Evening star., 1921-06-12
BY STIRLING HELLO.

PARIS, June .. 1921.
" EXPLOSIVE shells from German
- "Taube" planes were falling on
Paris in 1914. The invading
armies were approaching. the
french defenders were retreating. Soon
he terrific German hovitzers would be
n range Of Paris!
Crash.
A "Taube" she'll fell beside the Ameri-
AN embassy. Ambassador Herrick. busy
With proofs of a poster, came near being
blown up.
You might have been killed" said
Poncare.
Then Herrick gave his answer. sublime
n 1914. plain American in 1918, rococo
f, 1920 and enbalmed in all French
,earts in 1921:
There are situations" he said, in
hich a dead American amba ssador
nisht be worth more than live one.
In this true anecdote is summed up
4 the intense French popularity OF
Iyron T. Herrick. who is about to re-
urn again to France as our ambassador
IN 1921.
IT 10 q rare thing. probably without
precedent, for any foreign nation to
.rdently desire in advance that any par
ocular American be sent to it as am-
,assador. yet silently. without any par
icular hope of ever seeing him again.
Mr. Herrick has this proud and DIM
.uit position. He is legendary hgure of
914. Half the people Of France know
Who ne is. and with emotion, yet they
ould scarce believe their eyes when he
,obbed up, as a private citizen. on the
mort summer trip which he made TO
france last July. ! was in Rheims and
.aw the effect Of his appearance
We were, in fact. a couple of hum
dred newspapermen of all the world,
n Rheims, that day. by special invi-
alton, to view the ruins which re-
NAMED complete And total In spite
If the new city plan Of Rheims drawn
Up by the American architect. George
FORD. and accepted by municipality
md state. The Germans had paid
nothing. Through a hundred streets
whose houses were all blown into
heir neighbors. cellars our long
tring of motor cars wound from one
nakeshift factory to another, to have
{ pathetically pointed out TO us that
rheims was working in her desola-
ion.
Before the strafed cathedral.
Cardinal Archbishop Lucon had be-
,un his explanations. Suddenly. there
was 4 hush. The cardinal stopped
short. A smile Of charmed surprise
transhgursd the sour and worried
'eatures of Senator Leon Bourgeois.
The Marquis de Polignac pushed en-
husiastically to the open. where =
solitary figure stood. and pulled the
solitary figure, with love and laugh
Ter, to the circle of his colleagues OF
Rheims and Paris.
1t was Mr.: Herrick. unannounced'
of. He had come. practt- |
caliy alone. to see the devastated re-
gions. on his short trip OF last July. |
.lready referred to. The two hundred |
we're quite forgottsn.
auis. "Her-ri!" echoed Mayor Roche.
while the municipal councillors mpr.
INJURED Henri"
nID you ever take four girls out in
- motor car, and after sweating over
spark plug and magnetic in the dusty
road an hour or so. have q cool lad
bob up, concerning whom the girls
were Grassy and couldn't conceal it!
So il was for the gallant two hun
ired. Herrick to right of them, Her
rick to the left Of them. Cardinal
Lucon began his explanations Of the
cathedral over again. with his hand
raphers stopped taking pictures Of
us. The French public fawned on J
Mr. Herrick, touched his coat.tans
They drew him to the
banquet hall. And he: blushing'
aushins ina,tiesi.fe o.S %ast w,ss os sot,Un ssn
1uet made for others. The thing was
Bic enough to upset any man. but
VII Herrick has q great possession
grace, Such q one may lift q
aorse," as they say, where another
nan had best not LOOK over t, a wal.
sneech at that newspaper luncheon
N the smashed Hotel de Vile of
INV God" he exclaimed-and all
Knew he meant it-"let us waste no
ime in asking by what fault these
delays have happened. put lets get 10
york and stop them
A. that moment Mr.. HeFrick was q
,rjyate American citizen on private
ourist trip to Ffance@his nFst since
,e had sailed home, ex-smeassaaef. ~
1914; ;H.... 1t wss s1lys .,. isao; n";
,et chosen and nobody in France had
Re slightest idea hew the elections
vould 20 in the coming Noveneef.
de vas simply their friend HerFtek.
What of his acts had 70 ehdeefsd
Inn to the French?
0ne Of them, which I think may be
Imast unknown In America, will be
amembered, nevertheless, SO long. as
'oster collecting endures in the world.
m mhassador HerSick made a poster.
q be posted up on Paris houses oe-
upied by Americans. 1t is the one
,oster of the war which nobody can
NV in Paris, because no FFenchman
Tho possesses q copy would part with
/ for any money. 1t was prepared
vainst the arrival of the Germans In
y, e ris' Quoting from memory, 1t de-
Jared that "in this house live Ameri.
an citizens, with their furniture aad
All persons were invited
te respect the same aad warned that
hs American government would seek
espo nsibiiitiss in case OF vieiattoas,'
n words to that effect.
Nv announcement, these posters
Iers ready for distribution ct the
american embassy. 70 such American
ouse holders as might require them.
,uantities of Americans obtained
hem. But. in Arm French belief. the
tory does not end here. Not Ameri-
L.