Evening star., 1917-05-03
OVATION BY HOUSE
T0FRENCH ENJOYS
M. Viviani, Marshal Joffre and
Others Are Greeted by
Roars vf Cheering.
HOMAGE PAID MISS RANKIN

| Frances war mission was received on
! the floor of the House of Representa-
tives today.
/ A roar of cheers and cries of Vive
la France" from the floor and the
crowded galleries greeted the distin-
guished visitors. Rene Niviani. head
of the mission. delivered stirring
speech, and Marshal Joffre, in response
to a roar of cheering. threw his hand
to his forehead in military salute and
said first Thank YOU and then, wav-
! ing his hand above him, shouted ViVe
/ lrAmerique"
| The members of the mission shook
| the hands of the male members of the
! House. and Miss Jeanette RANKIN
| passed down the line NJ Niviani grasp
i ed her hand and, bending low, KISSED IL.
Joffre Kisses Little Girls.
| Several little girls. some Of them
| daughters of members of the House,
1 and others the daughters of newspaper
| correspondents. who stood in the line.
were kissed upon their cheeks by the
marshal of France.
! BY reason Of the greater capacity OF
1
| exceeded in volume OF applause and
cheers that which greeted the members
of the mission when they visited the
Senate
| Several times. beginning with the en-
trance of the representatives of france,
every person on the crowded floor and
galleries was on his feet, shouting at
the top of his voice.
| 1t was shortly after noon that Speak
| er Clark announced the House stood in
| &c "A
ed by Chairman Flood of the foreign
affairs committee. to usher the visitors
| Into the chamber. The committee was
lcomposed of other members of the COM
| mittee and Representative Estopinal of
Louisiana, WHO speaks French f1uently
| Cheers Greet French ENJOYS.
| Members of Marshal Joffre's staff and
Marquis de Chambrun. great-grandson of
Gen. Lafayette. lined themselves up in
front of the rostrum. Minor Off cials at
tached to the missions sat to one side.
F! The applause and cheering lasted more
than five minutes. When quiet reigned
again Speaker Clark introduced M.
| Viviani.
declared that the French nation had
sworn to fight to the end and had re-
| iterated the oath at the tomb OF Wash
| ington. He declared that the war lines
4
against an absolute monarchy, and
| added:
.If your national hero. George Wash
! inEton, could rise from his grave and
behold the war OF today. ne would him
| self proclaim that after nation has
| tcreated independence it is bound to de-
| fend it before all the world, and not
only to maintain its own independence,
but to create. also, independence Tor
other nations.
| I'VE have sworn at the tomb of WASH
| ington to fight to the end. But not
only has 1t been sworn at the tomb of
| Washington. but also on the graves of
the uncounted soldiers who have fallen
| in this war. 1t has been sworn on the
| deathbeds of those who have died in
| the hospitals of Europe, and it has
been sworn on the cradles of the newly
born. 1t has been sworn by every lover
| of freedom from the cradle to the
grave"
Deeply Impressed at Reception.
In addition NJ Viviani said that he
was deeply impressed at being received
| by the House of Representatives. and
| mentioned that he had twenty years of
| legislative experience himself.
Never until my dying day shall
forget the acclamations of the Amer
| lean people" he said. IF do not thank
| you adequately it is not because \our
| gratitude Is lacking, but because the
| words with which to express it are in
| sufficient. We feel that your sympathy
| and your enthusiastic assistance come
1 not only from your hearts, but from the
| jealousy which you have for your own
1 honor. We have seen that you fulfilled
not only the obligations of national
| honor, but suddenly we have seen un-
| folded in it's charming intimacy the
| complexity of the American soul. When
! r,oea a
| practical man living for the affairs of
/ this life, but at the same time one dis
| covers in the American soul the fresh
| ness and the vivacity of a new life. the
| strength which comes from devotion to
| an ideal
| And so, in that American soul, we
have before us the paradox of the COM
| bination of the practical and the ideal
| You, like ourselves. carry the mandate
| of a free people. to maintain certain
| ideals. to exchange certain opinions re-
| gardng the tremendous problems aris-
| ing from the war, to the end that our
| two nations may. side by side, achieve
| equality and liberty.
! when. a few days ago, the people of
| this nation heard the call to arms that
man who is the central power in CEN
| trail Europe understood the gravity of
the new situation which confronted
| him, and then we saw him leaning
| from his throne beckoning to his sub
| jects. trying to reassure them with
promise of universal suffrage. 1t was,
(, indeed, a bitter jest"
/ Descendant Of Lafayette Cheered.
/ Speaker Clark introduced to the
/ House the Marquis de Chambrun. The
applause and cheering that followed
reached the proportions of a roar Am
bassador Jusserand then was intro
duced He spoke. in part, as follows:
IF two men who fought side by side
for liberty-George Washington and
Gen. Lafayette-could be here, they
would say, we thank YOU The action
that has been taken by the United States
has touched the people of France very
ideenly. can assure you. For what France
| in former years did for the United States
I she expected no recompense but your
| friendship, and France has it. You
| now are taking part in the fight for lib
/ At the conclusion of Ambassador JUS
/ serands address the party left the
(, chamber with renewed cheers ringing
in IFS ears. The members of the mission,
unon leaving the Capitol. returned
| directly to their official residence and
made last-minute preparations for their
| departure for Chicago.
Breakfast Conferences
Started to Dispose of Work