A BRAVE NATION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 255, 16 July 1918, Page 6

A BRAVE NATION

HONOUR TO THE FRENCH PUBLIC MEETING IN TOWN HALL ■ CELEBRATION OF FRANCE'S DAY A public meeting was held in the Town Hall last night in celebration of France's National Fete Day, July 11, the date of the taking of the Bastiile. The meeting had been organised by the promoters of tho appeal for money in aid of tho Croix Kongo and other French funds for tho relief of sufferers by the war in Prance. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke, C.M.G.) presided, and he vrns supported on the platform by the Acting-Prime Minister (Sir James Allen), Sir Francis Bell, the Hon. G. W. Bussc.ll, tho Hon. W. 11. Herries, Mr. Justice Chapman, Captain Hall-Thompson, Mr. James Macintosh (Consular Agent for Franqe), the Hon. J. G. AV. Aitken, Mr. J. P. Firth, and Captain Barclay. Apologies for absence were received from Sir Robert Stoat, tho Hon. A. M. Myers, and/tho Hon. J. A. Hanan. The Great Day. The Mayor said that tho purpose of tho meeting was to take part in paying a tributo to the glorious work of tho French people 121) years ago. On Juiy 14, 129 years since, the fall of the Bastille was the signal that France might be a free democracy, but the fight for emancipation was a long and stern one. tfo referred to the historical events in tho past century, in France, culminating in the great war of 1870, in which France failed because,of corruption within l,er own Government and her own nation. France was not then united as t*be was to-day. In this great war France had risked nil and given all to stay the advance of the foe, bearing a tremendous burden and suffering dreadful losses. The great French people woro as unflinching to-day in their determination to curry through the war as they had been in the first days of the war. Not only were tho armies valiant in tho field, but they were supported by the magnificent steadfastness of the civil population,'-largely composed as it was of women. He regretted that the hall was not filled. Those who had failed to come were not paying a. due tribute to France, nor were they paying a tribute to their own boys at tho front. But he. would not entertain the suggestion that tho people of this city were war-weary. They were as •. strong as ever in their determination to carry through the war. He moved the following resolution:— That we, the citizens of Wellington in meeting assembled, desire, upon this national festival of our glorious ally, to record our deep sense of the immeasurable sacrifices made by the French people in withstanding the greatest menace to liberty that ever threatened civilisation; our admiration for tho matchless valour of her armies, and the irresistible determination of her civil population, which shows no sign of faltering after four - years of the bloodiest war in history; and our profound conviction of tlie ultimate success in which the armies of the Allies will be crowned with a glorious aud imperishable victory, lor ever removing the danger of the free democracies being crushed by Prussian militarism. Saviours of Europe -Sir James Allen said that a few days ago the Stars and. Stripes had been flying in 'Wellington-alongside the British Hag, aiid to-day the French Hag had flown beside our nag.. Surely this was a sign that the three nations were united in the cause of freedom. Hero in New Zealand, ho said, we wished to, remove everything that might be .offensive to the French people. In tho city of Christehurch there were someGerman bells in a church, made out of metal from material taken by the tiermans from the French in a campaign of some years ago. These bells were to be taken down, and unless the French Consul wished them devoted to some other purpose the hells would be melted down. (Applause.) • It was impossible, he said, to got a proper view of this war without going back some years. AVlien our people were told of the German danger they did not realise the whole truth about Prussian aggression. Warnings fell .on deaf ears So at the beginning of the war the United Kingdom was not ready. It took us a long time to prepare our army for final victory. The French people untied their bonds immediately and went into the fray and saved Europe. Colossal events had taken.