If the idea appears good and worthy, worthy of the Government and of the Embassy, which has been confided to us, worthy of the man who was three centuries ago the champion of our country, worthy of the sister republic, then it is necessary that friends sign this visiting-card which will be sent out there in her name.

The inauguration of the monument will take place next July. A French delegation will go to deliver Rodin’s bronze to the building committee. Time presses. We must be ready by the day named. The bronze which requires some alterations will be quickly completed. But it is further necessary that the architect place the edicule, that they cut the stone, that they engrave it in order that the thought of the master make in the ensemble a delicate, proud work, a flower of France, blossoming in good art at the foot of the colossal monument.

A little money is needed. But above all is needed a prompt expression to prevent at once any fault of taste and lack of precision. The Figaro opens its columns to us. The Times, the Matin, the Parisian press aid us. To-day appears the first subscription list. We make appeal to the friends of America and to the friends of France, that it may be rapidly closed up.

To this patriotic appeal generous response was made and the bust was secured. On April 26, 1912, the French delegation on their superb steamship France of La Compagnie Générale Transatlantique in New York harbor was welcomed by members of the New York Lake Champlain Tercentenary Commission, Viscount de Jean, Secretary of the French Embassy at Washington, M. Étienne Marie Louis Lanel, French Consul-General at New York, Paul Fuller, Jr., representing the Franco-American Committee, Hon. McDougall Hawkes, representing the Franco-American Institute in the United States, and Mr. Henry L. Beadel, one of the architects of the Champlain Memorials. The interchange of greetings between the members of the Tercentenary Commission and the visitors prepared the way for the receptions that were to follow at New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, Montreal, Quebec, and elsewhere. The delegation was accompanied by Hon. Robert Bacon, former United States Ambassador to France, and was one of the most representative that had ever come over from France. It included in its membership:

His Excellency, Albert Auguste Gabriel Hanotaux, of the French Academy, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, President of the delegation; Hon. Louis Barthou, Member of the Chamber of Deputies, former Minister of Justice; Baron D’Estournelles de Constant, Member of the French Senate and of The Hague International Tribunal; M. René Bazin of the French Academy; General Lebon, Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor and Member of the Superior Council of War; M. Étienne Lamy of the French Academy; M. Fernand Cormon, painter, President of the Academy of Fine Arts; Count Charles de Chambrun, Secretary of the French Embassy at Washington, representing President Poincaré of the Council of Ministers; M. Paul Vidal de le Blache, Member of the Institute, representing the University of Paris; Le Duc Choiseul, descendant of an old distinguished French family; Count de Rochambeau, descendant of Count de Rochambeau, in command of the French forces in America during the Revolution; M. J. Dal Piaz, Director-General of La Compagnie Générale Transatlantique; M. Louis Blériot, Engineer and Aviator; M. Antoine Girard, Commercial Explorer; M. Léon Barthou, delegate from the Aero Club of France; M. Gabriel Louis Jaray, Member of the Council of State and Secretary of the General Franco-American Committee; M. Gaston Deschamps, representing “Le Temps;” M. Régis Gignoux, representing “Le Figaro;” M. Roger Gouel, Secretary of the delegation; the Countess de Rochambeau; Madame Blériot; Miss Valentine Girard and Miss Madeline Cormon.

Baron D’Estournelles de Constant, so favorably known to Americans on account of his advocacy of International Peace on a former visit to this country, introduced the members of the delegation to members of the New York Commission, which presented to each visitor one of the official souvenir Champlain badges and later a copy of the first edition of the Official Report of the Tercentenary Celebration. The mission of the delegation was to bring and present to the New York and Vermont Lake Champlain Tercentenary Commissions the allegorical bust “La France,” by Auguste Rodin, bearing the following inscription:

LE XX JUILLET MDCIX LE FRANÇAIS S. CHAMPLAIN
A DÉCOUVERT LE LAC QUI PORTE SON NOM.
LE III MAI MCMXII LES ÉTATS DE
NEW-YORK ET DE VERMONT
ÉLEVANT CE MONUMENT
UNE DÉLÉGATION FRANÇAISE
A SCELLE CETTE FIGURE DE
“LA FRANCE.”

A. Rodin

The architects of the Crown Point memorial thus described the bust: