WINDMILLS OF WAR FRONTS

Hokitika Guardian, 4 June 1929, Page 3

WINDMILLS OF WAR FRONTS

PLANS TO PRESERVE THEM

PARIS, April 16.

To save the picturesque windmills which have inspired painters of the Dutch and Flemish schools for ages, an influential group df authors, such as M. Andre and Mine. Lucie Delaine-’ Madras, painters, poets., and historians have formed a Society lor the Protection of Windmills.

The windmills df Florence evoke tragic though glorious memories in the minds of millions of Britons' who gazed upon their gaunt arms in the misty mornings between 1911 and 1918 until German, and, unavoidably also, British and French shells crumbled the structures to dust. Dr Helot, founder df the new association, who is president

itlso of the “ Old-Houen Society,” painted a distressing picture of tin* casualties among tin* old wind mi Ms iii Flanders, saying :

‘‘They have heen decimated hy war, tempest, and the housebreaker.. We. want to save the survivors of Flanders, Artois, and Picardy, which your I Iritis h, like our French soldiers knew so well. “ 'n 11)14 no fewer tlmn 20 delightful old windmills were working on the historic .Mont Cussel in Flanders. ■ To-day only three' remain. St. Valory-sur--'omme, ;i site helmed by painters, had seven, but not a single one stands today. At Cayeu.x-siir-.Mer there were 18 \>lf which just one survives, and then' are dozens of other examples in Flanders.

11 Our society is buying up such of tlie remaining windmills that are threatened with destruction, and in ither cases is restoring those that an* falling into ruin and assisting and encouraging the peasants to keep them 'facing the' , winds and the gales instead of selling their venerable stones and timbers to profiteering build ers. “A similar society already exists in Holland, and it has saved many of the beautiful old Dutch windmills of Belgian ‘ Flanders, and in Spain a society of artists is being formed with the same object. France, too. must save these humble but venerable historic monuments.