Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-01
VERSAILLES PLACE:
FOR PEACE PARLEyS
Town of $4,000 Inhabitants Clus-
tiers About Palace and
Park
WAS ONCE A SANDY PLATEAU
Spot Often Frequented by Louis
Kill, Who Hunted in
Its Woods.
WAS ONCE A SANDY PLATEAU

IPARIs, November so.-v.rsaillcs.
where the greatest Of all peace con-
ferences is soon TO be held. is Il place
OF million memories. tragic and
joyous. The foilies. the tragedies and
the history Of 800 years cluster like
ghostly mists auout the ornate halls
ana the lovely gardens.
versailles is 1t town or $4,000 or
more inhabitants, clustering about the
palace and the park which arc so
closely part OF the history of France
~ Is Just twelve miles from the heart
OF Paris. scarcely separated from the
city: so thickly the intervening suburbs
TO the southwest of the city have grown
up one comes TO Versailles somewhat
as one comes 10 Van Cortlandt Park.
iicient.
wa Three !. sh hnndred Years age the spo,
above the surrounding country to MAKE
Us air sweet and fresh Louis Mil.
us virgin condition when he was sue
u tts y, lille TO change The place from
Magnificent. And the Magnifiicent"
made IT his playground.
i One hundred million dollars a.. big
sum even In these days. but at that
time an amount which fairly stag
and In rilling them with works of art
Inc s'ns lacking water, great sums
tance. The royal revenues we're used
'reGxdessly Louis NIy.. frightened for
tore the bills into fragments so Thai
his people might not know what they
had seen.
IEe park Of Versailles is perhaps :.
niiie SHuaic, All enormous basin lii the
shape oi Il cross uuartcrins II l., It's
G G On IT'S eastern euSe. nearest
raris' STANDS The rdlace >ersiu!e.
me houses OF the town nuudleu around
II anu the palace chapel rising ABOVE
IL. Al the northwestern corner OF the
park, half mile from the palace in
when the peace negotiations ate TO
dake place, is the chateau Of the Grand
irlanon. In which the peace ambussa-
doris probably will be lodged
The palace OF Versailles was used
not only by Louis NNI, but also as "a
permunent residence for his court. II,
consists IONS s.e of 'wS Wings Zach 500 Tee,
which is about 100 feet square. The
two wings are linked together by a
square building which juts out into
the green gardens and overlooks the
fountains in the center OF the park
The corridor long the western face
or this central building. 24o feet in
iortE-two I-et in height from its tes-
sci!atcd door to It's arched ceiling is
known, az the Hail OF Mirrors. II Is in
this stately room that the peace con-
ferences probably will be held OPP
posite the seventeen large .arched win
dows which command such a beautiful
ing number OF bevslled mirrors. set in
the wall Cynics- who set little faith
by the psrformanee Go. Of treaties have
house should not be surprised if ma
lions throw stones" But the world is
pcrehnia!ly hopeful.
RICH IN MEMORIES OF
DAYS OF ANCIENT TIMES
Just opposite the center OF this
Gallery OF Mirrors" toward the inner
court. is the historic he'd chambe, OF
t Louis NV. in which his richly adorned
the bedchamber TO the right and left
are two antechsmhers. the Buils-eye
$50 called from one OF It's windows.
which the Kings couriers used TO
avail, him. The Hall of Mirrors. the
King various apartments. and indeed
lace are filled with priceless tancs.
tries. To them cling the whispers OF
countless days and nights of royal fol-
Xviii. " 50 Gnu WY" LOUIS
The value of the art treasures in
thS palace NAV he estimated at $1,000
squandered In those rooms can never
be added IN.
In the Hall OF Mirrors was con
war. by whi"hn France lost se Hisace i and
Lorraine and WIS forced to pay TO
GERMANY 81 .o0nnh0 ono
Twelve days previously the vi"tori-
GUS Germa"s had insultinglv chosen
this a,ne hall for Tho scene of the
coronation Of Wilhelm I. King OF Prps-
Ella as Emneror Of (ie"maov Seorly
one hundred wears nrevious1v, on San
tembar 2. 1703. Great R~itnin and thc
American colonies signed their treaty
of naace in that room
The section OF tho o-ardarS o. Yer
Sai!les Known as ",he Trjano-s" ia
nrrrnie@ h" two Sronll b~t nvnriSite'v
designed md furnished villas i--ou,
rns1e"fivn'v 90 Two "rra-a 'rr;onon"
I'D t"a ''Ps!'- T-iancr" Tho forme~.
nc Only c~A eto<" va huir o2n wars
go nv o"i~ wv. for the famous
Nine de. Naintn"o"