THE DESECRATION OF REIMS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2265, 26 September 1914, Page 8

THE DESECRATION OF REIMS

VISITING SCIENTIST INTERVIEWED. Visiting Wellington at tho present time is a young Frcnch geologist, Monsieur AI. Aliorge, who has been attending the congress of tho British Association in Australia, and has come to New Zealand on what he says is an all-too-brief visit. M. Aliorge has a very intimate acquaintance with tho present seat of t'lie war in Northern France, and lie genuinely sorrows for the awful dceeeration of some of Franco's most cherished architectural possessions that have so ruthlessly and unnecessarily been irreparably damaged by the German troops, particularly docs the visitor deplore the reported damage done by shell-lire and ilames to lleims Cathedral, "I know it .very well indeed, all that, country," said M. Aliorge, "and tho Cathedral at lleims —ah, you know it is only two hours, by train'from-'.Paris —is so beautiful. It is.the Cathedral:where jihe Kings of France were crowned for many years, and is revered for its many historic memories! dear to the heart of I every Frenchman." But the cables say it can. be restored? ' "How restored? No, that is.not.so. The facade is damaged, the steeples gone, all tho wonderful stained glass windows smashed, including the magnificent rose window over the main entrance. Such things cannot be restored to what they were. It is very sad." . "There is another old church in Keims;" continued the visitor, "which is also valued for its wonderful associations and its ago. That is the' Church of St. Martin's, an old, old clnixcli situated in t'he suburbs, and built in the,. Norman style in the Norman period."' It is ever so much older than the Cathedral at Reims, and as I have not seen anything about it in the papers, I. am hoping that it has.escaped t'he attentions of the Germans." , .