習大大20150924,抵達美國首府華盛頓,的當天晚間與美國總統歐巴瑪在,BLAIR HOUSE,舉行非正式的晤談與晚宴,你們可曾知道當晚習老大下榻休息過夜的房間,正是1970年你們台灣蔣經國先生,訪問美國住宿的房間,物換星移,時過境遷,誰人記得當時台灣與美國的關係,只如今中國強勢崛起,美國與中國彼此對抗的大國關係,豈非是台灣人關心的國事?

 

Francis Preston Blair was a circuit court clerk from Frankfort, Kentucky, whose editorials in his local newspaper attracted President Andrew Jackson’s attention. Jackson invited Blair to convert the Globe, a failing D.C. newspaper, into a pro-administration publication, and in 1830, Blair, his wife Eliza, and their three children moved to the nation's capital. Seven years later, they took up residence in the former home of Dr. Joseph Lovell, the first surgeon general of the U.S. Army. It would soon become known as Blair House.

As editor of the Globe and the Congressional Globe (the first published proceedings of Congress) with partner John Cook Rives, Blair acquired a good deal of political power. Many political players, including presidents, sought his insight. He was the most influential member of President Jackson's informal group of advisors, the “Kitchen Cabinet,” and remained an important confidant to Jackson’s successor, Martin Van Buren. Abraham Lincoln also sought Blair’s counsel during his presidency and appointed Blair's eldest son, Montgomery, to his cabinet as Postmaster General.

In 1859, Francis Preston Blair built a home at 1653 Pennsylvania Avenue, next to Blair House, for his daughter Elizabeth and her husband, Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee. This home, known as Lee House, is now an integral part of the Blair House complex.

 

 

 

 

Francis Preston Blair was a circuit court clerk from Frankfort, Kentucky, whose editorials in his local newspaper attracted President Andrew Jackson’s attention. Jackson invited Blair to convert the Globe, a failing D.C. newspaper, into a pro-administration publication, and in 1830, Blair, his wife Eliza, and their three children moved to the nation's capital. Seven years later, they took up residence in the former home of Dr. Joseph Lovell, the first surgeon general of the U.S. Army. It would soon become known as Blair House.

 

One of the most frequently used rooms in the Blair House complex, the Lee Dining Room is well-sized for luncheon meetings and formal dinners. Its décor includes Blair family 18th century Chinese export porcelain and English Georgian pine paneling, donated by Congressman Peter H.B. Frelinghuysen, Jr. and his brother and sister from a historic house in western New Jersey. During his residency at Blair House, President Truman used the Lee Dining Room for Cabinet meetings.

 

 

 

 

建於1824年的布萊爾賓館，最初是美國陸軍第一位外科醫生的私宅。1836年Francis Preston Blair買下這裡，這是布萊爾賓館的名稱緣起，身兼總統國策顧問與媒體人的他與後代家族在此住了近一世紀，兒子曾任林肯總統閣員。


1942年正值二戰期間，許多盟軍元帥飛到華府與美方進行軍事外交磋商，這些外賓第一晚都住白宮，隔天再搬到旅館，但旅館常常供不應求，英國首相邱吉爾就曾多次建議當時小羅斯福總統應設立外賓專屬住所，因此美國政府買下布萊爾家屋及其相鄰的樓房，將內部打通，重新規劃，成為美國國賓館，當外國元首來訪時，就不怕招待不周了。


1942年5月，布萊爾賓館迎來的第一位客人是秘魯總統Manuel Prado，此後包括英國邱吉爾、伊麗莎白女王、柴契爾夫人、法國戴高樂、密特朗、蘇聯葉爾欽、普丁、印度尼赫魯、捷克哈維爾、中國鄧小平、江澤民、溫家寶、日本天皇、小泉純一郎、韓國朴槿惠、新加坡李顯龍，甚至伊拉克、阿富汗、蒙古等國元首都曾住過這裡。有興趣的人可以參閱大人物們到此一遊的親筆簽名，看看誰字寫得好或醜。


總體使用面積加起來比白宮還要大的布萊爾賓館，裡面收藏的油畫、家具、瓷器，銀具都很珍貴，內部共有119個房間，包括：14間主客房、35間浴廁、9個隨從房、4間餐廳、數間客廳、會議廳、廚房、洗衣乾洗設施、1間健身房、1間美髮沙龍、1間花店等，這樣的排場想必能專職伺候來自五大洲的元首。我們既然進不去，上網看看影片過過乾癮也不賴。

 

 

 

 

 

蔣夫人與杜魯門喝了幾杯茶？
1948年夏天，白宮經歷自1812年英軍焚毀後的最大一次翻修，當時總統杜魯門一家人只好搬到布萊爾賓館，在他搬入沒多久的聖誕節前夕，也就是布萊爾賓館開張後的第六年，蔣夫人親自登門拜訪，雙方喝了一小時的茶，但杜魯門對她的態度跟小羅斯福截然不同。蔣夫人傍晚時分離開布萊爾賓館的照片，似乎預告了風雨欲來的國共內戰結局。


杜魯門這一住住了四年，每天從這裡步行到對面白宮上班。1950年，兩名波多黎各民族主義者企圖在布萊爾賓館對他行刺，一名警衛因保護總統不幸殉職。杜魯門第二任任期也幾乎都住在此，直到1952年才搬回白宮。