The Washington times., 1918-09-01

Of his companion in arms, comrade in the fight for
freedom Lafayette said:
"n my idea General Washington is the greatest man;
fer look upon him the most virtuous.
With the American Revolution pending Lafayette said:
Humanity has its suit, that Liberty would
never be without asylum"
This country, with little money, few men and few
frends-Lafayette among the noblest of them-won its
suit in the court of battle
Our country is in France proving its gratitude to
the nation of Lafayette and its worhness of the exam
pie that Lafayette put before the world he left his own
class his arstosc CASTE and here to throw his lot
with that Of struggling unknown, humble emigrants,
looked upon with contempt by the great of Europe.
In estimating the courage of Lafayette and his service
to freedom it must be remembered, first of ALL that he
went against his own in the world abandoned his aria
toCratc fellows and hated by them.
Better than any American, perhaps the French roy
atty and nobility, to be put hstorys junk pile,
realized Lafayette place in the world
Marie AntOinette when she returned from Varennes,
after her husbands futile attempt to away from his
people full of bitterness against the unknown
agitators, but against Lafayette the aristocrat
She said: "f power is again in our hands, par
don is already written in hearts BUT LAFAYETTE
CAN NEVER FORGIVE"
And again she said Better perish than owe our lives
to Lafayette"
OF the body that was Lafayette's nothing is left Il
you opened his coffin tearing the soft lead covering
put the ground eighty years ago, you would find
crumblng bones buttons of military coat the metal Of
various orders-and nothing more.
An ignorant man looking into the coffin at the dust
and rumbIng rags might say: Nothing left What was
it al for?"
But if he went out on the French battleelds today
he would find Lafayette alive and fighting in the spirit
he would find Lafayettes spirit in the Frenchmen de-
Tending their country
BE would find Lafayette's work for this nation in
Americas childhood reflected in the work that America
fun grown is doing for Lafayees country and the other
civilized countries of the world
And next Friday September 6, the two great repub-
hes viii celebrate the birthday of Lafayette who belongs
both nations and represents the spirit of freedom
beEon against tyranny that crossed the from France
and found worthy disciples in such men Washington
Jefferson, and Franklin.
One hundred and sxtyone years ago that little French
baby was born. Those that looked upon him in him
only added to the thousands of French noble
men that lived and worked for themselves and vanished
and amounted to nothing.
Little could they have imagined what that birth would
the world today, with France and America united
on the battlefelds of France
Little could they have imagined what it mean
the end of the eighteenth century in the country of La
fayette and in America, the country of his friendship
Both made their great start in government for the people
without the aid of arisocrats without recognition of in
herited superiority.
The grave of Lafayette as you think of it now with
his birthday approaching teaches you that this life and
what we do really ARE WORTH WHILE.
Millions that were born with him and died with him
are forgotten useless.
bis memory and name have grown greater with every
year.
He means more to his countrymen than any man
in their history excepting their very greatest intellectual
teachers.
For France sees the name of Lafayette in the million
Young Americans that walk the roads of France the
battlefelds.
France sees the of Lafayette spelled out in the
smoke of fleets that carry food and men, fleets that will
continue sailing eastward until Prussia and what she
resens driven back from French soil that represents
the spirit and thought of Lafayette.
Around the grave of Lafayette in which he buried
eghfour years ago. and around the cradle Of Lafayette
where the little French baby lay hundred and sixty
one years ago. the spirit of the world today gathers in AZ
fssr onate remembrance and gratitude
Nothing good is lost; noble action Is wasted.
Those that lived for themselves completely dead.
Lafayette, who lived for freedom is alive NOW His
voos h heard with the exploding Of every SHE'LL the crack