Mr Gerry Adams was the only one of the main Northern Ireland political leaders supporting the Belfast Agreement who did not turn up at the British embassy here for a lunch in their honour.
The embassy was informed after the lunch had started that Mr Adams, who had accepted the invitation, was "busy". There was disappointment among the British diplomats that they did not have the eight political leaders.
The Sinn Fein press officer, Mr Richard McAuley, said later that Mr Adams "was tied up with his meetings" and had sent regrets. The current situation at home "was not healthy", and Mr Adams had even considered not coming to Washington at all but did not want to be disrespectful.
The Northern Ireland Minister, Mr Paul Murphy, had to stand in for the Secretary of State, Dr Mo Mowlam, who was detained in London for a Commons debate on implementing the agreement.
The attendance included Senator Pat Moynihan, Congressmen Peter King, Richard Neal and Christopher Smith; the new US ambassador to Ireland, Mr Mike Sullivan; and staff from the White House and State Department.
There was a standing ovation for the Nobel Prize-winners, Mr John Hume and Mr David Trimble.
Mr Murphy told the gathering he believed the difficulties that arose last week over the cross-Border bodies would be overcome. But there would certainly be other problems which would also arise and have to be settled.
Areas which still had to be dealt with included victims of violence, human rights and equality, and the police.
Mr Murphy said that a year ago there was a feeling of near-despair and people were being killed almost daily in Northern Ireland. Yet the Belfast Agreement had been reached months later.