Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-12-07
SEND MESSAGES TO
COLLEGES IN FRANCE
Great Frenchman Designates Felic-
itations AS forming Golden
Book.
HAVE BEEN TRANSLATED
Letters Exchanged Between Captain
Eberle Of the Naval Academy
And DR.. Finley.

Messages sent recently from Amer
lean colleges and universities TO the
universities and schools of France,
which included fluctuations from the
United States Naval Academy, were
designated by a great Frenchman as
composing a golden book, but from
the Naval Academy there are being
sent to Americas sister republic even
more welcome messages, presumably
in the persons and the deeds of grad
yates from Annapolis. This is the
word but recently sent to the cradle
of this country's navy.
Letters exchanged between Capt
Edward w. Eberle, Superintendent OF
the Naval Academy, and DR.. John II.
Finley, President of the University
Commission of Education, touching
the visit from America to France OF
representatives of this commission
Just made public at Annapolis for the
first time make this plain.
The letter, in addition to bringing
before the American public the ex-
change of expressions of felloship be-
tween the educational forces of the
two republics, also give out for the
first time the fact that Annapolis was
the first place to be visited by a
French man-o-war after the entrance
of America into the big world war
and that in commemoration of the
visit here was left at the Naval Acad
envy by the French sea fighter SOU
.venir of her own baptism of fire at the
Dardanelles.
Baltimoreans and Washingtonians
viii remember that last spring natty
looking French officers and sailors APP
peared on their streets and in their
theatres wearing sailor hat-bands
showing they came from the Jeanne
Dare No mention was made in the
press at that time of the presence of
this ship in Annapolis harbor, and
naturally it was not told that she bore
scars of her fight off the Gallipoi
Peninsula.
The letters just made public at An
napolis telling of this exchange of
visits and courtesies follow. The first
is from Captain Eberle to DR. Finley
for delivery in France:
"Will you please do me the honor
to present to the Minister of Public
instruction of France an expression
of our high esteem and cordial
friendship.
Recently we had the great pleas
ure to welcome to the Naval Acad-
envy the officers and men of the
French flagship Jeanne dare This
was the first visit of French man
of-war to American waters since we
joined in the great war, and you may
feel assured of the enthusiastic well
come we gave our comrades of the
French navy.
"As a mark of appreciation for the
courtesies extended to them the
French officers presented to the Naval
Academy plate cut from the upper
armored deck of the Jeanne dare
which had been pierced by five-inch
shell on April Is, 1915, during bonn
bardment in the Dardanelles"
In this letter Captain Eberle in
closed to DR.. Finley copies of letters
exchanged at this time between the
Captain of the Jeanne dare and Cap
tain Eberle
Upon the return of the American
Commission Dr. Finley wrote to Cap
tain Eberle as follows:
Dear Captain Eberle 1t is pleas
ure to be able to tell you that the
summary of addresses from colleges
and universities in the United States
which had the privilege to carry to
the universities and schools of France
was presented to the faculties land
in most places to assemblies of Off
Gals, students and citizens) of the fol-
lowing universities: Paris, Nancy.
Dion, Lyons, Grenoble, Montpelier,
Toulouse, Caen, Rennes, Poictiers and
Bordeaux Tin the order of presenta-
tion). This collection, of which your
message was one, was characterized
by the great philosopher of France,
best known in America as a golden
book Word has just reached me
that it has been printed in French by
the French government and distrib-
uted throughout France.
Il have the honor to bear back to
the United States letters from the
rectors of all the universities named
lille, alas! was not accessible, but
| met some of her scattered teachers).
These, with the other messages and
brief resume of the journey. are be-
ing put into type and viii be sent to
you.
Il think you for the great privi-
lege and honor of being your cour-
Ter. But you are sending many cour-
iers with even more welcome mes
sages."