Evening star., 1920-07-14
PRESIDENT SENDS
DESCHANEL CABLE
ON 'BAST|LE day
Expresses Confidence That
FraternaI Ties Will Be
Preserved.


fraternal affection and esteem are in
destructible and will abide forever"
is expressed by President Wilson in
a Bastile day message sent today to
President Deschane1 of France. The
message follows:
please accept, Mr.. President, for
yourself and the great French peo-
pie my sincere and warm Fluctuations
and best wishes as well as those of
the American people. on the occasion
of this national holiday, commemora-
tive of an event which, like our own
declaration of independence, gave no.
tice to the world that men should no
longer be subjected to the tyranny
and despotism of arbitrary power,
but that laws should be just and
equal to ALL 1t was such sentiments
that had previously moved the French
people to give not only their SYM
pathy, but their assistance to the
american colonies struggling for
freedom, thus engendering a graft
tude which has descended with in
creasing fervor from generation to
generation of American citizens and
which found its visible expression in
the spectacle of American armies
fighting with the armies of France
for the rights of man. The ties which
bind the two peoples in fraternal af-
lection and esteem are, l am conf
dent, Mr.. President, indestructible
and will abide forever"
The French tri-color is flying above
the White House, State, War and
Navy building. as well a. from dag
STATS on other public and private
buildings, and Secretary Baker of the
War Department. accompanied by
members of the Frensh embassy,
drove to Arlington shortly after noon
to lay wreaths on the graves of three
Fsench officers and five enlisted men.
who died in this country while on
duty here during the war.
Secretary Baker was assisted in
decorating the graves by Maj. Gen.
Peyton c. March, Maj. Gen. James w.
McAndrew, Brig. Gems. William G.
Haan. Henry Jervey and William NJ.
Wright, Capt. John NJ. Mil1iken and
Maj. William w. Dick.
The decoration of the graves was
informal, and was the spontaneous
expression of sympathy. such as
prompted the French people to put
flowers on thousands of American
graves overseas last Memorial day.
Message by Pershins.
Gen. Pershing also sent cablegram
to Field Marshal Foch on behalf of
Americans who served in France, which
read:
Your American friends and COM
rades in arms send to the French
army and people their most cordial
greetings and felicitations on the in
spring occasion of your Victory day.
Bound together in friendship by his
toric ties dating from the revolution.
firmly cemented in the world war
by the blood of our sons on common
battlefields, your people and ours may
look with confidence into the future
and rejoice together in the present
that our unity is unimpaired and that
we have maintained for posterity our
high national ideals of liberty and
justice. We pay all honor and tribute
to the glorious dead who have given
their lives in defense of these noble
May France enjoy the
peace and prosperity which she has
so richly, earned and which she cele-
brates today"
Secretary of State Colby suggested
that business houses and residences
display the French colors during the
day as tribute to France. ut would
be an expression of cordiality," he
said, toward that people whose
warm friendship has been cherished
by this country since the earlist days
of the republic"
Prison Torn Down 131 Years Ago.
One hundred and thirty-one years
ago today. July IA. 1889. France was
in a state of great excitement. The
Bastile was the old state prison, the
emblem in the eyes of the people of
A report came that it's
guns were trained on the city of
Paris; that provoked popular out
break. Let us storm the Bastile."
rang through the streets. The mob
proceeded to lay siege
to the grim old dungeon. In few
hours the prison fortress was in the
hands of the people. The walls of
the hated state prison were raZed to
the ground, and the people danced
on the spot.
The key of the fortress was sent
as trophy of the spoils of despot-
ISM to Washington by La Fayette.
The destruction by the Paris mob
luton, it is said. what the burning of
the papal bull by Luther was to the
1t was the death-knell
not only of Bourbon despotism in
France, but of royal tyranny every
where.
When the news reached England
the great statesman Fox. perceiving
its significance for liberty. said:
How much is this. the greatest
event that ever happened in the
world, and how much the best"
The key of the Bastile is at Mount
Vernon. where it has been seen by
millions of Americans who have |
visited Washington's home.