IT WAS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO CUT DOWN THE LARGE TREES,

says the architect of the Palace of Versailles

"The colonnade was in danger. People were upset, on various sides, when they learned that, on the orders of the Fine Arts administration, large trees in the park of Versailles and the Trianon were being cut down every day. This is how the famous colonnade", on the edge of the Tapis-Vert, now only has young trees, the others having fallen under the axe of the woodcutter. The chief architect of the palace, Mr. Chaussemiche, personally implicated, was kind enough to tell us the reasons for this work:

These are, he told us, preventive conservation measures. The colonnade, in particular, was in real danger: dilapidated poplars, held to the ground by only a few roots, surrounded it, threatening at any moment, under the blowing wind, to lose their precarious balance and to cause, by falling, irreparable damage. This is the reason why the administration considered their disappearance urgent.

There are others that are cut down to clear the hornbeams and clumps that wither due to the lack of light and sun. In the Trianon park, felling and pruning work was also necessary, because some avenues lead to viewpoints that the low branches and brambles hide from view. In a word, we are currently carrying out a work of restoration and protection, taking great care not to touch the initial layout in any way.

In closing, Mr. Chaussemiche told us that the restoration project of the park has received the approval of the fine arts services and their director, Mr. Paul Léon. The latter has just had the work interrupted, and a delegation from the historical monuments commission will go to Versailles to inspect the work in progress and decide whether it has exceeded the limits that had been prescribed.