The Dominion MONDAY, JUNE 17, 1918. INVINCIBLE FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 230, 17 June 1918, Page 4

The Dominion MONDAY, JUNE 17, 1918. INVINCIBLE FRANCE

9No civilised man or woman can contemplate without emotion the spectacle of Franco fighting for her very life. The whole world is thrilled by the wonderful stand which she is now making against theterrific German onrush. Her spirit is magnificent, and it is unconquerable. She did not seek the conflict, but now that she is in it shc will not lay down her arms until victory has been achieved. ,She is not only fighting for her own existence, but also to save • humanity from a tyranny which would make life intolerable for men and nations who know the value of liberty. It i is our privilege to 4 stand side by side with France in this tremendous struggle'for freedom against despotism, for right against might, for civilisation against barbarism. With bated breath we watch the fluctuations of the gigantic battle and tho varying fortunes of the heroic armies which we arc convinced that General Foch will ultimately lead to victory. Though Paris may stand in jeopardy, we hope and believe that it will never fall. into the clutches of the enemy. But even if the Germans should capture the French capital they will not have won the' war. Far from it. They will 'not even have conquered France. A patriotic Frenchman has just assured us that preparationshave already been made for the defence of the central plateau of France, so that if Paris falls into tho hands of the Huns the French will still fight on with all their strength and courage. The sympathy of every one who prefers civilisation to savagery must go out to France in the terrible ordeal through which she is now passing. Tho crushing of France would give a set-back to progress from which the world would not recover for centuries. Such a possibility must be abhorrent to every one who has any conccption of the achievements of France in religion, philosophy, science, litera,turc, art, and politics. Take, for example, that line of progress which consists in the enlargement and enrichment of those ideas which arc summed up in tho word "humanity." The Kaiser is reported to have said on one occasion that humanity docs not exist beyond the Vosgcs. To the Kaiser humanity.is "Gcrrnanity" and nothing more. How different is the Frcnch spirit! A writcr in the Hibbcrb Journal reminds us that at the beginning of tho seventeenth century the word "humanity" appears in common usage approaching its modem sense, and side by side with it the companion word "progress." "Thus all the great writers of classical French—Moliere, Bossuet, Descartes, as well as their kindred spirits, such as Bacon, in our own and other countries of the West, speak of'humanity'; and at the end or' thc_ eighteenth century, through the philosophers and pioneers of the Revolution, the conception gained the glow_ of hope and of achievement which it has never lost since, even in our moments of deepest gloom." The common humanity of all men was one of the neglceted principles which the Revolution sought to re-establish. It is for tho cause of humanity that France is now fighting and

suffering. It is beyond the power of words to convey an adequate idea of her sacrifices. Her blood is being poured out like water, but her spirit is unbreakable. Tho enemy's threats cannot dismay her, nor can his promises tempt her. She will not listen to the poisonous whisperings of German agents who are endeavouring to sow dissension among the Entente Powers. Not long ago Germany tried to make France believe that Britain was shirking, and now Hem Eiizberger has suggested that Germany should ignore France and talk over the I question of Al-sace-Lorraine with Britain. We know that the British Government will treat such a suggestion with the contempt it deserves. France knows this as well as we do. The Echo (h I'uris speaks the mind of both Britain and France in its references to Erzuerger's impudent proposal.

ilraborjfer deccivps himsolf "f lie does not know tint, without havingr domesticated liot- allies, »s Germany liiis done, !• runeo, liv her sncrifieps. Ims won sufficient credit; and gratitude to prevent her from liehijr thus abandoned. He would like to withdraw the from lighting for French ambitions, liul: lie has already done all he could lo persuade uj Frenchmen that all our .-wriliops ko lo inland's benefit. Tint bait did nnt take, howevpr: and this now dedgo will succeed no better. The abandonment of France in this war would be equivalent to the abandonment of our highest ideals of justice, and freedom and honour. It would be an infamous betrayal of civilisation.

Since tho beginning of the war the friendship between Britain and Franco has continually increased. Lord Milner. during a rccent visit to. Paris declared that he did' not think that history afforded an instance of an alliance practised with as much loyalty and devotion n,s the present coalition between Britain and France. He went on to pay that tho hour had now arrived for the. two nations to be moro closely united than ever. "We arc united and we shall remain so," he said. "It is not in vain that wo have shared in- a brotherly fashion the same anxieties and the same joys. The days wo are living shall crcato lnipcrishablo bonds." Britain has shown her trust in France by placing the British armies under the leadership of a French general, This decision _ was a great act of faith which gives the lie direct to the slanders of tho enemy. The comments of the Temps on Lord Mii,NEr's speech eloquently express the feelings of tho French people towards us. The Temps points out, that "in the groat battle in which we are staking, both of us, all we possess and are, nobody can dream oj making a difference between British and French interests,' between the confidence we , feel for our Allies and the confidenco with which our Allies inspire us." Yes, both nations have pledged themselves by all that they hold most sacred to fight on till the war is ended, and they both know that the only way of ending the war is by winning it. The French Premier speaks to us as well as to his own countrymen when he states in the most emphatic and uncompromising language that we must carry on tho war, that I 'we must only think of war, and that everything must be sacrificed to ensure final victory. "The victor is he who can believe in his victory for a quarter of an hour longer than any other." Millions of Frenchmen have fallen, and millions of others have suffered all the torture that German savagery can inflict, but France- remains unshaken in her belief that the cause of freedom will ultimately triumph. Wc-in New Zealand share the same belief and are proud to bo associated with France in her fight for the liberty of the human race. We admire her splendid heroism, and arc grateful for the sacrifices she is making. When we realise what France has done and what she is doing, and think of her invincible courage and powers of endurance, we feel that it is impossible to do too much in helping this great •and gallant peonlc to save mankind from the horrible curse which a German peace would placc upon tho world.