The Tomahawk., 1919-03-13

The Place de
-@HE spot where France weeps"
has been a place of gladness
since last November II. What
will be the next distinguish
Ing feature of the Place de In Con-
corde, one of Paris great places, and
perhaps the most magnificent public
square in the world? asks the Kansas
City Star. Will it, too, be tragic? For
an air of tragedy has chung to this
splendid product Of engineering and
art.
Thousands died there in the blood
madness of the French Revolution; the
allied armies of Napoleon held SOL
emn te deum there in 1914; In 1871
the hated Prussian encamped in the
beautiful square; later the same year
it was the scene of fierce and bloody
conflicts between Versailles troops and
the Communards, who had erected bar
ricades at one Of the entrances; since
1871 the statue dedicated to the city
Of Strassburg had been continuously
draped in mourning and known as the
'Lost Sister," keeping alive In the
minds of Frenchmen the theft of AL.
sace-Lorraine.
A Place Of Beauty.
It is a place of lovely fountains and
statues. Originally 1t was intended as
q center of commemoration, where
statues and monuments might be erect.
ed to celebrate the memory Of great
Frenchmen and their deeds. Louis XIV
modestly give it start with statue
Of himself, but this no longer stands
there. It disappeared in the Revolu'
ton. There are in it now eight colos-
sal statues representing eight princi-
pal cities of France-Lille, Rouen,
Nantes, Bordeaux, Brest, Marseilles,
Lyons and Strassburg. There is now
talk of erecting in it some immortal
of the present conflict and
it's victorious outcome.
On one side of the Place de Ia Con-
corie runs the broad Rue Royale, OK
tending to the majestic church of La
Madeleine. On the opposite side Is the
River Seine. On its right is the Gar
den of the TuileNes and on the left
the famous promenade Of the Champs
Elysees. In the old peace times the
Place de Ia Concorde was scene Of
gayety. Came to it tourists from all
parts of the world, about 1t promenade
ed the fashionables of Paris.
The note of gayety would die out
Of the voices Of Frenchmen as they
passed the figure of the Lost Sister"
with its ever present crepe and SOM
Der wreaths of mourning. 1t signified
that France had neither forgotten nor
forgiven.
The day the armistice was declared
unparalleled scenes Of Joy occurred in
the Place de la Concorde. Captured
German guns were brought to its con-
fines; soldiers, civilians, women and
children gathered there and laughed
and sang and cheered with all the
abandon of the Gaul. The mourning
wreaths were torn away from the
Strassburg monument and the statue
decked with a crown of gold leaves.
This crown IL still upon the colossal
figure Of what is now the Redeemed
Sister,
The dreams Of many men Of genius
have gone into the making Of the
Place de Ia Concorde. Gabriel, the
architect, and an unnamed engineer
of great Imagination, constructed the
pavilions and balustrades, laid the
groundwork for the achievement in
the middle Of the eighteenth century.
The equestrian figure Of Louis XIV.
which stood In the square until the
Revolution, was the work Of Bou-
chardon. Pigalle, one Of his contempt
raries, surrounded this statue with fig
ures emblematic Of Strength. Wisdom,
Justice and Peace. The square re-
ceived It's present form In 1854 from
designs BY Hittorf. The great statues
Of the cities were made BY four "a
nous French sculptors, each Of whom
did two figures. At the entrance to
the Champs Eysees, which forms the
western boundary Of the place, are
the famous Horses Of Marry" " by Gull
laume Coustou, and at the eastern
side at the entrance to the Garden Of
the Tuileries, are the ''Renomees" Of
Coyzevo1-Mercury and Fame bestride
the horses.
obeIjsk Of Rameoeo 10.
In the center rises the obellsk OF
Rameses II, towering 78 feet and
weighing 20 tons. It II . single block
q reddish granite, more than three
thsusand years Old ed Il once stood