The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-03-05
France, United States to
Honor Geo. Washington
Homage VIII Be Paid Patriots of
Both Countries at International
Exposition

France and the United States
will join in honoring the memory
of the patriots of both countries
who helped to win independence
for the American Colonies, and es-
pecially in paying homage to the
memory Of George Washington,
during the six months Of the Inter
national Colonial and Overseas Ex-
position, sponsored by the French
Government, which will open near
Paris May 1. The American exhibit
at the exposition will help to bring
the worldwide celebration of the
Two Hundredth Anniversary of the
Birth Of George Washington in
1882 to the attention of all nations
To emphasize and cement the
long-standing friendship of the
United States and France, which
began during the American Revo-
luton, an exact and full-size re-
production of Mount Vernon, home
of George Was hington, is being con-
structed on the banks of the River
Seine to serve as the administration
building for the American exhibit.
c. Bascom Slemp, of Virginia,
who is a Commissioner-Gene of
the United States to the French ex-
position, is also member Of the
executive committee of the George
Washington Bicentennial Commits
sion. He has just returned from
Paris and is now busily engaged in
arranging to have appropriate fur
nishings and other material sent
from this country to be placed in
the duplicate of Mount Vernon on
the Seine, and to have the overseas
possessions of the United States
represented by appropriate exhibits
at the exposition.
The executive committee of the
George Washington Bicentennial
Commission has adopted a resolu-
ton officially endorsing the repro
duction of Mount Vernon in France.
The building, in addition to being
the headquarters of the American
Commission to the French expo
sition, will be used as a museum in
which will be placed articles con-
nected with Washington and his
time, loaned by the French and
American Governments and citi-
zens of both countries.
The George Washington Bicen-
tennial Commission is urging Amer
leans to "join in this patriotic en-
deavor" by contributing Washing
toniana to be exhibited in the
Mount Vernon building.
Among the many articles which
the French government is lending
to the United States Commission in
Paris are an original miniature of
General Washington and one of
Martha Washington. a large topo-
graphic map of Yorktown painted
in 1880 on the spot by order of
Louis Philippe, series of medals
and documents pertaining to Amer
ican-French friendship, an original
bust of Lafayette, taken from Yer
sailles and very little known, auto
graphed documents of Rochambeau,
Louis XVI and Marie ,Antoinette
and numerous other articles OF
historic interest.
The official hostess at the Mount
Vernon building will be Miss Anne
Madison Washington, a descendent
of John Augustine Washington.
nephew of George Washington. The
building will be furnished as nearly
as possible like Washington's home.
Among the things which Mr.. Slemp
is taking to Paris to place in the
building is key to the Bastille and
copy of a picture of Louis XVI
both given to Washington by La
fayette; reproductions of silver
ware used at Mount Vernon, letters
and portraits of famous French
men and American colonists, and
other articles appropriate to the
time.