The Washington times., 1902-04-11
Brilliant Banquet Of Legion
of Honor Members.
M. JULES CAMBON HONORED
Those Who Wear the Cross Gather
Around the Festal Board in Honor
of the Institution Founded by Ma
polecn in 1861.


Old Worlds, grasPed hands over the festal
board in the banquet hall Of the New VIII
lard last night, The occasion was a ban
qust in honor OF His Excellency, NJ. Jules
N'Cambcn Ambassador of France to the
United States by the "Legionaires." or
members OF the French Legion of Honor
in the United States. In many respects
the feast was the climax TO the series of
brilliant dinner functions which have
made the winter season notable one in
the National Capital.
Like the captains of industry who well
coined Prince Henry in New York, those
present were representative men who had
not only distinguished themselves at
home, but had rendered signal service TO
the republic OF France, in attestation of
which they wore the cross of the insti-
tuition founded by the great Napoleon in
1So2-just century ago. Through all the
changes and upheavals of government
from monarchy to republic the order has
lived as though 1t were something sacred.
4 Unique Gathering.
Z The banquet was unique from the fact
that it was the largest single gathering
on record of Americans wearing the cross
of the Lcgion-the first time in American
annals that Americans wearing foreign
decorations gathered 10 manifest appre-
citation of the honor conferred upon them
by one OF the great European powers.
All the great American artists. Edwin
- A. Abbey. James McNiel Whistler. John
5. Sargent wear the ten-pointed star.
Andrew d. White, AMBASSADOR TO Berlin:
Augustus St. Gaudens Alexander Graham
Bell Alexander Agassiz, Daniel C. French
are members. All that could, attended.
J. Pierpont Morgan, chief captain of in
dustry, an officer, was unable TO be pres
ent on account Of his European trip.
One Woman Present.
' A reception preceded the feast. Only
one woman wearing the badge of the or
der. Mrs. Daniel Manning, was present.
As the other hosts ard guests were men,
she did not sit at the great oval table
in the banquet hall.
The center of the table. like spacious
rectangular well, was filled with several
thousand dollars worth of potted growths,
aZeleas, peonies. and tropical plants Of
fine foliage, around large palm tree in
the center. Five hundred dollars worth
of American Beauty roses adorned the
table, arranged in mounds and mingled
with delicate ferns. From larger mounds
at the points of the compass tri-color
ribbons trailed from central bows. hold
ing the stems in place. A continuous
traccry of laurel. emblem Of accomplish
ment. followed the oval of plates. Over
the head Of the French Ambassador. who
sat at the east side, hung crossed tri-
colors and American flags.
Archbishop John Ireland of St Paul.
who has thrilled France with his elo-
I.
right of the French Ambassador. Two
lines of red ribbon held a cross Of the
Legion of Honor upon his breast. Hon.
Ferdinand ". Peck of Chicago. American
Commissioner at the Paris Exposition.
and one OF the only two American grand
officers of the order. as toastmaster. sat
10 the left of the Ambassador. On either
side were the Ambassadors from Russia
and Italy. the Minister from Denmark, and
the Minister from Persia, who are foreign
members of the order.
The Cabinet was represented by Secre-
tAries Long and Shaw and Postmaster
General Payne. who were guests but not
members of the order.
Other guests were Hon David JAYNE
Hill, First Assistant Secretary of State:
Hon. Herbert II. d. PeIrce, Third Assist
ant Secretary of State; Hon Henry B. F.
Macfarland, president of the Board OF Dis
trict Commissioners; NJ. Eugene de Bo-
cande, N. Louis Boisse and the follow
ing members of the staf of the French
Embassy. NJ Pierre de Mergerie brother
in-law of NJ Rostand. the French poet:
Capt. p. Vignal, Lieutenant Commander
de Faramond de Lafsjole, Victor Aygues
Parsee. Jules Boeufve and Viscount de
Saint -Phalle
Arrangement of Guests.
The hosts and guests were not ar
ranged In order OF seniority. Attention
was devoted first to the seating of guests
OF the order. The three Cabinet officers
occupied positions near the French Am
bassador. The First and Third Assistant
Secretaries of State sat farther around
the side Of the oval in symmetrical po-
sitious. Gen. Daniel Z. Sickles. a com
mandeur. being assigned to a seat next
to Assistant Secretary Peirce. and a
chevaiier or ordinary knight of the order
sat between General Siciles and Mon
seigneur John ireland. another com
mandeur.
After an elaborate menu ice cream was
served IN oval boxes. decorated with er-
bossed replicas of the cross of the order.
Following cigars and cigarettes the toasts
were proposed.
MEN of few words are the best men,"
were The words which preceded the list
OF speakers on the menu cards.
The toastmaster. Hon. f. W Peck in
trOduced the speakers, saying:
This is the first time in history when
those thus honored have come together
TO manifest appreciation of the relations
thus established and with which the peo-
pie OF America are in full sympathy.
There are over 300 members OF the Le-
zion of Honor OF France in the United
States who have the satisfaction OF hay
ing performed some service toward the
French and contributed in some degree
TO the promotion of the International re
lations between the two republics.
'Oh, France, We never think OF thee but
our mind turns TO your Lafayette, our
Lafayette. That love for freedom. friend
ship. perseverance heroism, came across
the boisterous seas 10 stand beside Wash
ington when the nation in the throes
of birth. when the iorefathers saw 10 light
through the gathering gloom, shall live In
grateful memory as longas our institutions
endure. He came that We might live. We
do not forget your kindly aid. We do not
forget the many evidences of friendship in
the history of our country. When the altar
fires OF liberty burned low your heroes and
our heroes famed them into an undying
blaze and the spark was taken back to
France to live in YOUR magic words. Lii
berte. ePalite. fraternite.' Neither do we
forget the present Lafayette and Cambon
our knight Of liberty OF the eighteenth CEN
fury, the wise diplomat OF the nineteenth |
century Their names are imperishable |
They had their mother country. France |
will be forever dear to the American heart |
/ ask you now 10 drink 10 the toast of the |
President of the United States
Toast Drunk Standing.
The toast was drunk standing. Three
cheers with waving OF handkerchiefs fol- |
lowed.