The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-12-07

sorry he hadn't torn it down while he
had a chance.
Louis Philippe spent "A few millions
repairing and restoring the palace and
grounds and carrying out some projects
of his own in connection with it.
Nobody ever will know how much the
great palace cost France under the reign
of It's builder. Louis XIV. Louis became
badly scared when he received the bills.
because he had heard a good deal about
some disturbers who were whispering
that even a king had no rigA. TO spend
so much money for a palace for 10 house
his lady friends when the nation over
which he ruled was starving. So Louis
did what many a purchaser of expensive
hats has done since-tore up the bills
and burned them before anybody could
look them over.
The palace was not built with an eye
10 peace conferences. or assemblies of
d~emocracies. Louis XIV didn't know
about such things. But Louis had a lady
friend. n Miss La VALERIE, wish whom
he was trying TO make a great hit. She
was the same lady who wore rhe little
decoration suspended about her neck.
from which lavallieres (varioasly spell
ed and designed in these days) take
their name. \ certain Fouquet Louis
minister Of finance. also Courted Miss
La Valliere. and one night gave a big
party TO win her heart. lie spent IS
100000 francs on the party. but then he
was minister Of finance. He invited the
king, and the kins became wroth that
a mere minister of finance should be
able to give sue a party and steal his
girl at the same time. So Louis had
Fouquet thrown in Jail as a suspicious
character. and decided to build a house
that would knock Miss La Nallieres
eye out. so TO speak. Louis was q mar
rled man. of course. but then he was
king. and in those days a king could do
no wrong.
Both Louis XIV and his successors
found that the palace was entirely too
big for one LADY friend. so they brought
in several at a time. and yet managed
to keep them apart that the royal hair
pullings were few indeed. Among the
successors of La Valliere were the no
torious Mines. Montespan, Niaintenon.
Dubarry, and ~Pompadour.
Descriptions Of the various rooms OF
the palace occupy many volumes. and
descriptions of the gardens about the
palace occupy whole libraries. But the
room of chief interest at this time is
the Gallery of Mirrors. It was here
that King winiam of Prussia, ancestor
of William Hohenzoliern was proclaim
ed emperor of Germany on Jan. IS, 1871.
And it is here that we may expect TO
see william Hohenzollern proclaimed no
body. - years later. In fact. many
Frenchmen are so poetic as to hope that
by Jan. IS. 1919. either the peace con
ference or some auxiliary court may
sentence the last German emperor for
his crimes. It was here that a humiliat-
ing surrender was dictated TO France by
Bismarck, and it was here that the SUI
preme war council Of the civilized ma
tions dictated its grim armstiee terms
that toppled over the throne Of the
HohenzolIerns in Prussia and the Ger
Empire. In this most e-xtravagant
room Of his palace that is recognized as
the supreme expression Of irresponsible
autoeracy it Is likely that the democra-
cy Of the world will be written into a
permanent covenant and proclaimed TO
humanity.
This room is 237 feet long by SO feet
wide. and 43 feet from floor to ceiling
on one side IL large windows look out
upon the gardens. on the other side IL
large mirrors. the same size as the win
dows. refect the glory of Versailles and
the scenes of statecraft that periodical
ly are enacted there.
Versailles may not have enough hotel
facilities for the conference. but It. GER
tainly has the atmosphere. the back
ground. And Paris is but ten miles
away.