Part: 12         Session: 145678910111213141516171819202122         Page 318319320321322323324325326327328329330331332333334335336337338339340341342343344345346347348349350351352353354355356357358359360361362363364365366367368 of 999

you know is really the home of the American public, of the United States, because it was here that Franklin came to get funds for the support of the Revolutionary War, and the French finally did spend about 240 million dollars, according to Jefferson, on helping us in the war. And Jefferson also wrote that once the French were in, our success was assured, and it -- really, without the French I doubt that the colonie could have made it independently, I don't think anyone thinks so, do you?

It was a tremendous help.

Anyway Versailles has been ravaged over the years, furniture sold and taken away.

You mean this is the main palace?

The main palace, yes. And is the curator of it and has made a great effort to restore part of it to its former glory. So after struggling about getting funds for it, we finally got a tax-free foundation established, with great difficulty, because it was in a foreign country.

This is an offshoot of the Lasker Fondation, is it?

Well, it's not an offshoot, it's just an effort of mine. A personal effort, yes.

The foundation is under French law?

No. The Chateau of course is in France, but it's an American