510 TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VII 



band, if they played a lively march, I think it was increased some 25 

 per cent. So they speeded up the band. 



I remember a good many years ago of attending a reception when 

 Roosevelt was president. Mr. Ingham, whom I see in the audience, was 

 there at the same time. This was an evening reception and at that time 

 the president and his wife, and then the wives of the various cabinet 

 members, stood in line. That practice is not followed now — only the 

 president and his wife. Well, after shaking hands with the supreme 

 court and the admirals of the navy and the generals of the army and 

 some of the other dignitaries, Mrs. Roosevelt reached back and got a 

 great bouquet — oh, it was this big around (indicating). She held that 

 directly in front or her in both hands, and it was amusing to see the folks. 

 We were standing just opposite the line. When they came in they shook 

 hands with the president. Roosevelt shook hands with everybody and 

 gave them that Arm grip. Then they turned to Mrs. Roosevelt, who 

 smiled sweetly and held that big bouquet in front of her, and that so 

 rattled about half of them that they just stumbled away down the rest of 

 the line and out of the door. 



Mrs. Harding, I think, shook hands with every one. Perhaps that is 

 one of the reasons why she had such a serious breakdown and we all 

 feared for her life for a long time. I am glad to say that she is very 

 much improved. I was down Thanksgiving Day. By the way, it was 

 on this matter of credits. We had a conference Thanksgiving afternoon 

 and finally agreed as to the credit measure at that time. I saw her then 

 for the first time since she had been sick, looking very well, still very 

 weak. It is evident that she is not going to be able to hold a New 

 Year's reception this year, or any other reception for some time, but she 

 is well on the road to improvement. 



I had a rather interesting experience at a reception — last spring, I 

 think it was. I was standing around waiting for the time to go home, 

 when the French ambassador, a very interesting man, one of the most 

 interesting men of Washington, Jusserand — he was there when Roosevelt 

 was president. I remember a story they told me. Roosevelt was in the 

 habit of taking people out on long hikes, and they came back rather be- 

 draggled, some of them very much used up by it. Among others he took 

 one day was Jusserand, a man not as tall as I am, or not any taller, but a 

 wiry fellow, a fellow who could not be worn out very easily. They came 

 to the Potomac. Roosevelt began taking off his clothes to swim the 

 Potomac, whereupon Jusserand did the same thing. Just as they were 

 about to get in, Roosevelt noticed that Jusserand had on his gloves. He 

 said: "You are not going to swim with those on?" "Yes, I think I had 

 better. We may meet some ladies on the other side." 



Well, this evening last spring, at one of these receptions, Jusserand 

 came over and said: "Mr. Secretary, I notice in the paper that some 

 sheep sold at one of your great markets for only 35 cents a head." I 

 said: "Yes, Mr. Ambassador, that is true." He said: "I go to the New 

 Willard and I pay 75 cents for one mutton chop. I think I shall buy 

 two sheep." "Well," I said, "I would like to see somebody try that, Mr. 

 Ambassador, and I think you could get away with it perhaps." 



I don't know whether I told you I think the most interesting experi- 



