France.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16414, 7 January 1919, Page 6

France.

In selecting General Pau as tho head of the Mission which has been touring the world and which is welcomed here to-day, the French Government made a very happy choice. Such aro the feelings of the people of the British Empire towards France that any Mission representing that great nation would be assured of a warm welcome, for everyone of us wishes to do homage to our great Ally. It is particularly appropriate, however, that the chief of tho Mission should be a very distinguished General—a veteran of the Avar of 1870-71 and a brilliant commander in the greater war that has now happily ended with the crushing of the brutal and vindictive enemy of the Republic. For while the enduring glory of France is her contribution to the gospel of liberty and her leadership of the Latin civilisation to which the world is so deeply in debt, she has most strongly appealed to human sympathies in evory free country as the nation which has produced, ana has always needed, those brave soldiers of whom General Pau is so honourable and distinguished a representative. Even in all the distractions of the war, and the claims which the fortunes of our men in other battle-areas have made upon our attention, we have none of us forgotten for long together that from an early stago in the conflict the most grievous burden was borne by the people of France. Again and again the enemy who had been preparing for forty years ts complete the crime of 1870 appeared to be on the brink of success, but the great spirit of France carried her to safety through all her perils and tribulationsj and finally to victory. The Germans had persuaded themselves that France had degenerated, and this was almost their ' most terrible mistake. The spirit of France has never been more gallantlv displayed than in the words with which one of her historians (Duruy) sent one of his works into the world in the mournful days of 1873. This was Duruy's defence of his country, which concluded with a striking prophecy:

I venture to hope that a new France will spring up, ardent in thought and action, to continue the glorious role played by the old France in the ilistory of civilisation. The world has still need of this country, whose influence it has so long accepted, to whose attraction it cannot but submit. The world still needs its clear and sympathetic spirit, which has given Europe her ideas of right and wrong, which understands how to preserve in utility as well as in frivolity the traditions of art; whose unhappy political experiments have spared others her sad experiences; out of whose mistakes, indeed, tho wisdom of nations has been evolved. Who knows but that the broken sword _ left in our hands after a suddon misfortune, may not one day be required to defend universal liberty against brutal ambitions? Before the war British people had become warmly attached to France and the French people; to-day the bonds of union are almost as strong as thusc of kindred, and General Pau and his colleagues must have discovered long ere this the depth and reality of tho Dominions' regard for his great coun-

try. their admiration for the superb endurance of the French people in their conflict with the brutal invader, and their desire for the closest and most sympathetic relations possible in the future with a country to which they owe so much.