New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-23
TAFT HONORS L'EV!FANT
President Speaks in EuIogy Of
French Engineer.
AT MEMORIALS UNWILLING
Senator Root and Ambassador
Jusserand Also Pay Tribute to
Man Who Planned Capital.

Washington. May 22.-On a green knoll
IN front Of the old Lee mansion in Airing
ton Cemetery. overlooking the broad Poto-
mac and the capital a memorial was un-
yelled to-day TO Major Pierre Charles
LEnfant. the French engineer to whose
| prophetic vision Washington owes its broad
avenues and its symmetry Of design.
President Taft. Amba ssador Jusserand,
If France. and Senator Root. Of New York.
spoke in eulosy of Major L'Enfant. The
ribbons Of red. white and blue that bound
the American flag To the marble face OF
the memorial were lifted by Miss Eleanor
Carroll Morgan, reat-granddaughter OF
William Dudley Digges in whose home
LEnfant found refuge when he was dis
missed from the service Of this government.
Monsignor Russell. of St Patrick's Cath
Ollie Church made the invocation and pro-
nounced the benediction
There are not many" said President
Taft. who have to wait one hundred years
10 receive the reward to which they are
entitled. until the world shall make the
progress which enables il to pay the just
reward. The man whose memory we cele-
hrate to-day had a highly artistic tempera-
ment. and he had the defects which not In
frequently accompany that temperament {;
and il is that fact which has obscured at
times and in some degree the merit of what
he did. and lessened the gratitude we owe
him for what he did.
'L'Enfant will now lie here appropriate
ly in state and in rest, with the gratitude
of the nation that he served so we'll"
Senator Root declared that Washington
is being extended more in accord with the
ideas Of real estate men than In accord
with those OF lovers Of art 1T would he
much better now" said the Senator. II We
were to follow the ideas Of L'Enfant In
extending Washington. Extensions are
made on the basis Of real estate operations
instead OF basis Of art No plan is fol-
lowed. no adequate provision for those
vistas and points Of vantage for which
LEnfant so carefully arranged A true
memorial would be an imitation Of hts plan.
While we pay him honor may We not forget
the lesson he taught.
"L'Enfant died obscure. According to the
prevailing standards Of life he died a fail
ure. He went TO an unknown grave. But
century now has passed away and his
name marks the renascence among great
people of the principles Of art for which
he stood"
Ambassador Jusserand referred 10 the
death OF Minister Of War Berteaux. Der
teaux." said he. was man Ike l. Enfant.
He died victim Of the new invention. the
aeroplane. in which he was much inter
ested We in France cannot forget the way
In which your President expressed MS grlef
al that sad accident We are very much
moved in the Republic Of France by IT. Tor
II shows more than ever that your joys
are our Joys and your sorrows are our sor-
rows
.Ni,h the mind % n poet. with the soul
Of a prophet. perceiving future ages As
clearly as II they were the present, man
foresaw. over a century ago. WHAT We no"
100 and that man lies under the monu-
ment which a generous vote Of congress
allows rs n dedicate to-day: Major Pierre
Charles L'Fnfant"
The speaker told dramatically the s'o'
If how T,Fnfant the Parisian-horn son ~
ro,al painter. holding the rank OF "''-
tenant ~ engineers In the French army,
came 70 America in one or the snips VI
Peaurarchais's mythical hrm ~ hoi 'a,'"
< Co" and cast his fortunc' WIN INV
STRUGGLING revoiutionists. serving nrst AZ
volunteer nj his own expense. ana lH'"r
rising N the rank ~ major We SPOKE oi
,bo bu,ld,nr 81 what is now called fo't
washington as being among the WORKS OF
the French engineer. but said that MS
c,oat work. The one for which he no" en-
lows tho supreme honor of the presenc" ~
,b,s ceremony of the respected successor
- ceorce Washington. President Ta't WAS
81 federal CIV.
poeorring 10 the derisive WONDER WIN
which Washington. as "a town ~ sneets
.itbout houses and houses without streets
vos viewed by many in the early "s' one
,.r,,er having observed. ut seems as II
tho author ~ the plan had dreamed ~ a
c,,, NJ two hundred thousand inhaoitants'
,ba ambassador continued
.I,Fnfant had not dreamed OF that ne
had foreseen that and much more INC
c,tv no MANNED was meant not for men
~ his dav. but for those 81 ours and "hNn
the time shall come that people VIII won
der nj our own wonder ~ the rapih OK
rarsion Of this coyntry. when the hunnrro
,,,l,,on inhabitants Of to-day will look IKE
netty number. still LEnfants plan VIII
hold good and for our successors. as Tor
ne he might he able TO cay. For you IL
was that I worked.