Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-06
SAN FRANCISCO
ACCEPTS TOKEN
SENT BY FRANCE
M. JUSSERAND DELIVERS GOLD
MEDAL OF ESTEEM
CITY CELEBRATES REHABILITA-
TIoN IN JOYFUL MANNER
Once Stricken Metropolis Honors AM
bassador, and Great Crowds Cheer
Lustly at Speeches of Mayor
and Diplomat
tRy Associated Press.O

GAN FRANCISCO, June 5.-Citizens
ia of two republics commemorated
~ anew today the reconstruction of
city practically annihilated a little
over three years ago, and San Fran
cisco received from the diplomatic rep
resentative of France a great gold
medal conveying sister republics ac-
acknowledgement of heroic achievement.
| From the opening of the program
with LA Marseilles" to the closing
strains of the Star Spangled Banner"
| the Orpheum theater, crowded to its
| seating capacity, echoed with applause
expressive of a sentiment rare and un-
| usual.
| Men and women cheered when Jean
| Jules Jusserand ambassador of the
French republic, handed to Mayor e.
r. Taylor the splendid token of ma
tions appreciation, and the enthusiasm
of the audience reached higher pitch
when the mayor in his response paid
tribute to the activity of Lafayette
and other French allies of the Ameri-
can revolution.
The presentation ceremony brought
out one of the most brilliant assem-
| blages since the earthquake of April
| 1S, 1906 A miniature forest of living
IernS ana palms SliCh Cl0u 'hS S'oSN
where the official guests of the city
were seated.
! Mayor Taylor presided, with the
Frenc. ambassador at his right hand,
and Governor James N. Gillett at his
! left. At the ambassadors right were
the diplomatic representatives of Ger
many, Austria Italy, China, Russia,
Japan, Switzerland and Portugal.
DISTINGUISHED AssembIage
Judges of the supreme, appellate and
superior courts, educators of national
reputation, officials of the Mexican gov
ernment and delegations from every
| important civic organization witnessed
| the presentation from places on the
stage. Local representatives of Ameri-
can and French society, exquisitely at
tired, filled the boxes
| Mayor Taylor and Ambassador JUS
serand sat at a table draped with the
French and American flags. AS they
assumed their stations the audience
rose to its feet and applauded, and paid
honor to Governor Gillett, who arrived
a few minutes later.
Mayor Taylor introduced the dis
tinguished visitor with an assurance OF
the city's welcome, and M. Jusserand'
| when the applause had SubSided, spoke.
accept this gift, Mr.. Mayor he
said, "and receive 1t you all, American
citizens, in token that what once was
still is; that we French continue as of
yore, to feel with you in your moments
of happiness or of anguish; and If L
NAV be permitted to appropriate the
words of Mr.. Elihu Root let me say in
my turn that we have in France a
| feeling for America, and sentiment
| enduring among a people is a great ana
substantial fact to be reckoned with
Long live your city, and may contfnu-
Gus prosperity be the lot of the Ameri-
| can nation"
Origin of the Idea
In explaining the origin of the idea to
present the medal to the city. the am
| bassador reviewed the continued inti-
macy of the two nations. "Since the
early days of American independence,
no great event has happened in this
country without awakening friendly
echo in distant France" he said.
He told of the many expressions of
regard given by both France and by
America to the other, finally coming
| down to the time three years ago when
| the United States presented to France
a medal commemorative of the way in
which the European nation received
Franklin when he came to tell the woes
of the struggling thirteen states.
| On the day of the presentation of the,
medal detailed news of the disaster
that had befallen San Francisco was
| lacking. NJ. Jusserand said that as he
| arose to accept the medal the thought
flashed through his mind that the next
token of friendship between the two
nations might commemorate the resur-
rection of the city.
Knew American Temper
when 1 had thus spoken on the
Goth of April, 1906, we knew but very
| imperfectly in the east what was hap
pening in the west, but I knew too well
/
doubt as to what fight against adver-
sitv your shores were then seeing, and
as to what resurrection they would see
later. The past life of city where
pluck, energy, fearlessness are more
common than even gold in her banks
supplied the decision.
| "Au behaved as men and women on
heart and honor The page written by
the inhabitants of San Francisco on
the moving ashes of their dead city is
not one that any wind will ever sweep
away"
M. Jusserand explained that the sem
timents he expressed upon the presen-
tation of the Franklin medal were so
well in accord with the French repub-
lie and San Francisco had been so
quickly resurrected that a medal had
been struck by his government and he
had been ordered to cross the conti-
nent to present it,
"ThiS work, of which one single
copy in gold has been made" continued
the ambassador, 'ls destined to the
American people and the town of San
Francisco
Reverse and Diverse
zone side emblematically shows your
city rising from her tomb and, power
full and handsome as ever throwing off
her shroud; on the other side the fig
ure of France is seen presenting a
branch of laurel to America"
Led by one of the city officials, who
sprang to his feet and waved his silk
hat above his head, the audience gave
three rousing cheers for the speaker,
and Mayor Taylor arose to deliver his
address of acceptance
Responding to the ambassadors adj
dress, Mayor Taylor expressed in be-
half of the city his grateful apprecia-
tion of the French governments gift,
alluded to the historic friendship of
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