BRITAIN AND FRANCE

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23001, 22 April 1940, Page 11

BRITAIN AND FRANCE

FRIENDSHIP over many YEARS GO VERNOR-GENERAL’S COMMENT The close friendship now existing between the French and English peoples, which had a parallel 100 years *g 0 * when the French colonists ■ estabhsh’ed themselves at Akaroa. was emhasised by the Governor-General ?Lord Galway) at the centennial celebrations at Akar a on Saturday. A b parallel was drawn by the gjS for France (M. Andre Pouq Thoughts turned at this time to the S of the association between and French, said Lord GalThe Entente Cordiale 40 years I™ had established a foundation upon wh a closer alliance had since been built and in the years 1914-18 the two erreat nations faced a common-.danger Seether He was afraid that the two oebples did not in the Great War years ouite understand each other as; they Hid at the present moment. The British Perhaps did not fully realise then That France was suffering the destruction of some of her most beautiful provinces, as well as a very heavy loss nf civilian life. 0 After the war, the two Governments got to understand each other much better To-day. in the war zone, the understanding was complete. Certainty a very great advance had been made dnee the war started. In the financial world particularly there had been very great co-operation, which not only in the war years, but in the peace afterwards, would bring great prosperity to the two nations. Though these were dark days, and the horrors of war were present, he was convinced that the strength of the AUteTand the rightness and justice of the Allied cause would bring victory, and that the great Allied armies would again march victorious through the streets of London and Paris. In his remarks on the friendly relations that had existed between the French and British peoples generally in the last 40 years, and at Akaroa from the beginning, M. Pouquet said it was a striking fact that a son of the first child bom in the French' settlement at Akaroa served with the New Zealand forces in France, and was . killed on French soil. „ This was Horace de Malmanche. whose father. Charles Joseph Marie de Malmanche was born at Akaroa on October 19, 184 CL I

THANKSGIVING SEJRVICE PUBLIC CEREMONY AT WAR MEMORIAL . A public thanksgiving service was held at the Akaroa War Memorial yesterday afternoon. The Rt; Rev. J. Lawson Robinson Moderator of The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, gave the address. With him were, the Rev. M. A. Rugby Pratt, .Methodist Connexional Secretary, and the Rev. F. R. ol the Presbyterian Church. . Mr Robinson said that looking back into the past one could not fail to see the hand of God among the people of ' the pehinshla. The hills about this harbour had many years ago been stained with blood spilled in tribal .warfare, hut to-day the people met to give thanks to God for His goodnessand mercy in the years that had followed the founding of the settlement. Here and there on this peninsula, _ Wherever men gathered together there ‘ could he. seen churches where they assembled to Worship God. These buildings stood to remind us of the faith of the people in the early years and to stimulate us in our own time. Might God help; us all to be true to the heritage into which we had entered. .Mr Robinson and others taking _part In this service travelled afterwards to the ceremony at Onuku. £ ORGANISATION OF CELEBRATIONS CREDIT TO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS The thousands of visitors to Akaroa at the week-end were quick to-appre-ciate the thorough and efficient pre-, ' paration that had been made to ensure the success of the centennial celebrations. -Officials of the Department of Internal Affairs, the Maori people, and the People of Akaroa and the whole of Ranks Peninsula, had spent _ many 'months in planning and arranging the ceremonies. 'The whole of the celebrations were finder the supervision of Mr A. W. Mulligan, general secretary of the centennial branch of the Department of Internal Affairs. The pageantry was the direction! of Mr W. S. Wau- • chop,- National Director of Centennial Pageantry. Committees of Akaroa and peninsula people under the leadership of the Mayor of Akaroa (Mr F. R. E. Davis'/ jnll be concerned still more directly fij the local celebrations, the principal CL which will be held this week. - Maori celebrations will be held to®y To-morrow a procession of floats Paring historical tableaux, will be field from Duvauchelle to Akaroa, with a 'garden party in the afternoon and . ■'* grand centennial ball in the everting School children’s sports will be held «fi Wednesday, and a conversazione for o/d residents on the afternoon of the same day. The celebrations will conwith a centennial Anzac service on Thursday. . ■ _ . ®AILy MEMORANDA—Monday, April 22. ' AUCTIONS «utchlnson. White. Ltd., on Premises, i. Lichfield street (late Miller’s), at 9.30 j a.m.—Fire Salvage Sale: at their ■; at 1.30 p.m.—Quality Furni- , wire Auction.