The New York herald., 1921-02-20
FATHERLESS CHILDREN
OF FRANCE ART SALE

4
women Of Ncw York and It's guest OF
honor the French Ambassador to the
United States. Jean Jules Jusserand,
an exhibition begir ming then cf war
/ memorabilia" a collection Of many au-
tograph messages autographed state
ments. orders Of battles poems, sketches.
drawings highly interesting. Of much
artistic value, all relating to the great
war. contributed by the leading men and
women concerned in it; a sale few
days later OF all these rarities. the pass
ing out Of existence Of one of the most
famous and longest to continue of the
American war relief organizations. the
Fatherless Children of France. this re-
ception. exhibition and sale being its
finel chapter. is the story IN brief OF
chain of events near at hand in New
York.
Art lovers and experts will find un-
usual examples from the pens. pencils.
brushes of famous artists OF the world
punicists. collectors and students OF ar
fairs will view with delight and compete
TO acquire the original manuscripts that
statesmen. soldiers clericals and authors
sent in at the request Of this war relief
organization. And all this has historic
interest that will long be remembered.
for II marks the passing of war relief
society that did valiant work. and did
IL for nearly six years. sending over
S12, 900. 900 for little French war orphans
AN incalculable number Of francs at
the rate OF exchange during the war and
after-probably more than hundred
and nfty million francs.
So this is no mere art exhibit and
sale, though its art interest is big; il is
not only an exhibit and sale OF unique
manuscripts, though there are many a
collector who Is specializing on war
rarites VIII want. Nor is il a society
event alone. IL Is an unusual combina-
tion Of all three. Its scene Will be the
American Art Galleries on East Twenty
third street, the Fatherless Children
Of Frances reception for Ambassador
Jusserand this coming Wednesday (Feb-
ruary 23). ~ 40 In the afternoon. the
exhibition continuing over till the follow
ing Monday (February 2S) with the
sale on that day. both afternoon and
evening.
There are 34s pieces. sketches and
drawings. manuscripts and signed photo
graphs in this collection the proceeds Of
which are to be divided between the New
York and Boston committees OF the
Fatherless Children Of France. Nobody
can even hazard a guess at what the
collection will bring. The only thing
certain Is that II win fetch something far
up In the thousands. for the rarities are
real rarties beyond all thought. For
example. there Il. written out in Gen.
Joffre's hand ana signed by him. a page
Of the order of NerTl un. You viii know
how to stop them They have barred
the Germans on the road 10 verdun." the
original Of the famous They shall not
pass. John 5. Sargent. the artist. Is
represented by a sketch OF a nude male
figure. There Is the original sketch OF
the head Of the French poilu that was
used in the noted affiche. the great
French war Joan poster that inflamed
France as little else ever did. Pershing.
Foch. Haig, Jellicoe, Whittlesey OF the
lost battalion" are among the soldiers
and sailors whose autograph messages
are here. Galli-Curci sent curiosity, a
bar of patriotic song. a patriotic mes
sage, her signature. a bar Of another
piece Of music. Muirhead Bone Is there
In the collection with a picture OF the
American Expeditionary Force embark
Ing for France.
How they were collected forms q most
interesting story, The collection owes It's
birth and its making largely. almost en-
trely. Mrs. leland Eggleston Cofer.
chairman OF the New York committee
and the organizations active American
head. says, 70 Mrs. David Johnson of
Boston. who proposed the idea, and with
her Mrs. Cofer's) active cooperation
carried 1t out beginning 1915.
The original plan was very ingenious.
Ii Il strange no one else ever thought Of
Ii. and stranger and more remarkable
still that through the years the Father
less Children Of France Let no word creep
out Of what they were doing. Gathering
weck By week such raritles as they lid.
one would have thought the temptation
10 give out for publicity purposes the
words Of this celebrity and that. price
less words. from the worlds greatest,
would have been irresistible. Hut these
women could keep secret. They kept
this faithfully, completely.
Mrs. johnson and Mrs Cofer planned.
originally for a book. Their Book" il
was 70 have been called. simple copy.
never any more 20 consist Of all the war
messages, sketches, memorabilia OF every
nature they could gather Their method
was TO send out sheets OF yellum TO
every real celebrity OF the great war they
could think Of and ask for anything. 50
long as II was autoeraphic. personal.
done by that mans own hand
In few cases was the request for
something" denied or ignored. Sol
dcrs and statesmen stopped their work
In camp and council room. authors took
up the pcn that had been superseded BY
tho typewriter To send message. quo
tation or statement Artists gave draw
ings that were really worth while. a
single individual or the ordinary orgnni-
1ation would not have been successful
10 any such ratio as Mrs Johnson and
AIRS. Cofer We're. But the cause the
work they represented was n great
one, Of compelling power. reputation and
Influence. All over the world and cspc-
cialaly IN that part Of II where big bat
ties were being fought the Fatherlcss
children Of France was known and
highly commended news OF Mrs. Cofers
work had spread widely--she later re-
cclved the Cross of the Legion Of Honor
for II. besides three other decorations
II, was known everywhere what tho
Fatherless Children of France had been
and was doing, obtaining in this country
contributions for the little children of
France orphaned ~ the war whose
fathers lad made Tie supreme sacrl-
ficc" and who unless financial help
came from outside France would have
to give up their homes and pass by thou
sands into Institutions
Vi cost pitifully little Tor each child.
but ten cents day set thousands in the
aggregate for the tiny orphans Of
France. Mrs. Cofer's fstherless chill
dren got American godfathers and god.
mothers by the thousands who con-
tributed regularly year after year. ~