Evening star., 1922-09-24
And Mrs Alma de Bretteville
Spreckels came to Paris.


Spreckels came to Paris.
|VoU will gay that she had already
i done a great deal. You will see
what a woman can do when shigh
ideals born of war friendship illumi-
nate the heart and mind.
The great idea was alvie and work
ing on its own. By her friends Mrs.
Spreckels was Influenced in Europe.
By her husband, Adolph Spreckels.
she was influential at home. But it is
one thing to build a perfect replica Of
the Salm- -Salm palace at Inspiration
Point and another thing to have it Of
ficially adopted as the Californian PAL
ace of the Legion of Honor! .
There was, no shadow Of prece-
dent. The Order of the Legion of
Honor was created by the great Ma
poleon to recompense military and
civic virtues. first of all. of French
men. The president of the republic
is, automatically, it's grand master.
1t is administered by a grand chan
cellor. named by the president. and
the most high minded men of France.
And, while acts Of brilliancy in the
late war brought the number of le-
gionaries in foreign countries up to
$4,000 Gas against 10000 in France),
the order had never dreamed of a
house Of its own, or house bearing
its name, in a foreign land!
But Mrs. Spreckels was in Europe.
And the great idea was at work. by
itself
Her architects were all over the
Palace Of the Legion of Honor, in
the Rue de Lille. measuring, taking
new casts, photographing, calculat-
ing. The American replica was to
be a permanent museum as well as
a monument, she let'it be known.
Immediately, the first thing we hear
in reply is that the French govern
ment itself has honored the under
taking with four beautiful Gobelins
tapestries, from designs by Jean-Paul
Laurens, depicting the life Of Joan
of Arc. Next. the French govern
ment gives a magnificent collection
of porcelains from it's mandatory
at Sevres.
The Gobelins are equally a French
government manufactory. So is the
mint. So. along comes generously
Fastening a full collection Of its war
medals This reused the Beaux-Arts.
From the Trocadero museum in Paris,
news comes of its gift of a marvellous
collection Of those architectural mod
els, which every tourist knows so
well. The Trocadero, in fact. con-
tains holdings of all the most
precious remains of the different
French epochs. This particular col
lection for America is chosen by M.
Paul Leon. French minister of fine
arts, and will occupy two halls. each
fifty feet square. in the building.
The grand chancellor Of the Legion
of Honor lost none of these details.
The French government Itself was
pointing the way.
The tapestries and Sevres ware
will occupy the hall Of honor" Mrs.
Spreckels told quite simply. "At its
end, in the famous roundroom of the
palace of the Legion OF Honor. will
be placed Robins Thinker which ]
am giving. And at his feet will be
deposited the names Of the $500 Cali
fornia boys who gave their lives for
honor and country"
The administrators Of the Legion OF
Honor were genuinely moved. The
great idea was now Independently In
their minds Its dignity and beauty
grew with natural French thrill at
news, that the hall of honor is also
to contain fifty other masterpieces by
Rodin, all the gift Of Mrs. spreckefs.
How she sustained the great French
sculptor in his last years and carried
gold across war-ridden Europe to
have these works cast In Bronse In
Italy, at her own expense. 10 fine
story by itself. which I have promised
not to tell.
But the grand chancellor saw. above
all. think those $500 names Of Cali.
fornia dead deposited at the feet of
.The Thinker!
X
[ANEANwHIIE, MrA spreckeis is
llM personal friend Of the Queen Of
~ i - q g r.