At dinner Mrs. Borglum was seated next to a delightful Pole whom she had met before. She asked him why there were so few at the table when she could hear the throng waiting for the reception in the next room. He seemed surprised that she shouldn’t know. “But Madam,” he said. “There are only twenty-four plates in the old Emperor’s dining service.” And he turned over a plate to show the label “W. Rex” stamped on the bottom. Paderewski sent this telegram to Gutzon: TODAY ON THE SOLEMN OCCASION OF THE UNVEILING OF YOUR NEW MASTERPIECE, MY HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU, AND MY MOST AFFECTIONATE GREETINGS. YOUR PEERLESS ART HAS ENABLED MY COMPATRIOTS TO POSSESS AND PRESENT AN ENDURING PROOF OF THEIR EVERLASTING GRATITUDE FOR POLAND’S FREEDOM AND INTEGRITY TO AMERICA AND HER NOBLEST SYMBOL, PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON. And what happened to this noble Wilson monument? When Hitler’s troops came plowing through Poland at the beginning of the Second World War it was pulled down and, presumably, turned into ammunition. * * * * * The Borglums had several other chance encounters with Paderewski. On one occasion he was to give a concert in Abilene, Texas, and invited Gutzon and his family to see him. He was in a private car and the three met him for dinner after the concert. The evening was delightful--at any rate it was delightful to Paderewski and Gutzon. They talked all night until the car was coupled to an outbound train. And then Paderewski invited them to ride on to the next stop. Gutzon had an immense faith in Paderewski. One day in Washington during the First World War, he stated his theory to Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane. “One of these days,” he said, “you people will realize that imagination and disinterestedness are powerful factors in the building of a state. I believe Paderewski is capable of rebuilding Poland and of rebuilding Europe if the occasion demanded. He is capable of any sacrifice, and he has the mind and soul to keep him going.” “You artists always talk in big terms,” said Lane. “So far I am with you. But there’s a great practical side to nation building.” “Don’t you think Paderewski has that, too?” “Yes,” said Lane, “and that’s why I’m interested. That’s why he’s succeeding. They tell me he’s abandoned music and set aside his entire fortune to arm Poland and place her on the side of the allies. Just as certainly as I’m sitting here, this great artist is going to be the liberator of modern Poland. This artist!” “Yes,” commented Gutzon. “That’s what I’ve been telling you. He’s an artist.” When the next great crisis came for Poland, there were no great artists to deal with it--only politicians. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE _FOR THE PARKS_