Paris in Mourning

Evening Star, Issue 20132, 23 March 1929, Page 8

Paris in Mourning

Crowds File Past the Bier

King Albert Among the Visitors

Sensational Scenes at Croydon

Five Bodies Disinterred

PAH IS, March 21. Marshal Foch will be buried on Tuesday at the luvalides, next to the tomb of Napoleon. France can pay no greater tribute to his memory. The Chamber of Deputies voted, with out discussion, £2,500 lor a national funeral.

To-day a long procession of war .veterans—many of whom were blinded • —war widows, and orphans filed past the bier. There was a ceaseless stream of ambassadors, politicians, marshals, and generals, then towards the end all Paris was admitted to file past. There were bareheaded girls direct from work, men in caps, and others well dressed. Many dropped simple tributes of flowers, unable to resist an expression of grief, despite Madame Koch’s wish that there should be no flowers. Old soldier comrades failed to recognise the strangely altered features. They were saddened by the obvious signs of suffering on the face, and sobbed audibly. Later, M. Clemencenu, when taking leave of Madame Koch, remarked; “ How unjust it is, be being younger than J., that it is 1 who come to salute the death bed.” Others among the visitors were Marshal Petain and General Pershing. The stream continued until nightfall, when the doors were closed, and the vigil was taken up by three nuns. The body will remain m the house until Sunday, and wall then be taken to the Arc de Triomphe for a day and a night, beside the tomb of the Unknown Warrior, tbehce to Notre Dame on Tuesday for the religious service, after which there will be the procession through the streets to 1 lie Invalides, >vhere the only speech will be delivered by M. Poincare on behalf of the Government.— Australian Press Association. KING OP THE BELGIANS COMPORTS WIDOW. Pie»s Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. PARIS, March 21. The ceaseless stream of visitors was interrupted to admit the King of the Belgians, who arrived without ceremony, and went direct to Marshal Foch’s home, where he met the widow. The King, bending low. spoke words of comfort fo the white-haired, frail woman. He then approached the bier, standing stiffly at attention at its foot, and. gazing with visible emotion at the commander, who was the saviour of his own country ns well as Prance. One of the airles bad to touch the King’s arm gently to recall him from far-off memories, and he then banded the holy water, which the King sprinkled at the foot of the bier. He returned to the ithle-chambor, and spent several minutes in conversation in low tones with Madame Foch. Thence he returned direct to Brussels. President Doumergue also arrived, and left in tears. Australian Press Association. OPINIONS IN GERMANY Tres* Association—By Telegraph—Copyright BERLIN, March 21. 'Che Press discussions on Marshal Foch as a soldier are dispassionate in tone, and ho is universally credited with abounding energy, unconquerable tenacity, and unflagging impulse to assume the offensive. Many papers admit that his appointment as Allied Generalissimo denoted the turning point. “But for him.” says the ‘ Boersen Zeitung,’ “ the Germans would have broken through.” Despite these admissions, none of the critics agree with the Allied view that Marshal Foch may be regarded as one of the greatest generals of all time. They state that although Marshal Foch achieved victory he held all the trumps. These were unity of command, unlimited resources, swarms of Americans, the British blockade, and Germany’s material and moral exhaustion. Leading German wartime commanders refuse to offer any comment.—Australian Press Association.