Last Friday' Brilliant Spectacle at the Ritz: Over 1,500 Guests: Beauty of Buildiog's Decorations The Washington Ball last Fri.
and best in the history of at the Rite was the biggest American community of Shangte' Following the reception of official guests at 9.90, the revelries continued far into the night. At the} time of going to press during the small hours it appeared that sunrise would still find guests dis: porting themselves to the strains 61 the two orchestras.
The building was packed from lop to bottom. Over 1,500 ate, drank, danced and made merry throughout a programme Of 24 dances and numerous extras which were generously supplied by the INKS the first guests arrived they ard working musicians
were greeted by a bower of poite palms which flanked the walls of the temporary matshed, buile with fu imitation brick facing. Strung, overhead were chains of red, white and blue incandescent Jamps, which extended through the main corridor to the inner entrance, Here the glance' fell upon the American flag draped over the door. Still further along above was a marine emblem, and hear by tho'senl of the Stars of Washington, on. which was paint-2 portrait of the Father of the Country.
The general scheme.of decorations by the itteo was simple itself, though the Ritz interior of course is elaborately decorated. In several of the rooms judicious use of flags and drapery added a national tinge to the ensemble which appealed to citizena and visitors alike.
The tingle. decoration in the lower ball-room was an, immense American flag hung behind the musicians, while in the upper dancing area two smaller. flags combined to form the background.
In the official visitors' room photographs of Washington and Coolidge fronted each other drape red, white and blue.
With the exception of an immens woven rug in this room there were no floor coverings any. where, the: hardwood itself being of a sufficiently decorative des. cription. The broken outlines of squares forming the motive of the upper ball-room floor is indeed a pleasing bit of work. The star, too, in the centre of the finely polished floor below created much favourable comment, The reception line was ready for tho.first guests and as they began to. arrive. at about 9.30 the committee were kept busy for the period. The. following received.the visitors:—Mr. Edwin 8. Cunningham, U.S. Consul-Gen-oral, and. Mrs." Cunningham, Judge and Mrs, Charles 8. Lob-ingler, Major 8. A. Ransom, 8.V.C), Captain V. Olsen, 8.V.C. and It and Mrs. E. L. McClos-
The earliest arrivals, pion meoting the reception conimittee were conducted to.the upper ball-room, there one. orchestra dispensed music while the reception. wes still in progress. On the conclusion of the usual formalities both rooms} Presented a brilliant apoctacle, Tron though the mayor portion of the night was spent in one of the two main rooms, there were still two others that had a worthy' patronage—the dining buffet and the buffet just above the former where liquid. refreshments were frequently inquired after.
As early as 11.20 supper was ready. Caterers of the American Club, assisted by 120 boys, produced prodigious quantities of cold meats—York ham, roast beet, corned beef, corned tengtic, roast capon, and roast. side saddle—salads, notate, beet, Russia and, many, pieoapni, " lemon and pumpkin and a. generous helping of coffee and tea.
The cocktail tree with its countless maraschino, cherries also helped to divert, the company. The plucking process, each taking his or her own cherry for the drink, was novel indeed.
The large committee which has worked so hard for the past week in preparing the building deserves every commendation, while the sailors from tha—Ameviean naval ships in port wha attended to the decorations mush feel that their labours have been much appreciated, Scme statistics compiled "by Vong Yui-ziang (Jumbo), enterer to the American Club, who fur ished the feed at the Washington Ball are extremely interesting, Over " ton of food Was caten—S) Ib. of turkey, 460 Ib, of silver di ham, 180. Th. roast beef 70H. mutton, 50 Th, beat, 30 pieces of corned engi, 180 apple pies, 60 lemon pies, 70 pumpkin pies, 200 petite' salad, 130 Th. "beat alad, 50° Wh, Rustian salad' ase 00 "Het degs," and. 190. loaves of Bake Rite bread, In addition 40_ gallons of Washington' cork tails, 60 of Hock cup, 30 of lemon squash. and 50 of loganberry punch. Authentic reports indicate that} th party. was atill in progress at [5:35 am. No.one sve to kam when the last. guest: dopuptid.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.