THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 62, 7 December 1918, Page 7

THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE

Sir,—ln connection with the reopening j of the Arc-dc Tijromphe, as mentioned in ; yesterday's enblo messages, Mr. P. Adol- ■ pluis' iii his charming book,' "Some . Memories' of' Paris," "records the passage , of the German troops through .the fam- ; ous nrcadq during, the- occupation of ; Paris by the Germans in 1871. Mr. Adol---plius and Air. Oliphant, of the London... "Times," were the two sole spectators of 1 this memorable and dramatic Scene. ".4a | each -regiment reached the 'circular en- • closure its colonel raised his sword and ; shouted-the command>to cheer, and then ■; his-mon.toro off their'helmets, their bus- :' bies, or their czapkas, 'tossed'.them on ', their bayonets, their swords,'' or lances, ; and, heads flung back and eyes upturned ; in maddening excitement, and faces fran- .i tie with enthusiasm, -.they roared audi yelled' and shrieked- but 'Hurrah!' and J gaped with wild laughter as they march- ! ed on, at the names of tho old defeats | of Prussia chiselled on the stone above j which they were then effac- j ing. Some 10,000 of them poured' beneath i the arch in utter intoxication of delight, exulting, triumphing. 11. was difficult to i believe that the scene was-realj--so ; flam- ; ing was the paroxysm of rejoicing'." •■ Then caiuo tho terrible revolution, and i Mr. Adolphus. relates-ithat "the shaqm j of tho whole vwas infinitelj": augmented-, by its'ljeihgi.pprfornied undev-l the eyes .of tlie;,Gcrman Army, which rubbed its' hands' with approval." And.: now! It seems a l ' strange coincidence j that tho anniversary of Napoleon's ; death (May 5) "is the only day in the ] year when the setting suit appears fram- ! ed within-the .-curve of archway of tne '■■ Arc de Triomphe,. ...... j Another coincidence, is that the cabled; announcement of tho reopening of the' arch appeared in our papers on Decern- j bcr 2, tne 'anniversary of tho Battle of . : Austerlitz'. and, as is well known, the ' arch was built by Napoleon to commemo- ■ rate that groat battle—tho most brilliant, j by tho way, of all his military achieve-': inents.—l am, etc., , ■ -■; {-'■-.-■ ' .J.'A. WALSH, i I'.-.Pahiatua, December 3. , ■ : i