swath in society this season, and lie is a choice matrimonial target. No designing maiden, however, is able to boast of his conquest, though every woman wom-an to whom he Is attentive is convinced of his deep regard. His attentions to the gentler sex have caused the dignified postmaster general to be dubbed "a fiiBS," after the latest and most approved of society and college slang. "Cotillion Winter." A "cotillion winter" Is the title that hns been bestowed upon the present so-clal so-clal season, but that does not begin to express It. for tho light fantastic too has tripped many a measure not included in-cluded in a cotillion. Why. Uncle Joo Cannon danced a hoe-down at tho White House. He danced It In the east room as a llttlo postprandial appreciation of the president's thoughtfulness In establishing estab-lishing the prccodent of a speaker's dinner. din-ner. That Is not the worst: A few days beforo the historic fight in tho house, when the insurgents deposod him from power, Uncle Jon attended an old-fashioned ball at General John B. Henderson's Hender-son's and danced a Highland Iling. The leader of tho minority was not there that evening. He went to a caucus Instead, but his better-half was there. Mrs. Champ Clark was chosen to lend that quaint old-country dance, "Wcevily Wheat." and when she was "set to" her partner tho one-time senator from Fiko county. General John B. Henderson, tho most courtly gentleman of the old school left In Washington It was a sight to stir tho blood. "I don't want any of your'weovily wheat, I don't want any of your bnrioy, 1 want a peck of your finest wheat, To bake a cake for Charlie." Every one knows the swing of that old tune. A genius of a fiddler had come all the way from historic Pike county. In Missouri, to play it for the old-fashioned dance at Boundary castle. He made his riddle talk; he threw spells over the dancers and lured them back into a golden land, the land of long ago. Dancing Good-for Nerves. Mrs. John B. Henderson believes that dancing Is good for nerves, and she has hnd a dancing class at her home twice a week through tho Lenten season. The pupils numbered the best known hostesses hos-tesses in Washington, with the vice president's wife nnd a majority of the cabinet Indies-. A certain fascinating cabinet lady a member of this class, who Is several times a grandmother, but as light on her feet as a fairy actually danced down the Beau Brummel of Washington with Captain Archibald Butt, the president's chief aide, in an after dinner whirl in the oast room. With the spirit of the waltz shining in her eyes. she. failed to notice that ovcrv one had stopped dancing, and that her partner, the president's aide, was losing his breath. "Oh, I beg your pardon, she exclaimed, with contrition, when tho true state of tho case and tho aldo burst upon her, "I forgot I could dance down any one in the world, and you must forgive for-give mo this time." Even the Lenten season did not stop the dancing, for Ml-Caremo brought the beautiful cotillion given by Madame Loudon, the wife of the Belgian minister, when the "dance of tho tulips" and other exquisite flower figures, suggestive of the Netherlands, were Introduced. Always a Dancing City. Washington has always been a dancing danc-ing city, but the fillip to dancing feet came this time from the White house, even before the southern ball, when the president, selected a certain Southern woman. Mrs. Plerce-Horn, to bo his partner and sent his aide to ask for an Introduction and a dance. By the way, Mrs. Plerce-Horn has put away vhe pink gown she wore that evening as a treasure treas-ure to bo handed down, just as tho old gloves and Lafayette fans woro treasured by our grandmothors. and put away to yellow with ago. In fragrant lavender chests. Dancing has broken tho formamv of state receptions this winter, and changed the whole atmosphere of White house functions. It began at ine congressional con-gressional reception. After tho regular receiving was over, and the majority of people had been served In the slate dining din-ing room, the Marine band left Its station sta-tion in tho main corridor, went into the enst room, and played the most ravishing1 waltzes and two-steps. The Invitation was accepted by young and old. The presldont caught the fever and asked Miss Mabel Boardman to take a few turns with him, and a new feature as pleasant as this winter's Innovation of serving refreshments had been successfully success-fully Introduced. Difficult Art Mastered. Did you over try to dance with a sword dangling at your side, and threatening threat-ening to impale you? It is even more dangerous to llfo nnd limb than your partner's trailing gown. But the officer.? offi-cer.? at the army and navy reception mui mastcrod tho difficult art and the palm for grace and endurance was bestowed upon General Franklin Boll. chief of staff. There were more dear old relics at this reception army women who were buds in hoop skirt days, and "Just as ready J.o dance n ever ull they want is tho chance." said a well-known officer's wife; "all army women arc llko that." I believed her as I 3tonped to do reverence rever-ence to a witty. little old lady beside me, and who I learned was Mrs. VInnle Roems Iloxle. She was covered with old lace, and her gown was a brocade of an ancient pattern, dating back to the time when her deft fingers molded the statue of that great American. Abraham Lin coln, j-jer sicp was siow, dul ncr oyes were as bright as those of the llttlo school girl from Washington barracks who had come In an army wagon to her first White house reception. Beauty and Brass Buttons. Beauty rallied to the call of brass buttons but-tons in distress at Annapolis last week, when Washington buds docked to the hop given by middles and cadets In du-ranco du-ranco vile. Confinement to the yard Was the punishment meted out by Captain Doyor to tho future defepders of tho country, for the silence test, applied by them to Lieutenant Bortholf. The disciplined dis-ciplined men are not allowed to enter any of tho officers' homes, or leave tho academy grounds, nnd many an indignant flower-faced little maid murmured over tho absence of this fascinating element, at the dinners preceding the hop and the suppers afterward. Sisters and sweethearts sweet-hearts from all over tho United States come to dance at tho midshipmen's hops and rosy Hps from every section have called down maledictions on tho powers that bo for robbing them of so large a part of tholr rightful enjoyment, Tho girls arc not prohibited, however, from entering the academy grounds, and they were very faithful to their heroes in restraint. re-straint. Cruel as Commandants. The officer to whom the silent test was applied Is critically III with appendicitis. appen-dicitis. When he was placed in the ambulance am-bulance for removal to tho hospital a few days ago' the boys who stood about In bunches whistled Chopin's funornl march. As tho ambulance slowly drove away from tho unfortunate officer's quarters, tho funeral dirge gave way to the strains of tho "Merry Widow" waltz, which wore taken up all over the grounds, to show the hated officer that the men were not stricken with grief on his account. The first officer at Annapolis, who was tho victim of tho sllenco. it Is understood, under-stood, committed suicide, the second cither resigned or retired, and Lieutenant Bortholf succumbed to appendicitis within with-in a few hours of his awful punishment, 'which shows that cadets can bo as cruel as commandants. |