In China when people have quarreled their friends generally
invite them to dinner, where the matters in dispute are amicably arranged.
These are called "peace dinners". I would recommend that
a similar expedient should be adopted in America; many a knotty point
could be disposed of by a friendly discussion at the dinner table.
If international disputes were always arranged in this way
the representatives of nations having complaints against each other
might more often than now discover unexpected ways of adjusting
their differences. Why should such matters invariably be remanded
to formal conferences and set speeches? The preliminaries, at least,
would probably be better arranged at dinner parties and social functions.
Eating has always been associated with friendship. "To eat salt" with an Arab
forms a most binding contract. Even "the serpent" in the book of Genesis
commenced his acquaintance with Eve by suggesting a meal.
It almost seems as if there were certain unwritten laws in American society,
assigning certain functions to certain days in the week.
I do not believe Americans are superstitious, but I found that Thursday
was greatly in favor. I remember on one occasion that Mrs. Grant,
widow of the late President, sent an invitation to my wife and myself
to dine at her house some Thursday evening; this was three weeks in advance,
and we readily accepted her invitation. After our acceptance,
about a dozen invitations came for that same Thursday, all of which we had,
of course, to decline.
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