FRANCE'S DAY

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16263, 13 July 1918, Page 9

FRANCE'S DAY

July 14th—Franco's National Day— commemorates the fall of the French. State-prison, the Bastille, at tho beginning of tho French. Revolution, 1789. Tho event itself was apparently of no great moment, leading only to the release of a few unknown prisoners—ono of whom had been thero for thirty years —and of four forgers, yet it finally broke the spirit of the Court party, and changed the current of events in France. The Bastille had long been regarded as tho stronghold and symbol of tyranny, and its destruction was everywhere hailed as the downfall of an evil system.

"THEY SHALL NOT PASS."

TO THE EDITOE OF "THE PBESS."

Sir, —It is much to be regretted that the proposal to honour the national day of our Ally, France, has, for some unaccountable reason, been allowed to lapse, or, at least, has not been taken up by the powers-that-be with that energy and spirit of camaraderie which might have been if only in aclmowledgment of the glorious deeds of that heroic nation now fighting by our side for the freedom of the world. Tho proposal emanating from the Mayor of Wellington for some national tribute- to France in the form of assistance for thoir Red Cross work, tho orphans of French soldiers, etc., etc., cam© before the City Council some time back, but was. apparently shelved or postponed till it became too late to do justice to it. It is not, however, altogether too late to honour the day so sacred to tho French people, and it is to bo hoped every flagstaff in the city will be decked to-morrow, the day set apart for the celebration of the anniversary of the fall of the Bastille, which this year comes on a Sunday. Let us remember those glorious heroes (and their orphaned children, almost in millions) -who set their teeth at Verdun, and, referring to the enemy, declared in now historic words —"They shall nob pass." We arc, as a community, often deplorably remiss in such courtesies to our Allies, for even on the great American national day, the 4th of July last, very little display of bunting was to be seen, and too many flagpoles were bare.

An attempt, however belated, as ib unfortunately must be, under the circumstances, will be made to honour those brave men and their country, and' on behalf of the great Imperialist who presented our city with its Union Jack, I appeal to the city authorities to boo that it is flown at the masthead in Victoria square to-morrow in honour of France. —Yours, etc., EDW. G. LEVINGE.

July 12th