-place since then, and amongst all of them one stood out with historic interest—the Battle of the Marne. At that battle our British soldiers were few, but the blow , struck in that battle, struck very largely by the French armies, caused the enemy to stagger and fa.ll back. Many another blow might yet have to be struck. None could tell when the end would come, but wo could take comfort in. the fact that the' spirit of the French who struck at the Marne was tho spirit of the French people to-day, and with the Alliee also. They were all getting more and moro ready to strike the final blow, and there could be no doubt what the end would be. The French nation had endured through all this time privations and troubles which were difficult to estimate. Their sacrifices had been greater than those of any other of the Allies, and they had made their sacrifices for humanity and civilisation, as well as for the freedom of their own land. At the end of the war it might be that British and American troops would predominate on tho Western front, but the world never could and never would forget the land on which the troops fought—the land of France. (Applause.) It was our solemn duty to free this land from the aggressor, That duty we were pledged to carry out to the end. It was evident that great 'events were yet to come, and that very great sacrifices would have to be made, but he was sure that tho great French nation would emerge from the ordeal stronger in all.the virtues making up tho soul of a nation. He had great pleasure in seconding the resolution. , Deeds Not Words. Mr. J. P. Firth said that he took it as a great honour to be asked to speak in support of the resolution. He would have none of the objections that had been raised to the collection of moneys to allay the miseries of tho French people who had suffered by the war. Surely we who were well able to do it might give of our plenty. Some had said that we had all that we could do to provido for our own people, and that charity began at home. Sometimes this saying was used to prevent charity from ' straying farther afield! It was very well to ,=<iy that there were other Allies, and 1 that we could not help them all, but we should do at least as much as we could. Ho hoped that the response of the people to tho appeal for moneys would ftfTord nrnof of our admiration for heroism and our loyalty to friendship. (Applause.) Mr. John Hutchesori sairl that before the war the Bn't'«h neoplo knew noliin? "limit the ren! French woolo mul fV French toodlo knew nbour Hi" real British peonlc. Tlr's wnr would surely lead to a nearer intimnpv anH frip"fl«hin of the two neonl". Tiritnii might have secured for herself a onward'* renricve of Tmrlnnq a few uinnf-lis' <]nn. Hnn, but mifiir *'„■«. not liavn nlt»r e ,l 11,0 i«ne of the flnfM» of the Mivhp? Bui fortunately w» hnrt sneli n "htpsmnn iEmrlnnn , ii« S : r TMwivl fiw. If „.,. hnd not come- ; ntn P'p w«r w n-,i»lit lmve Wl tn fi«lit !li<- ft-,.,,,..,, himV oHi»r f.;.y.,i l ,,srsi'"'.i=. ITe sml-i of the irrirntine lnniiivify of ,, tV (iPrni'ui nn'OTWiTH nciiinof V-mp-, n ]] A r it leading up In the ], n ,j pome. The Fw 1 ' nlwiv« l c »n,,- |1,,,<one dav Hipv would We Hm MmmW. lmlt "ruin them. Te cwVa n f (.),„ pi)l»ndid sn>'t nf the frpneh uponlp. and Pfiupcinlly the iwimhltv. n-lin i" «Vte nf.-liflrtlshm conM jnVp nf Hip cowl '■imps to omiip "-''on tli" (Wmnns wo" , ' , be over the 'Rhine. (.AnplausO TTe linned and believed Hint the result of wnr would be ° l ,o Her understanding between the British people, anil the

French people, who had so fadly misunderstood one another. The Call for Help. Captain Barclay likened the peoplo in tho hall and the larger body ol people uiio wero elsewhere lo the thinly-held iront line in the trenches aud tho mass Manoeuvring far behind tiic line. So also ho likened this tar distant country to a listening post, where, if one I.stoned carefully, one might hear a call France, a call for "Help," a call lo New Zealand to show that our hearts were big enough to succour the iittle children of France., New Zealand wns putting up with a few trifling inconveniences on account of the war, and some people in New Zealand were niournn ingfllost relatives, but we were not siiffer--3 ing as were tho French. Never would f the patience of the French Iμ worn down. Captain Barclay made a strong ? appeal for help for the unhappy sufferers f in the war in France. s Tho resolution was carried Ivy .acclnma--0 tion. Mr. Frank Charlton sang "Tho Mar- ' seillaise" "in English and at the conclu- > sion of the song the crowd at tho call e nf the Mayor gave throe cheers for r France. Cheers were also given for B "The boys at the. front," and, last of all, the National Anthem was sung. ii