Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-06
FRENCH OFFICIALS JOIN
IN AMERICAN EXERCISES
Poincare and Others Participate in
Annual Pilgrimage to Tomb
of Lafayette.
INDEPENDENCE DAY OBSERVED
Ambassador Sharp Briefly Alludes to
Sympathies of United States for
Nation That Gave Birth to So
Noble a Figure.

PARIS. July 5.-Pilgr!mage of Ameri-
cans in Paris TO the tomb Of the Mar
! gus de Lafayette, in the ancient Pic
pus Cemetery. was honorcd to-day for
the FIRST time by the official participa-
! ton OF the French government
! Raymond Poincare. the President of
the republic; Alexander E. Millerand.
the Minister OF War; Theophile Del
casse, Minister for Foreign Affairs, the
project OF police and the project Of
the Seine were represented. The min
listers OF the republics IF Argentina.
Brazil and Chile also were present.
! H. Cleveland Coke. a delegate of the
| Empire State Society OF the Sons of
the Revolution. draped the tomb with
the Stars and Stripes and deposited
around II wreath OF flowers
William Graves Sharp. American am
nassador TO France. made a speech.
! oriehy abiding to the sympathies of
| Americans for the nation thar p,ve
birth to so noble figure IS Lafayette.
can easily understand the nobility
OF Lafayette's character" said the am
! bassador, because see all around me
these days figures patterned on his
model. The association of the names
! of Washington and LAFAYETTE more
/
the curse of war. like dark threaten
! ing cloud, lowers over the noble nation
from which Lafayette sprang."
AMBASSADOR SHARP PAYS
TRIBUTE TO FRENCH
Referring further to the war. and
addressing the French present. MIR.
! Sharp said
! Among all your noble citizens to-
| day is there any doubt that France
| TIMES are guided not only by one, but
by 1000 Lafayettes. Yes, France will
survive and become greater and more
beautiful than ever"
Abiding to the simplicity of the
.omDs or both Lafayette and Washing
| ton. Ambassador Sharp concluded:
| mo tail shafts rise towards the
clouds to pcrpetuate their memories.
| Their monuments are in the loving.
grateful hearts Of their fellowmen."
Frederick Mason, of the French
ACADEMY. historian OF the Napoleonic
he acknowledged the sympathy of
americans. He compared the EFFORT
france was making to-day, lighting
Tor the liberty of Europe" to the War
for Independence in the colonies.
NJ. Mason paid eloquent tribute to
the Mar0uise de Lafayette for her de-
Votion TO her husband in the trying
days OF the Revolution, leaving fortune
and luxury to share his prison in Aus
( tria. Comparing her sacrifices to tho
abnegation of the French women to-
day, the speaker referred to twenty
widows of the war sent by the Coun-
F., tess de Ribes to act as ushers at this
| ceremony, and said:
III l dwell on the devotion OF Mad
anne Lafayette, II is because women of
to-day who have lost their all, whose
happy past is not even represented
by tomb. continue her glorious ira
dition. With the same fortitude they
are passing through trials. and with
the same courage they are turning
their unframed hands to the manufac-
| ture of articles which we ask generous
America to put on sale in her great
cities In memory OF the Marquisc de
| lafayette"