Birchard. Her husband was in partnership with the late Governor Tod, and it was in Judge Birchard's office that Governor Tod studied law.

On Friday, September 8th, the commission was given a reception by the Association Nationale De Expansion Economique and the Paris Chamber of Commerce, jointly. There was an animated discussion at this luncheon with members of the Paris Chamber of Commerce, all of it in French. Some of the commissioners got badly tangled up, but we got through by the aid of our French-speaking commissioners and matters were pretty well straightened out.

We were given a luncheon on this same day by the Paris Chamber of Commerce at the Armenonville. We met at this luncheon a great many Paris notables, many of them members of the French parliament, and others prominent in business and finance.

In the evening I visited the Rejane Theatre and saw some wonderful moving pictures, taken by means of periscopes; they showed the inside of the trenches, prisoners being taken, big guns firing, one mine explosion, the visit of King George and also of King Albert of Belgium; in fact it was the representation of a real battle and most thrilling.

On Saturday, September 9th, quite to the surprise of many of the commissioners, we were invited to inspect a noted dressmaking establishment, the Callot Saurs, otherwise the Callot Sisters, at No. 11 Avenue Marigon. We could hardly understand what this visit to the dressmakers had to do with our investigating French industrial establishments, but light was thrown on the subject when we learned that these sisters had three thousand employees, principally women. I made the remark that I supposed Worth was the French authority on women's gowns, but was told that Worth was a back number. It was a remarkable experience; we were taken into a large room and for a period of more than two hours were shown marvelous creations in the way of women's gowns. It really looked like a play. There were some lightning changes. We timed some of the models and they changed their entire costumes in less than three minutes. It goes without saying that some of the costumes did not cover enough of the models to require very much time for a change. It was really quite an experience, and some of the commissioners wondered if we could not go back again the next day.

In the evening we were invited to the aviation camp in the suburbs of Paris. This is a school and turns out three hundred aviators monthly. We were given a special exhibition and saw as many as thirty of the aeroplanes go through maneuvers. I was struck by the deafening noise made when the machines arose. One accident occurred while we were there; a machine got out of order and fell to the ground, seriously injuring two of the aviators in charge. The average is one death daily. During the maneuvers a real war call came from the front and four of the largest machines started off. These aeroplanes travel at the rate of over one hundred miles an hour and can reach the front in from twelve to fifteen minutes from Paris. Since these aviators have been guarding Paris, the Germans have given up sending their machines over that city. The plant at the camp manufactures fifty aeroplanes daily.

After this notable aviation exhibition, we called on Robert Bliss, Charge de'affaires at the American Embassy, Mr. Sharp being absent.

On this day we had our first experience in government automobiles. Five military automobiles were placed at our disposal with soldiers for chauffeurs, two in charge of each machine. These automobiles are large and powerful and hold seven persons. In them we saw many interesting sights about Paris and in that section of France, only a few of which may be described.

IV.

MEETING ENGLAND'S PREMIER

N Sunday, September 10th, I had the good fortune to meet Lloyd George. He had been paying a visit to General Joffre, and was registered at the same hotel as the Commission. Through his secretary, and through the persistence of some of the commissioners, arrangements were made to meet this celebrated man. I happened to be the first one of the commissioners introduced. During my youthful days, while a clerk in a company store at Niles, Ohio, I had learned some Welsh, and in this language I greeted Lloyd George. He seemed surprised and was kind enough to remark "That is very good Welsh". This put me in close touch with him and I had quite a conversation. He fired questions quite rapidly. He asked me what business I was in and at the same time what chances Hughes had for being elected. I told him I had been in the steel business for a great many years, and that I was a delegate to the convention which nominated Hughes. I told him I had heard Mr. Hughes' father preach at Mineral Ridge, a suburb of Niles. All the other commissioners were introduced. During the interview, Mr. George made this remark: