Evening star., 1919-05-04
Dire Need of an Embassy Building in Paris
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

They own 1t. It's beautiful
furniture remains from am
hassador to ambassador. Lord Derby
did not have to go house hunting.
The British bought their embassy
mansion singularly cheap, under cir
cumstances singularly like and unlike
the present.
1t was just after Waterloo. The
Duke OF Wellington and the Emperor
of Russia We're camping in the Elysee
(present French white house), aban-
doned by the fleeing Napoleon. The
allies were holding peace confer
ence in Paris, and the iron duke
looked at neighboring properties-as,
President Wilson might look today if
1t occurred to him to do So All We're
veritable palaces in grounds - the
present private mansions of the
Rothschilds Stern, Pillet-Will Pere-
Tres. etc, with lilac scented forest
gardens extending to the Champs
Elysees; and one of them had been
abandoned in haste.
X X
1t. had belonged to Pauline Bona
parte. So Wellington said to the
French: Wen buy it for the British
embassy" He fixed the purchase
price at 100000. and tranquilized
British consciences by explaining
that no lawful possessor was being
strong armed. Pauline was squat
ter" ran his argument. The prop
erty had been conf1scated in the rev.
: olution from the dukes of Charost."'
Today this British embassy is worth
$5,o0o,O0O, perhaps almost double, for
building sites. Only two OF those
neighboring mansions in grounds
have been cut up; and each made a
street. Today, of course, the French
state would enjoin the destruction Of
any more Of these vast private gar
dens which give air and beauty to
mid-Paris; but it is just as certain
that the British would refuse to sell
their embassy for untold gold. Its
history, grandeur and situation give
it overwhelming prestige. Why, the
garden parties of the British embassy
awe-inspiring than those of the near
Wy CIeHCH Wnlte mouse. Every Eng
lishman is proud Of them.
The late imperial German embassy
in Paris is similar and it was similarly
acquired. during peace conference.
After the Franco Prussian war;
when Bismarck, Moltke and the old
kaiser had dictated to France their
conditions, they thought of an en-
bassy for their new empire. The for
mer town house of the mi-royal
Dues de Maine looked good to them.
1t was in the rue de Lille. old aristo-
cratic Faubourg St. Germain, sur
rounded by other historic mansions in
grounds. The town house originally
of the Montmorency was next door
and that of the du Roure ("the brave
BrisonD beyond. Lafayette had own
ed a house in the same block.
The German peace conference fixed
the price, $4,000. 1t is worth per-
haps, s2,O0O,0O0 today. The French
were forced again to accept And
here's curious thing, perhaps the
secret OF sentiment and ambition why
the Germans bought" that property
Tor their Paris embassy. Just before
the revolution it had come into pos
session of the then still sovereign
house of Croy today the Duchess de
Croy is Pittsburgh girl, who was
Miss L.eishmam, but. being confis-
Gated. Napoleon took it for his minis
try of war. Certainly it was the
aueerest thing, Bismarck and Moltke
laying hands on NapoIeon's ministry
OF war for German embassy
X *
A noble property
Behold what a peace conference can