Evening star., 1926-04-13
JEFFERSON GIVEN
CAPITAL TRIBUTE
French Ambassador Joins
Others by Giving Speech
at Breakfast.


and one of the first Presidents.
Spokesman for France Joined in
paying their respects to the early
Democrat, participating in cere-
monies held here. Senators, univer-
Sity students. artists. community
center leaders. the clergy, memorial
organizations and school children all
aided in three public assemblies in
the Capital today.
More than 500 persons gathered at
the Mayflower Hotel at noon for the
annual Monticello breakfast; this eve
ming at $50 o'clock the jefferson day
banquet will be held at the Mayfiower
and at o'clock a colorful pageant
depicting the life OF Jefferson " 4 he
presented at the Central High School
under the auspices of the Community
Center Department, assisted by the
Thomas jefferson Memorial Founda-
1..C:., ard will be enacted by a group
including students Of George Wash
tngton University, members Of JEFF
ferson Foundation, clergymen and
school children.
The Monticello breakfast was fea-
tured by the display of rare books
and manuscripts of Jefferson which
have been made gifts to the Month
cello shrine in an endeavor to re-
y
ferson sold to Congress as the nucleus
of the Congressional Library. These
books, after being acknowledged by
the members Of the Thomas jefferson
Memorial Foundation and others pres
ent, we're returned to Monticello.
Mrs. Hoes Presides.
The breakfast was presided over
by Mrs. Rose Gouverneur Hoes,
chairman of the Washington com.
mittee Of the foundation. After well
Sented Right Rev. James E. Free
man, Episcopal Bishop of Washing
ton, who asked blessing.
Mrs. Minnigerode Andrews, spe-
cial representative of the Thomas
Jefferson Foundation, reported brief
ly on the progress made toward hav-
ing the Monticello homs made into
q national shrine, and lauded the
work of Mrs. Hoes and local chair
men. Mrs. Andrews said that IN the
three years since the movement was
actively launched Washington has
contributed a total Of $4,000. This
is to be the last public contribution
sought from Washington, Mrs. An
drews said
The Monticello home soon will be
self-supporting. from gate receipts
there, Mrs. Andrews said, reporting
that the receipts last year amounted
to $4,000.
DIR. Lewis Speaks.
William Tyler Page recited his
Americans Creed" DR. William
Mather Lewis, president Of George
Washington University, spoke Of the
Importance Of preserving historic
landmarks, such as Monticello.
The French Ambassador, NJ. Ber-
enger, speaking for the first time at
a public gathering in the United
States. told Of the friendship Of Jeffer-
son and Lafayette. Senator Swanson,
who represented the State in which
Thomas Jefferson was born, spoke of
Jefferson's influence throughout the
world through his political acts and
ideals.
A description of Monticello and the
portrait of Jefferson given by La
rochefoucauld in 1895 and published
by him in French in 1899 In the be.
ginning Of the fifth volume of his
Voyage aux Unis d. Amerique"
was given by the Ambassador.
Committee Greats Envoy.
Preceding the breakfast, Ambassa.
dor and Nine. Berenger, were met
in the reception room by the Jefferson
descendants, Senator Swanson of Vir-
ginia, Mrs. Rose G. Hoes, chairman
of the Monticello Association and
Matthew Page Andrews, author, and
executive director of the Jefferson
League. AS a souvenir of the occa-
sion the French Ambassador was
presented with q miniature copy of
the Biggest Book in the world, "The
Story of the South" by Mr.. Andrews.
"One hundred and thirty years ago."
Ambassador Berenger reminded his
audience, 'in the fourth year Of the
French republic, a Frenchman Of
very old family, whom the revolu.
tionists Of his country as we'll as his
personal tastes, had brought as
traveller to the United States of
America, the 'citoyan-duc' de Laroche.
foucauld'Liancourt, arrived at Month
cello, June 20, 1895, to return the
visit of an agriculturist of Virginia,
who was none other than your illus
trious countryman, Thomas Jefferson.
Thomas Jefferson was then in the
meridian of his career. Although only
53 years of age, he had already been
member of the Continental Congress
Of 1775, was the author of the Declara.
ton Of Independence, had been the
Governor of Virginia, the minister
plenipotentiary to France and the first
Secretary Of State of George Wash
tngton. Since 1892, that is to say for
three years, he had retired from the
Government and had become an agri-
culturiSt.
Visitor Of Same Age.
"His French visitor, Larochefouc-
auldLiancourt, like him, was in the
middle of the road Of life, having been
born in 1747. He died in France after
a noble career as q philanthropist
and a man of politics in 1927, one
year after your Jefferson, who, as you
know, died in 1925 at Monticello,
where he is buried.
THE two men, the American and
the Frenchman, were then Of the
same age. and Of an origin and an
education somewhat similar. They
had both passed through the bloody
storms of two revolutions. They
loved liberty, but detested intolerance.
They were both attached, not only to
the culture of the mind. but also to
that of the earth. The French travel
er was especially well fitted to under.
stand the American statesman.
To-day, as we are commemorating
both Monticello and Jefferson, I
think that it may be interesting to
recall the description Of Monticello
and the portrait Of Jefferson given by
La Rochefoucauld in 1895 and pub.
lished by him in French in 1899 in the
beginning of the fifth volume Of his
Voyage aux Etats-Unis d'Amer.
iQue.'"
Representatives Give Addresses.
Mrs. Mary T. Norton, Representa-.
tive in Congress from New Jersey,
lauded Jefferson for his support Of
public schools. and Representative
Tyson Of Tennessee spoke briefly on
'Some of the Many-Sided Characters.
tics of Jefferson"
The banquet at the Mayfiower to.
night will be an elaborate affair with