The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-07-01

Washington, D. C., July July 1 is a date on which every per- son in the country who wishes to be regarded as a good American should think for moment of the noble character who was born on that day POT years ago. In La fayette park, in the city of Wash ington, facing t he White House, stands a statue to this man, and on the base of it are carved the words in which George Washing ton has nobly recorded the "har- monious friendship" which existed between this man and himself.
 This friend of Washington and of America was Jean Bapttste Donation de Vimeure, Comte de Rochambeau, and it is in view of that classic example of friendship between two exalted souls, as we'll as for the help that Rochambeau brought to Washington and to America, that every American owes him g. thought. And the thought Is most appropriate during this year when the entire civilized world is honoring the memory of George Washington. Nothing would have pleased Washington more than this moment of gratitude that we bestow upon his great ally and comrade in arms. sl
 Every school child knows the story of the help that came from France at critical hour in the progress of the Revolution. The patriots, we are told by the United States George Washington Bicen- tennial commission, had become destitute of everything but their magnificent courage and determin- ation. But a nation cannot triumph on valor alone, and the Colonies were without funds. without arma- ment, without food and clothing for their soldiers. More than that, five years of war had so disheart- ened the country that 1t had little prospect of raising these necessi- ties in time to save itself and its cause.
 How the French came to our aid with money and with armed, men and ships, in answer to the plead ings of Benjamin Franklin and the eloquence of Lafayette, is familiar to all. The story of it makes one of the noble pages of history. It is the story of nations and of in- dividuals willing and able to rise above considerations of financial or political gains, and uniting to battle side by side for those in- visible advantages to progress and to humanity.
 The millions of livres, and the thousands of Frenchmen who came to America in their transports and ships of war, made possible Wash : ington's triumph at Yorktown and the winning of American inde- pendence. But even this splendid and effective gesture is but half the story.
 The rest of it consists in those graceful and personal acts of con sideration and delicacy with which the French placed themselves un. der Washington's command and made possible that harmonious friendship which Washington him self records imm ortally on the statue of his friend.
 It Is a fact known chiefly to stu dents of history that Lafayette dearly wished to be made com mander of this French contingent, and it is worth the labor of turn ing over all the pages of core spondence dealing with the subject for the pleasure of finding how gracefully he yielded the honor and how cheerfully he became a sub ordinate both to his French chief tain and to General Washington But Rochambeau was equally fine in placing himself completely al Washingtons orders, and in this he was but executing the orders of his superiors in France.
 It is not commonly understood, in the first place, what an honor the French conferred upon us in placing Rochambeau at the head of the reinforcements they sent