The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-01
LEARN MUCH FROM
 UNITED STATES French Engineer Advises Copying of Methods ARTIST IS HONORED New York Painter Named Steichen Commissioned to Execute Mural Decorations of the New Lux
 embOurg Museum

Paris, September 30.-M. J. de Pulligny, the chief of the permanent engineering commission that the French government has sent to the United States is one of the most distinguished of the technical staff of the ministry of public works As chief engineer of the board of bridges and roads he has done important work in France. He returned recently from Brazil, where by permission of the French gov ernment, he laid out and began the con struction of the harbor Improvements in Pernambuco which are to cost $10,000,00O and be completed in five years.
 Before his departure, NJ. de Pullgny spoke of what France might learn from the United States.
 Ut is generally thought here," he said, that we can learn from the commercial, organization of American railroads, from the methods of handling freight in ports and from the manner in which problems concerning large public works are solved. It is likely that the immense develop ment of industry and transportation in the United States has originated ideas ano methods which may be applied to the further development of the same things in France Ways of doing things cannot be transpanted entirely from one country to another, but the useful growing out of the individuality of one people, may be studied and often adapted to the needs of another people.
 France wants some of her young engi- neers to learn of America and bring home an understanding of the means Americans use in treating with the requirements common to all industrial nations.''
 l, ID,,I lart, general inspector of bridges and roads, visited the United States last rear and did preliminary work in arranging for French engineers to have opportuni- tics for observing from the inside how great enterprises are conducted. M. Neril- lart found there the same hospitality in ideas that foreigners find in France. Four thousand students are enrolled this year in the University of Paris alone. Thirty six important American interests have agreed to admit French engineers They include two government departments, fourteen railroad companies and eighteen mining and industrial works of the first rank. The ministry of public works has granted an initial credit of $20 GOO for the engineering mission. Four engineers will be assigned by M. de Pulligny to particu- lar work later in the year.
 A signal honor has been done to Amer ican art by the selection of the painter, Edward Steichen, of New York. to execute a large part of the mural decorations oi the new Luxembourg Museum, formerly the great seminary of the arch diosese of Paris, which was sequestrated by the government after the separation law came into force.
 The builders have been at work on the new gallery for some time and the pictures from the present Luxembourg will soon be moved across to their nea and spacious home. The large central courtyard of the old seminary is to Dc covered with glass and Frances magnfff- cent collection of modern sculpture, much of which has, on account of the limited accommodation, been hidden away in eel lars or placed in the gardens exposed to tho mercy of wind and weather, will be seen there under perfect conditions.
 Edward Steichen is the son of Luxefn- bourg farmer. who emigrated to the Uni ted States and married there. His mother was woman of remarkable cnaraccer and attachments and strained every e. source to give her son a liberal edu,a : ion. He first became known for his wonderful photographs, but his ambition was to be a painter and all the money he made by photography he devoted to per fecting himself in painting. He has now completely abandoned photograpny, aI- though besieged with requests at prices which many portrait painter would be glad to accept Only in the case of per- sonal friends will he consent to break his rule from time to time, the last ex- ception being Miss Margaret Anglin, fer whom he made photograph portrait considered to be one of the best he has ever done.
 Steichen is a close friend of Auguste Rodin, the sculptor, who has the very highest opinion of his young colleague 8 work. and 1t was upon Rodin's recom- mendation that he received the Luxem- bourg commission from the French gov