Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-09-07
|ce1ebration Marks Estab-
 1ishment of a New Na- tional Holiday.
M0RL,EMAN GAVE ALL TO AMERICA
|wbcn only IS He Bought a Ship, Sailed tO United States and Off,
 fered Fortune and Life For
 Cause of Liberty.

New York, Sept. 6.-France and the 1a;ted States, close friends since the I;rth of the American republic ane arm allies in the present war were Iroupht still closer today by an inter. Rational celebration of the birthday nn;versary of the Marquis de La |avette the great French patriot, sol. ;er and statesman who gave invalu- Ihle M aid to the young republic in the var of the American revolution.
 Todav's observance is expected tc oark the future the establishment of new national holiday that will be elebrated simultaneously in both of he republics. In France the anniver- arv also will commemorate the battle the Marne the historic conflict Thich turned the tide of the German Invasion away from Paris.
 In this country the movement to nake the day a national holiday is be- nc fostered by the Lafayette Day Ma ;onal committee, which includes nong it's members Theodore Roose- elt, Charles W.-Elliot, Myron T. Her ;ck and numerous other eminent men. n issuing the call for today's obser- ance the committee says:
 "By honoring Lafayette upon his living expression to the settlement of raternal regard for our sister re- ublic, our ally of old and and of to- ay."
 New York's contribution to the cele- ration of the double anniversary con- listed of interesting exercises held his afternoon at the city hall. Dr. Henry Van Dyke, former United tates minister to the Hague. deliver the principal oration, and Dr. John Finly, state commissioner of edu- aton, read a poem written for the ccasion. fh
 A feature of today's celebration in ars possessing particular interest Or Americans is the raising of a sndsomely embroidered American lag, gift from thecity of Philadel- hia, over the Hotel de Vile in the rench capital Another feature of e day is the formal presentation to larshal Joffrc of a solid gold emblem esigned to commemorate the recent isit of the famous soldier to New fork city.
 Offers Sword and Fortune.
 It was on this date, one hundred and xty years ago, that Marie Jean Paul ochc Yves Gilbert Mottier, Marquis Lafayette, was born in the ancient ome of his family, the Chateau Cha agnac, in Auvergne, in the south, of rance. His first interest siH> the Ruse of the American colloniesScame bout in peculiar way. While stay E at Metz he became acquainted nth the Duke of Gloucester, then an kile from England. From this mem- er of the rcigning royal family of reat Britain he heard the first real count of the revolt of the English plonies in America.
 At this time Lafayette was IS, and lost no time in going to Paris to eet the American commissioners. aron de Kalb introduced the young an to Silas, iDeane, and to him he ade his offer 'of his sword and his flvate fortune to the cause of the mericans. . "
 Owing to his position as a noble an' Lafayette made but a single pro- so 10 his offer. He was to receive e commission of a general officer. was to be honorary and he was to celye no emolument, and he was to
 allowed to return to France if .ner his family or his king called peane immediately accepted Lafay- 'c and drew up a contract which he