THE DESECRATION OF RHEIMS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 108, 30 September 1914, Page 6

THE DESECRATION OF RHEIMS

VISITING SCIENTIST IXTE.R"SHEWED.

! _ Wellington, .Saturday. Visiting Wellington at the. present time, is a young French geologist, Monsieur M. Allorge, who haw 'been attrfTidii'.g the congress of the British- Association in Australia, ami has come to New Zealand on what he says is.an all-too-j brief visit. M. AHorge lias a very intimate acquaintance with (he (present sunt of the war in Northern France, ami I he srenuinely sorrows for the awM deJ socration of .some of France's most cherished archil cx'.twral posscit*ions that have, so l-utlilessly and 'unnecessarily been iri'c n arai>lv. damaged hy the Gcranin troops. 'Particularly does tluj visitor deplore the mported damage done by shell-Kre and flames to Ilheims CatUt!- ! dral.

"I (Know it very well indeed, all' that country," saUI AI. AUorgc, ''and the Oathediul at lUieims—all, yon know it is only two hours by 'train, from Paris—is -bo 'beautiful. It is the. Cathedral where I he Kings of France were crowned for nwnv years, and is revered for its many memories dear to tliu 1 V"-rt of .every Frenchman." I But the cables s-:ay it can be yrstoreu? j "How restored? "No, that is not M. 'I he. facade is. damaged, the steemles pnie, all the wonderful stained glass windows smashed, including the magnilicent rose win-low over the main entrance. Such t'hhigtj, cannot bit restored to what they were. It is very sad." "There is . another old church ■ in Kheims," continued the visitor, "which is also valued l for its wonderful associations and itj, ao-e. That is the Church •f St. Martin's, an! old, old church situated in the •suburbs, and built iii the Norman style, in the Norman period. It i.) ever fo much oWer than the Cathedral at RlicimS, and as 1 have not Been anything about it in the paoem, I am hoping that it ilias escaped the atl out ion* of the Germans."