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24 Pub. Cont. Newsl. 1 (1988-1989)

handle is hein.journals/procurlw24 and id is 1 raw text is: 














Section of Public Contract Law, American Bar Association      Volume 24, Number 1, Fall 1988


The French Connection


The font for much of our
culture and social fabric-
e.g., the common law, trial
by jury and control of the
purse strings by the legis-
lature-is British. But we
also are deeply indebted to
the French. Our Constitu-
tion and its separation of
powers owe much to ear-
lier writings of Charles
Montesquieu. The victory
at Yorktown, which estab-
lished our independence,
bears a French seal.
  Enthused over the news
of the American Revolu-  The U.S. Capitol
tion, young Marquis de
Lafayette joined George Washington's army in 1777
and was appointed a major general. Lafayette shared
the lean, disheartening early years of the revolution
with Washington, assisted in obtaining French sup-
port and distinguished himself at Yorktown.
  The Comte de Rochambeau and his 6,000 French
regulars joined Washington on the Hudson in July
1781, assisted in developing a plan to strike south
at General Cornwallis, and then provided needed
muscle in the Yorktown campaign. A French fleet
under Admiral de Grasse blockaded Chesapeake
Bay, preventing relief or escape for the Cornwallis
forces. The latter's surrender on October 19, 1781,
effectively ended the war.
  On November 4 and 5, 1988, as we approach the
200th anniversaries of George Washington's in-
auguration in May 1789, and the decision one year
later to place our nation's Capital on the banks of
the Potomac, our Section's Council will meet at the
Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C., for the
fall meeting. Knowledgeable speakers will address
The Worldwide Consequences of Government
Conract Suspension and Debarment in a CLE pro-
gram on Friday, November 4. The following day,


JaCK WOlOWIeC


the Council will meet under Chairman Tom Mad-
den to discuss and act on current procurement is-
sues. They are not in short supply. We hope you
will join us for both events.
  The French connection can be seen as you roam
through Washington, D.C., during what usually is
a lovely time of the year. Lafayette Park lies across
the street from the White House. Pierre L'Enfant
designed the city. He interrupted many of the ma-
jor avenues with circles-such as Washington Cir-
cle on Pennsylvania Avenue near the Four Seasons
Hotel. L'Enfant believed that the French Revolu-
tion could have been resisted better, had such cir-
cles been available to government forces.
  However, for today's visitors to Washington,
D.C., it is to a British scientist (and the U.S. tax-
payer) that the deepest gratitude may be owed. In
1829, James Smithson willed his fortune to the
United States for the establishment of the Smith-
sonian Institution for the increase and diffusion
of knowledge among men. For lovers of art, nat-
ural history, space, science, technology, other cul-
tures and our own great country, the Smithsonian
is a rich, vast, and always changing experience. U


Issue Highlights: Chairman's Column, page 2 e Choice of Forum in Federal Contract
                 Disputes, page 3 * Section Directory, pull-out section

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