The Czechoslovak Review/Volume 4/Masaryk's birthday celebrated in Washington

MASARYK’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATED IN WASHINGTON.

The capital of the United States in which Masaryk received notification of his election to the presidency of the Czechoslovak Republic sixteen months ago was the scene of an elaborate celebration of his seventieth birthday on March 7. The Czechoslovak legation of which the president’s son, John G. Masaryk, is at present in charge, gave a reception in the ballroom of the New, Willard Hotel in which several hundred guests participated. Mr. Masaryk was assisted by Col. V. S. Hurban, military attaché of the legation, and Mrs. Olga Hurban, by Mrs. Henry M. Ferguson, sister of President Masaryk’s wife, and by Mrs. Michael Gallagher and Miss Ferguson, also related to the family. The special feature of the reception was the appearance of Emma Destinnova who sang Czech and Slovak folk songs, accompanied at piano by Mr. Masaryk.

Among the distinguished guests were Miss Margaret Wilson, daughter of President Wilson, French ambassador J. J. Jusserand, dean of the Washington diplomatic corps, Spanish ambassador Riano, Italian ambassador Baron Avezzano, Belgian and Argentine ambassadors, Jugoslav and Swiss ministers, secretary of the British embassy, the papal delegate Archbishop Bonzano, Admiral Rousseau, Czechoslovak Consul General Kopecký and many other diplomats and official personages. According to Washington papers the reception was one of the most brilliant affairs of a brilliant season.