The Annual Dinner 



23 



an infinite variety of professions. The 

 statesman, diplomatist, soldier, sailor, 

 writer, legislator and explorer rubbed 

 elbows with the capitalist, the philoso- 

 pher, the poet and editor. As was to be 

 expected, the geographical limits of the 

 United States were not observed when 

 the invitations to the dinner were dis- 

 patched. Lady Durand, wife of the Am- 

 bassador of Great Britain, the Ambas- 

 sador of Brazil and Madame Nabuco, the 

 United States Minister to Japan and Mrs 

 Griscom, the Governor General of the 

 Philippine Islands, members of the Rus- 

 sian and German embassies and the Jap- 

 anese legation, Mr. Anthony Fiala, W. 

 S. Champ and W. J. Peters of the Zieg- 

 ler polar expedition were among those 

 present who might be considered as 

 representing the physical divisions of the 

 globe, while the United States was fully 

 and freely drawn on, not only to form the 

 guest list, but to make up the membership 

 of the Society. 



"The time set for the beginning of the 

 dinner was 7 o'clock. After the guests 

 had been relieved of their wraps they 

 were presented to Professor Moore, who, 

 in turn, presented each person to Mr and 

 Mrs Taft. After the informal reception 

 and exchange of greetings dinner was an- 

 nounced and the company gravitated in 

 the most natural way to the tables. Each 

 guest was apprised of the place assigned 

 to him or her around the six long tables 

 and there was little confusion while the 

 two hundred or more men and women 

 found their seats. The dinner began in 

 the most informal way as soon as every 

 one had been seated. The tables were 

 laid in the conventional gridiron shape, 

 with the guest table raised a couple of 

 feet from the level of the other five.' Prof. 

 Willis L. Moore, as President of the 

 Society and toastmaster, was in the center 

 and about him were ranged the distin- 

 guished guests. The members of the So- 

 ciety and their wives and the other guests 

 and their wives occupied places at the 

 other tables, all of which seemed blank- 



eted in the mass of green vines and roses 

 that had been placed upon them in artistic 

 confusion. Pink and white carnations 

 were the boutonieres and dainty boxes of 

 Huyler's candy tied with pink ribbons 

 were given the diners of the fair sex as 

 souvenirs of the occasion. The menu was 

 all that could be desired, and after ample 

 time had been allowed for its service and 

 enjoyment Professor Moore drew the at- 

 tention of the assemblage to the center 

 table and the speechmaking began." 



The toasts which were all informal 

 were as follows : 



The: Toastmaster — President Willis 

 L. Moore 



Ladies and Gentlemen: 



The National Geographic Society 

 takes pleasure in having so many dis- 

 tinguished guests with it this evening. 

 We have with us representatives of 

 several of the great nations of the 

 earth. We have representatives from 

 our own Senate, from the Executive 

 parts of our government, from our 

 House of Representatives, and from 

 those who represent the scientific part 

 of our life. The National Geographic 

 Society extends to you all a most 

 hearty greeting. 



Before this gathering it might be 

 apropos for me to say a word in regard 

 to the National Geographic Society and 

 its members. My speech shall not be 

 long. Its membership has come almost 

 exclusively from the thinking, intel- 

 lectual people of this city, of the nation, 

 and somewhat from all nations — those 

 who wish to keep abreast with the 

 thought and activities of the world at 

 large. This Society was founded in 

 1888 by Gardiner G. Hubbard, General 

 A. W. Greely, and Mr Henry Gannett; 

 they are the three active spirits that 

 gave birth to this organization. Its 

 membership numbers over eleven thou- 

 sand today — an intellectual, thinking 

 membership of over eleven thousand. Its 

 receipts are nearly $30,000 per annum, 



