The sun., 1919-05-22
New French Minister Guest Of
Honor at Luncheon of
Marcel Knecht.
FRANCE Is ACCLAIMED
Melville e. Stone Says Ally
Will Despise Us IL We
Fail Her Now.

had to cut his speech short at q luncheon
given in his honor in the Midday Club
yesterday, he said, because he had prom
Used to aid the Salvation Army drive by
helping to sell doughnuts from the steps
Of the Public Library at . 80 O'Clock.
Mr.. Casenave recently arrived here
from Brasil, where he was serving as
French Minister. He already has q
wide acquaintance in New York. a. he
was stationed here from 1914 to 1915 as
head Of the French financial mission.
Knecht. director of the official
bureau OF French information of New
York. was the host at the luncheon yes
terday and the guest Of honor was loudly
applauded when he arose to speak.
"Evsry Frenchman knows what you
have done for France" said
Mr.. Casenave. During the dark days
after the failure Of the Champagne drive
and during the German attack on Verdun
your bankers and your public responded
to our appeals for loans and helped US
our position in the war. Later,
when you entered the struggle. you SAINT
your men without number and American
fathers and mothers encouraged their
sons to respond to the call with the ut
most patriotism. The ties between
France and America will endure for
ever"
Says U. s. Must Back France.
Melville E. Stone, general manager OF
the Associated Press. said II was difficult
for him to pay a tribute to Mr.. Casenave,
as mo man was a hero to his valet" and
he knew the French Minister 30 well that
he considered him a friend rather than
a great man.
But don't think you are the only
Frenchman America has been glad to
the guest Of honor. Lafayette and De
you, and we expect to continue to well
come Frenchmen here for all time. I
think. too. that Americans were welcome
in France when our troops began arrfv-
ing there after we entered the war.
Civilization owes a debt TO your country
for the splendid fght she made before We
ca me in. l have lived there much, and
there used to be an impression among
the peasants of France that we were a
mercenary people and that our chief OBJ
Ject was the gaining OF money. Ameri-
cans spent with a lavish hand. and the
peasant literally thought that the streets
of New York were paved with gold.
Then. almost in a single day, they
realized that we were an idealistic ma
ton, willing to deny ourselves food that
they might have enough, and TO throw
lives without stint into the fight for
freedom 1t was great awakening
I left France a month ago, and they
have put US on a pinnacle. II we fail
in this hour to Join them in their ef-
forts to secure the future peace OF the
world and to insure their own protection
they will despise US forever"
Samuel w. Fairchild. vice-president
Of the American Chamber Of Commerce
and chairman OF the war activities COM
mittee Of the Union League Club, re-
ferred to the fact that relations between
the two countries had been ideal for
years without even a treaty.
II believe that France and Belgium
ought to get pretty nearly everything
too much" said he. And believe,
too. that the French army saved civ
ilization at tho battle OF the Marine"
Mr.. Fairchild paid tribute to the
service Mr.. Knecht had performed, both
TO his own country and to the United
States, since he has been here. He said
that probably no foreigner had ever
made SO many public addresses. and
that he had studied American history
SO we'll that he was thoroughly at home
in any section OF the country.
Duffy Answers French Mothers.
When Mr.. Knecht called upon
either" Col. William H. Hayward of
the 369h Infantry or Chaplain Duffy Of
the old Sixty-ninth. to speak the for
mer said that he would "order Chaplain
Duffy TO respond for both"
The chaplain began by reminding the
luncheon guests that regiments led by
Dillon, Walsh and Burke came to Amer
lea with Lafayette during the Revo-
luton. The three things that impressed
Chaplain Duffy most in France, he said.
were the soldiers. women and priests.
The most practical instruction we
received was from French soldiers" he
explained. Although l am a bachelor
by profession, l am devoted to French
women, and l have fallen in love with
some OF them between so and so years
old-the mothers of Lorraine. They
haven't the appearance Of Jeanne dare,
but they have her spirit. also learned
to admire the French priests, and / am
going TO aid them in rebuilding their
churches in the devastated regions."
Col Hayward said the proudest mo-
ment OF his life was when he led his
colored soldiers down to the bank OF
the Rhine as the advance guard Of the
French army OF occupation and scooped
water from the river up in his hands
Like La Sale and De Soto OF Old -
said he, Il claimed all the land which
II watered In the name OF France. II
the League of Nations is not a success
on paper 1t will always exist between
our two countries"
Other speakers were Morgan l.
OBrien. former Supreme Court Justice.
and Albert Rlpm, president of the All.
~ e-Lorraine Federation, The guests
included Comptroller General Johannat.
OF the French Mission; Frederic Bloch
director of the French Financia /
Agency; w. II. Guthrie, vice-presldent
of the Franco-America Society; MARCEL
Rouffie inspector general of the French
Services; Othon Guerlac, French Consul
Goiran. F. Cunliffe- Owen. Canon Ca
banel. Arthur Scribner. G. w. Mulligan
and Henri Delmas,