New-York tribune., 1908-01-29
MEDAL FOR MAYOR.
RONORED By ARCHITECTS.
French Ambassador Tells OF Bonds
BefTfen Countries.

rn recognition of his services toward the cause
of civic improvement, Mayor Mcclellan received
last night medal from the Societe des Archi-
,ectes Diplones par le Commencement the preseh-
,stion taking place at dinner at the uniVer-
s;,v club in the presence Of NJ. Jusserand, the
French Ambassador. Sir Purdon Clarke ana
many of the greatest architects in the country
This organization was founded thirty years
aro and is composed of graduates of the Ecoie
.ies Reai,x Arts who. on the completion OF thef
course in architecture have received from tiie
French government a diploma called Dlpiome
d.architecte The American group. with head
quarters in this city. is i'm the third year OF It's
existence President J. H Freedander. In his
presentation speech. said:
some time ago We were Informed Icy the parent
society in Paris that they had had StrlcF ss % u
would forward 10 medal 10 he aWatcsu 10 d
layn1an who had rendered service i'm advancing me
interests of architecture and civic lmprot @
and whose accomplishments might raria pS n.i
ered ,gor IL ts ss'Fe'i5ff.g ape aTfe
A. = speciai meeting Of group called 10 Sc
let reCinent Of this medal name stood forth
oonspicuously that OF a man VINO eilpudieu i - -
ts5 l % IN me deed of the gift It was the general
sentiment that throughout his career ne aaG ior
tsrce or architecture in relation 10 civic peter
en,s ri,ecttrai N To profession in its efforts
ate better understanding for and deeper aIPre I;
foundation and established Precedent, n #, for ers 1he eob be
xtremeiv m dif4icilt. if not dangerous upset
C-enflenen il was unanimously decided TO award
tho medal to George B. Mcclellan, Mayor OF the
city Of New. York
President Freedlander suggested that the art
commission award annually prize for the most
artistic facade erected during the year in the
city.
In accepting the medal the Mayor told of the
deep appreciation he felt and at the same time
gave credit to the architects, he being simply
the sharp end Of the wedge, and the architects
the force behind il. The Mayor said that when
q tramp woke UP from snooze on a City Hall
Park bench and saw the Postofice Building he
was likely TO go off and commit suicide
AMBASSADOR PRAISES MAYOR
Ambassador Jusserand praised the Mayor
highly told Of the beautiful view from the
Rroollyn Bridge at sunset and of the strong
bonds between this country and France. AS an
instance of the generosity of Americans, he told
of the receipt of a check for 100000 francs from
James Stillman two years ago, TO be used at
the Ecoie des BeauX-Arts.
After he had received the medal the Mayor re-
piled:
appreciation for the very great honor which you
Your medal is beautiful as work of ART. but be
it is priceless for what it t. rePTesen{s enrseaqe the
distinction gift confers for it is recognition
has s S Seen done S nof by me but by all Of you
tonight / have been only the thin end of the
been because Of the force and the ability Ho and the
public spirit Of the architects OF New h3rh oh
lect of government is the happiness of the gov
@ epporf 4f it feeves from the people
nlent and people act and react upon each other so
loyalty of the governed. directly proportioned to
10 fxed recipe for happiness But for people who
breathe the pure air of the sea and of the plains
Of The @ sun. happiness and joyousness are insepa
raby connected, and joyousness cannot exist with
The medieval ascetic and the seventeenth cent
NY Puritan tried 10 convince mankind that beauty
and righteousness were antipathetic. But his
wholesome natural common sense forbade man
Tespect the excellent but unattractive woman.
sdrniration. Where Lucas Cranach and Weige-
muth may have frightened an occasional back
slider into righteousness. Clan Bellini and Titan
called hundreds of sinners to repentance. As with
wGen t; snd @ amge feo ad 5ze as s nR0 him dogn fo
sleep the summer day upon a bench in City Han
inoled i mon that litfla GEM of the CoinniaioIT
k HALF Upon But if he Wakes facing the south and
gazes upon the Postoffice you blame him If
lived thousand Years During her last two
centuries of life she was only kept aliTe by the
pose that they would have felt for their mother as
they old had she been the architectural ancestress
The unearned ana unprecedented prosperity which
followed Civil brought night
mare Of bad taste which usually follows the unex-
pected acquisition of wealth by those unframed to
It's enjoyment When We had reached the nadr of
inartstic architectural horror the period Of the
Queen Anne cottage, the jerry-built apartment
house and the United States government building
suddenly awakened by the influence of
the BeauX Arts. Hunt and Richardson, the pio-
neers: McfHim and White, and all of you pupils
Of the BeauX Arts who have followed them have
brought TO understanding of architectu-
rai shortcomings The marvellous adaptabiIty of
the American people has answered TO the call so
that have last begun regard beauty in
art and in nature not a luxury, but as an alb
solute condition precedent TO happiness
Mr. Ambassador. highly honored that
your excellency should be with us Tonight AL
though you represent great sister republic.
you of US. for but few English speak kinf,
men have been in such sympathy with our insti-
tutions or have so well understood the funda-
mental genius Of literature. Il is fitting that
J. as an American should express to YOU our
gratitude for the two great debts We owe 10
France-two debts which repay only bv
being worthy Of what have received The
first is the help she gave which permitted MS
- win our liberty. The second is the hel7 her
8eaux Arts gave US in struggle to find the
beautiful ~
FRENCH AMBASSADORS SPEECH.
Mr. Freedlander. in introducing the French
Ambassador. recalled the old DAYS at the Ecole
des Beaux Arts and the efforts Of the architects
here 10 keep strong the bonds of ''bonne CANA
raderte IF you will allow US" said President
Freedlsnder, addressing the ambassador we