The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-01

also bv Ferdinand W. Peck. COMMISSIONS
General for the United States to the rams
Expnsition and Mr. Thompson, the pt"Je'
tor of IN. monument and director Oh the
movement which has produced H. INC
s,,,,.. will Ia unveiled by Masters Hus'aEe
uarnoaue lie Lafayette, greai-Granhsoh u
Tho General and Paul Robert ThompSoh'
son of the protector. These p"NS 90
respectively and IL years old III. ~ N
WILL represent the school chil1Feh OF f'"tiN'
and the latter the school children ol -tfhc'-
10, The monument will lee accepted Ter
France bv NJ Dclcasse. Minister of Foreign
Affairs \ dcdlcatory ode Will be feah ny
Mrs Taruuerir l.. NosS "r MIS- pit'.
Manning, the former of thS daughters OK
the Revolution the latter -. Inc DauEnee'
of IN. American Revolution. both 81 WHICH
societies have been invited to be repre-
SEATED on the day This ode is the product
OF the pen of Frank Putnam, a newspaper
worker Of Chicago.
All of the most prominent officials OF
France will be present, including Presideht
Lnubet and the French Cabinet. members
of the Lafayette Rochambeau, d EstainS
and de Grasse families. descendants OF the
noble fighters who 50 ably supplemented
the patriot forces in the Way OF the hcNo-
tuition. BESIDES these the Art Colony or
France and Paris will be fully represented,
as well as the entire diplomatic Corps oil
foreign countries present in Paris FROM
America there will come hundreds OF repre-
senta;ives of education who have been es-
pccialIy invited TO share I'm the exercises
as the representatives of the children who
contributed the funds which are building
the monument. Congressman and Senators
from almost every State will be present
and representatives from all other depart
ments of the Government. Sousa viii be
on hand with his band. He has written a
special march. entitled The Spirit of Lib
in .tf ff.af af.s--fS Inn M
b., rendered for she first tine at the un-
yelling.
The French capital il enthusiastic over
the approach of the unV.iinS. All af the
authorities. from President Loubet uf the
executive, to the Chief Of the Ministry of
Fine Arts. have shown direct and most
favorable interest in the monument from
the start. In the beginning they gave for
IT, at once. a site uncqualed in the world.
The monument is To be placed I'm the very
choicest spot In Paris the Court Of the
Louvre, In square adjoining the Pia.'s
Carrousel, which IS to be named. in honor
Of the statue. Lafayette Square. The fam
Gus garden of the Tuilorics Is but con-
tiuuation of this spot. after which comes
&c Place de Ia CoHcOrde, Champs Elysers
and the world-famous Arc de Triomphe I'm
straight and magnificent succession. OF
this UNPARALLELED court of honor the Arc de
Triomphe forms one extremity. thu La
fayette Monument, sheltered ~ the classic
Louvre. the other.
As illustrating the value Of this site | will
quote the words OF one OF the English Of
ficials now I'm Paris with the English sec
ton of the exhibition. On last Sunday
afternoon while was standing on the spot
he drove up and began to inspect the pedes-
tai Of the monument which il in course Of
erection. His wife was with him and he
sought to explain to her the artistic ad-
vantages OF the location. Seeing me and
recognizing me as an American he came TO
where / was standing and introduced HIM
SELF
Il have often wondered he said ''if
your people at home fully realiz. the great
compliment that France has paid them in
the awarding Of this spot for their monu-
incnt. To the French every inch Of this
soil is sacred. They hold il close TO their
hearts. | studied in Paris for ten wears
and two OF tn members OF the present
Ministry OF Fine Arts We're my Fellowship
dents. When | heard thar this square was
given to you for the site of the I.afavstte
Monument l could not believe it. I knov
to-day that no other nation of the world.
except America, could have gotten il under
any circumstances. AS for America he
continued. Il regard this monument as one
Of the most delicate acts If diplomacy
that Governments have acquitted them ]
selves off,