WISDOM FROM BABES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 August 1943, Page 6

WISDOM FROM BABES

ANECDOTES OF FRENCH CHILDREN. Three anecdotes of French children are told by “France,” the French daily published in London. Vichy propaganda had asked for school children throughout France to I send in drawings on the theme, “Whati is your idea of Marshal Petaih?” Incidentally, the idea was subtle pressure to be brought to bear on school teachers, who would have to give some lead to the children. Large numbers of children contributed drawings showing the Marshal surrounded by French flags with the word

“Verdun.” As many showed pictures of Petain driving the Germans out of France, often with a kick in the rear. But one little fellow-with a keen sense of humour had drawn the Marshal and his wife, seated by the fire beside a radio set, “listening to London.” Fifty Paris school children were taken from the capital to visit the Mar-

shal. Used to the sight of Nazi flags everywhere, the joy of the children was great when they saw the French flag flying freely alone, with no hated Nazi flag near. As it broke, many children and their masters were in tears.

Then a car drove up to the enclosure and the Marshal alighted. The radioreporter palled hastily to the little Parisians, “Now you must shout. ‘Vive le Marechai.’ ” “Oui, Monsieur, and after that we’ll shout ‘Death to the Boches.’ ” At a performance in Paris in a theatre where many children had been invited, some of them, were asked to go up on the stage. There they were interviewed.

“And what do you want to do. my little man?”

“I want to be an airman,” the child replied.

“That is very fine, very brave. And why do you want to be an airman?”

“I want to be an airman to fly to England, Monsieur.”