FRANCE APPRECIATES

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 113, 26 November 1915, Page 3 (Supplement)

FRANCE APPRECIATES

WHAT BRITAIN HAS DONE. " It is remarkable iaat in all the reports of the different efforts of Germany with a view to the conclusion of a separate peace no suggestion should have been made of any 6teps on Iho part of England (writes M. Stepnen j'ichou, formerly trance's Minister ot Foreign Affairs in an appreciation of Untain's part in the war.) Mention has been made of indirect steps at Petrograd and Paris; it is not said that anything has been done in London, i'iiis is one of the most significant tributes that Germany could pay to the people and the Government ot Great Britain.

"It proves two things: First, that in the minds of the Emperor and his agents hatred of England persists, and that it dominates them; and, second, that the impossibility of arriving at an understanding between the two peoples is recognised in advance. This amounts to saying that Great Britain remains, in the eyes of the Germans, the most nated and the most feared of their enemies, and that they consider it useless to attempt to seduce her, since any such manoeuvre is foredoomed to failure.

A CAUSE FOR PRIDE. "But England may pride herself on being regarded as the chief obstacle to the lull realisation of dreams based on qualities so precious. It is a great honour for her to be singled out for special treatment on the part of those who possess them, and to be regarded by them as incapable of being reconciled to the idea of bowing down before such immoral supremacy from which is bred a similar material supremacy. This consideration supports a theory which I have always maintained, namely, that in the conflict to which Europe lias been summoned in defence of its honour, its liberties, and its rights, it is the United Kingdom which represents the greatest power of resistance and the elements most certain to determine ultimate victory. "In this sense 1 answer those Englishmen who are afraid that we in France do not appreciate at their full value the support they are lending to the conflict in which they are playing so glorious a part. Perhaps we do not speak of it as much as we ought, bnt it would be entirely to misjudge our real thoughts to infer from this excessive and, in some respects, regrettable reserve, that we are lacking in gratitued to our Allies, or are unaware of the importance of her services.

GERMAN SLANDERS. "Wo do her, on the contrary, full justice, and we are unaware of nothing that we owe her. One of the most colossal (since that is the word of which they are specially fond) stupidities of which the Germans could be the dupes is to suppose that they can succeed in sowing distrust between Londen and Paris by belittling in their talk the merits of the British Army, W repeating their ponderous joker, about 'British egoism,' and by re-writ-ing in their own way the history of our ancient rivalries. "When they tell us that Calais is one of England's 'objectives,' that sho intends to retain possession of part of our coast line, and that 6he only lands on our littoral in order to be more sure of clinging to it, they do nothing in the eyes of all Frenchmen, but covor themselves with ridicule. The day when the Kaiser described in wards which we all remember the intrepid army of Field-Marshal French he caused in our midst more indignation than among the compatriots of the FieldMarshal themselves. We judged at its proper value this coarse piece of stupidity with which he masked as much fear as rage.

FRANCE'S FAITH. "Whatever may be the reputation for naivete of a certain section of our public opinion, to wish to instil such twaddle into it is to credit it with too inuoh stupidity. If it clearly understands that the army of Kitchener nnd French gives up help which we cannot value too highly, it realises still more thoroughly that the British Navy. has rendered "incalculable services. Tins is the universal belief of Frenchmen, and all that Teutonic publicists can invent in the hope of shaking this conviction, which is based on irrefragable evtdenee, will only result in the confusion of their authors. "One cannot but fed pity for the useless trouble they give themselves, though pity, is .in truth, the last feeling with which they should inspire us. They simply confirm what I said at the beginning of this article—that is to say, that they fear above all things the power of resistance and the tenacity of Britain, and that they see in her their most redoubtable foe.

default of another reason (and there are a god many others) this one would by itself to mould our own opinion. '