ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME IN WELLINGTON.

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

ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME IN WELLINGTON.

GENERAL PATJ'S FINE SPEECH.

(special to "the PRESS."i

WELLINGTON, January 6

Never before have the people of Wellington given such a welcome to visitors as they gave to-day to members of the French Mission. The central figure in the interest of the public is the leader of the Mission, General Pau the kindly old soldier with a partially empty sleeve. He is a remarkably striking personality in. his uniform of horizon blue, and although he does not speak our language, he speaks to crowds in his own tongue with the utmost freedom. It would almost appear that he is somewhat of an orator in his own country. It was good to hear this distinguished soldier of France, whose only boast is that ho was the master and teacher of the military chiefs of to-day in France, and is now their devoted friend, besides being their disciplined subordinate, speak such words of glowing praise of the soldiers from. New ZeaADMIRATION FOR NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS. "We are full of admiration," he said, "for your citizen soldiers who have come from a great democracy and who have immediately shown the greatest qualities of warriors—bravory and discipline. We do not admire your men only as brave soldiers; we love them because they have been good to our own people. As president of tho French Red Cross. I have been called very often to the front and behind the front, and I have been told very often by our civil population how good the boys of Now Zealand have been to them. Do not be astonished, then, if in their letterß to you „vour soldiers tell you that they are well treated by the Frenchj or that they aro treated by the French like brothers, or I daresay like members of the French family. It is so because the French havo learned that in the soldiers of New Zealand they have really good friends, friends always ready to help the poor and the destitute." NEW ZEALAND'S HELP ACKNOWLEDGED. The gratitude of the General for New Zealand's help was sincere. "We have also to think you," he said, "for the tangible help you have given to us by your charity. We know what this country has done for France in respect of charities, and I wish to emphasise that we do not forget that on this very platform are several men who have spoken and dono much to help Franco from a charitable point of view. But your help has been most useful, because the ruins accumulated by war aro such, the loss of life, tho loss of health, consequent upon tho war, that thero remains an immonso work to bo done. Think of what Franco has suffered, think of the several Departments of tho invaded territory in which industry has been suspended for over four years, think of all tho men and women whoso health has been impaired by the war. think of those prisoners of war, who number tens of thousands, who havo been broken in health by the practices of the Germans. We look forward with fear to tho time when so many will como ba/>k to Ufi disabled by tuberculosis. It will be many years before we can recover fiom the consequences of this war: it will be years before the hoaltli of the people will recover. That is why we are so grateful to you for the~hei> (riven, not only to France, but also to B n lilium, because the two countries are in tho same position. Both have shared the danpers of • the war, and both must share the help of the <Vllies necessary to both of us. A LASTING FRIENDSHIP. "The common sufferings of our two nations during the four years of war, the common glory of our victories, the common jcv we experienced two months a«o when the armistice was signed, have created between us ties of friendship which cannot be severed. There is -mother reason why Trance and Now Zealand havo a lasting friendship beforethem. It is this: because we have the same ideals, the same civilisation,

tho same respect for thoso great ideals of liberty and democracy, for tho» ideals of respect for justice nnd right ') havo beon tho caugo for which we havo ? both fought in this war. I hope that 'i tho blood of our soldiers, which has beon spread at the same timo on tho is samo battlefields, will create between n* \•- a friendship that will bo everlasting Of course, I remember, and I am not afraid to mention it, that for centuries tho soldiers of our two nations havo met on tho san.e fields, but not on tho samo side. Wo have fought against each other but we havo fought like gentle, men— (applause)—so that tho memory of thn~o past deeds leaves behind nothins venomous, but. on the contrarv. leaves ori both sides a strong feeling of { \ and esteem for a former adver- f' sary who has now bo-onie an ally n p-» i a friend for oyer. (Applause.) ' Yoti? § nnplauso ladies and gentlemen, shows that, you understand, as we do onrselves, the friendship between tho two nation? ECONOMIC RELATIONS. "AVe do not forget that in the past economic reasons have very often led to wars. That is why in tho future m»rt must work together in ordor to settle ovory economic difficulty between us, and even to mako our economic relations 11 stronger reason for friendship botweon us. The prosperity of this country and the prosperity "of Franco go together, and wo must study the bost way in which each of us can prosper and develop our resources without doing any harm to tho interests of the other country. If wo can do this we must do it, and in doing so we shall be working not only in tho interests of Franco and tho British Empire, but the interests of the whole of humanity. (Applause.) The time that we havo to spend in your country is unfortunately very short, but wo havo found everywhere, and especially with the Government and tlie Acting-Prime Minister, euch kindness to holp us to study your country that we hope to bring back to France information about tho future relations of this country to France which may lead in tho future to a closer friendship, if possible, and to. closer ties, not only from tho point of view of commercial matters, but from a social and intellectual point of view. ' "Wo aro very anxious to get in this ' country information about social prob--1 loms which New Zealand has treated • and studied, not only theoretically, but practicsO.lv, the fame of which has gono to Europe and to Franco."