Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-16
PRESIDENT TWICE AT CHURCH:
PAYS HONOR. TO LAFAYETTE
Places Wreath on Tomb of French Hero
Confers Briefly With Premier Clemen-
ceau and Col. House.

the crowd was Just to look like an
American. Every sort of conveyance
vas out on the boulevards or in the
parks. each carrying individual cheer
ing groups. TaXicabs carried crowds
of American soldiers. and even the
old one-horse chaise was again on
duty.
Conditions Are Homelike.
Parading happy crowds smacked of
Riverside drive on a Sunday after
parks gave just touch of Washing
ton. Doubtless the President felt at
home. But all the members Of the
American mission doubtless felt the
deeper significance Of the day.
Henry White, former American am
bassador here and now a member Of
the American peace mission, who has
kH :,
here. said that seldom had king, en-
peror or foreign dignitary ever re-
ceived such welcome as that extend
ed President Wilson. The special sig
nificance felt by the members of the
American mission was that the
French people seemed to be wholly
in sympathy with the Presidents
purpose.
The members of the American mis-
sion now are devoting their time to
getting themselves settled and to or
sanizing for their work. 1t is believed
fortunate that the next two weeks
VIII be taken up by information con-
ferences. because the way things are
now it would be virtually impossible
to do any business. There are Offices
10 be arranged, personal affairs
Strengthened out, meeting places fixed
and the general arrangements at
tendant on an affair Of this kind
must be perfected.
Confer Regarding Publicity.
One Of the most important arrange
ments to be perfected is not yet under
way. 1t concerns organized means for
making public the news of the pre-
llmlnary arrangements as we'll as of
the meetings of the mission when
they get under way. Col. House and
George Creel. chairman of the COM
mittee of public informa ton, conferred
on the subject with the President to-
day.
Meanwhile, a small army of report
ers is here trying to get the news
home in the usual American way,
which is strange in Paris to say the
least. Some American Army officials
who are attached to the mission seem
to have acquired the foreign style of
dealing with newspaper correspon-
dents which in the United States is
usually described as red tape" New
ertheless, the correspondents are
spending their efforts in organizing
channels which will take typically
American newspaper stories home to
America in the American way.
Premier Clemenceau a Visitor.
Premier Clemenceau arrived at the
Murat residence at o'clock this
evening and was received Immediately
by President Wilson. The French
leader went by automobile to the
Presidents house a half hour after
Col. E. NJ. House of the American mis-
sion had called upon him.
After comforting with Premier
Clemenceau, President Wilson had 2
long talk with Herbert c. Hoover,
the American food administrator. VI no
gave him the latest information on
food conditions in Germany.
Tomorrow, some time before the
pubic reception at the city hall. the
President will receive Thomas Nelson
Page, the American ambassador to
Italy. who is expected to convey to
him some kind of informal invitation
from the Pone to visit the Vatican
Probably Will Visit Pope.
While President Wilson has not
announced positively that he will
visit Pope Benedict. it now seems
probable that he will do so. 1t is
known here that the Pope is anxious
to receive the President. and the Vat
lean officials have armour ced that the
visit may be made without danger
of embarrassment because of thu diff
ferences between the Vatican and
the Quirinal.
1t Is likely that If President Wilson
goes to Rome he will visit the
OuirinaI Palace. as the guest of King
Victor Emmanuel. Afterward he will
go to the American embassy. where
he will be met by the rector and
students of the American ecc1esi-
astica. college. The rector will co.,
vey to the President Pope Benedict's
desire to see him.
If President Wilson goes to the
Vatican he will also call "pon Car
dinal Gasparri. papal secretary of
state. Who will return the call upon
the President at the embassy on be-
half of the Pope. who cannot by
precedent 'enve the Vatican. This
was the program followed when King
Fd-ard VII visited the king and the
Pope.
If the President goes to Rome it
probably will he after Christmas, as