PREMIER IN FRANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 31, 7 February 1927, Page 16

PREMIER IN FRANCE

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

AEBKRT, 19th December.

Menia Gate -has been well' chosen for the British memorial to the missing. Many tuousands,;must have passed out through this northern entrance to the city who werejnever heard of again. It led to the most dangerous and heartbreaking road on the battlefields. -It was running, the gauntlet to pass .through it. It;/.was a menace to those going on leaye,;for at any moment, day or night, the well-trained German guns might make the passage unpleasant with a salvo of shells. The Menin Gate memorial, to the 60,000 British missing, is now almost completed. It is 'a. solid imposing arch of grey stone and brick. By means of stairways it is posBible to mount to outside balconies overlooking the moat, or to the very top of the arch. On the top and in the centre of the arch and looking towards Menin road a British lion carved in stone, many times life size, is to be placed. Already the 60,000 names arranged alphabetically under regiments have been inscribed on the panels inside the archway, up the stairways, and on the outer walls. It should be remembered that the New Zealand Government elected to have the names of New Zealand missing recorded on panels in the cemeteries near to which jthe men were known to have fallen, so [the Dominion did not participate in the grection of this Tpres memorial.

Early this morning Mr. Coatea paid fc' visit to tfi"B Menin Road South Cemetery, where fifty-two New Zealand solidiers lie buried. One noticed the names jof Maoris recorded on the headstones. Near to the cemetery was a dressing fetation. At 9 o 'clock the New Zealand (party visited j the Town Hall, where jthey were received by-M. R. Colvert, [the Burgomaster during and since the ;war. He was supported by two, of his fcolleagues. In front of the old man iwas a Toe H lamp presented to him Jjy the society when he visited London after the war. The friendly conversation between the Prime Minister and the Burgomaster was interpreted by Sir Fabian Ware,^ who, with Sir Herbert Ellissen, then' returned to London.

Before leaving-Ypres the Prime Minister visited another Ypres cemetery known originally as the Prison Ceme,tery, because it was adjacent to the prison near Lille Gate. The name has been changed to Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, and here among the few New Zealand graves is that of Lieut.-Col. G. 'A. King, D.S.O. (Canterbury), who was in command of the Maori Battalion and who died on 12th October, 1917.

ALONO THE DICKEBTJSCH ROAD.

Leaving Ypres, behind we followed the Diekebusch road, known so -well to all those who entered the salient or went on working parties or drove lorries or guns towards the front" line. Cape Beige, always famous oven after it had disappeared; has now been replaced by an imposing estaminet, while on the opposite corner is a rival, .the Cafe Francais. Many New Zealanders must have swung down the same road with their towels to the brewery 'to bathe. The brewery, almost alone of the original buildings, stands intact. It looks worri~a'nd old among the new brick structures. In 1922 -Diekebusch was restored except for the church. Now a handsome new church towers above the village, but the original crucifix, which was never shattered, is still to be seen in the churchyard. Diekebusch Huts Cemetery is near the site of a large dressing station, and 815 graces arc to be. found there, 19 of which are those of New Zealanders. 'Among these are three artillery men who perished on 19th March, 1918, holding their ground" before the German inyaders. '

After leaving tins locality we passed under the shadow of Mount Kemmel, and soon arrived at Wulvergnen on the slopes opposite Messines. Just before coming into the village there is a cemetery known as 'Wulverghen-Lindenhoek Koad, where many; of the New Zealanders killed in the Messines Battle are buried. It ia a small rectangular plot with the Stone of Bemembranee at the gateway and the Cross at the centre of ;the southern wall. It was a fine winter morning with a pale sun shining, and down the road from Wulverghen . one could see across the valley to where ; the New Zealand memorial stood out ; clearly, the sun lighting up one face i of the pylon and contrasting it against : '.the face in the shadow. The route to , the south was through Fleurbaix, ■Neuve Chapelle, on the right of Gii yenehy and Festubert, and so through • Esars to Bethune.. Here in the square the car in which the Prime Minister was riding came to grief: The back axle snapped in-rfcwo and lowered the passengers to the ground. The ear was left as a casualty, and the party proceeded i In the other two'cars which had not : been f ullyjlbaded. TH^PLACE OF DEATH. The road'from Bethune to Arras is full of in'tejrjest. On the left may be .seen Lens,arid the forest of coal mine villages, and Ihj mine buildings now risen anew;'among the mountains ' of 'debris. In? the village of Aix Noulette ithe French'ihave raised an artistic monument. The German invaders came to the outskirts in 1918. The monument ■is the figure of a French soldier with his arm outstretched and the flat of ■his hand ;facing down the road. The inscriptiori.reads: "On ne passe pas Aix Noulette.":-:

A few kilometres further on one is in the valley below Vimy Ridge. On the right is the imposing French national monument,' a tall • lighthouse, where thev-light is to be kept ever burning. .It : flashes out across the country when darkness comes on. Beside it is a larger white stone chapel, and in the vicinity is one of the largest of .the French cemeteries. . In 1915 at Souehez 50,000 Frenchmen were killed in a. day. On Vimy Ridge the old trenches may still be seen. Leaving the ridge on the left we ascended the valley where are further grim reminders of the horrors of this battle, area. On the right is the British Cabaret Rouge Cemetery, where 6000 British are buried, but the white wooden crosses have not yet been replaced. On the left of the road is a vast forest of the black crosses of a German cemetery, in which it is estimated there are 80,000 of our late enemies buried.

After leaving Arras behind we were soon in, the region of the fighting of 1918. In an old orchard on tho outskirts of Hebuterne there is a quiet, beautiful cemetery not yet formed, where a large proportion are New Zealand dead. The old wooden crosses are still up and in one case a soft white stone originally erected by New Zealanders themselves has the inscription roughly carveds "Ake, akc, kia kaha." Here, too, is the grave of Captain K. J. S. Seddon, who was killed on 21st August, 1918. The fruit trees flourish over the graves, and in the spring time no more restful and beautiful spot could be found. MAILLY MAILLET. ' At the' sugar refinery corner north of AuchonviUers tha Prime Miniater

BATTLEFIELDS REVISITED

FROM YPRES TO ALBERT

dismounted and explored the old battlefield over which his battalion advanced in the last days of March, 1918. He located the spot where his batman had been killed and buried. The Sueerie Cemetery was also' visited, where New Zealanders who died mainly on 9th May and 4th' June, 1918, are buried. '- As darkness came on we entered the little town of Mailly Maillet, where the Mayor and citizens had met to receive the chief representative of the country whose troops had saved the town from investment. They had already been celebrating some affair of their own at a luncheon in the Town Hall, and the local bandsmen were in full force. The firemen, who are really a local body of troops, were also in uniform. The band played '' God Save the King" with certain variations and adaptations, and then the "Marseillaise" with greater confidence and zest. After this, conversation followed and the Mayor intimated that they desired the Prime Minister to accept the position of Honorary President of the Firemen. The Mayor then made his speech of which the following is a free translation:—

"It was a great surprise for us, but one that was most agreeable, to learn yesterday afternoon that our informal and friendly gathering of to-day would be honoured by your presence. As becomes a modest Mayor of the town, I immediately asked for the Prefect to be so good as to accompany us and render to you the honour due to one of your position. • Unfortunately the Prefect asked to be excused on the score of previous engagements of some long standing, and ho regretted sincerely that he was not one of the party to welcome you. ••■

"Dear Prime Minister, —It is with the utmost intimacy that we welcome you, and we are also proud, moreover, to know that our country is not unknown to you. An old comrade in arms, you are familiar with our customary vicissitudes, alas, under -troublesome and sad conditions, when all was deserted and the inhabitants of the town, had been evacuated. Already familiar with the bombardment, they would have been only too pleased.to have remained behind to supply, you with the comforts of life.

"I consider it my duty to bring to your notice that our fete to-day carries equally the memory of our ancient Allies of the war. You are surrounded this evening by companions- 5-i arms who fought side by side with your own soldiers and experienced the same privations, and who championed the same cause—that of humanity and the liberty of the people.

"A great number of your fellowcountrymen sleep near us, under our soil, covered by the same shroud of glory as our own. Please understand that the graves of the British are as sacred as those of our own kith and kin. Our blood spilt for a common cause.ought always to remain a binding link between our nations.

"By means of our correspondence exchanged in our great journals we have realised that you were called upon by your Government to the Imperial Government to participate in the deliberations of the Council of British Nations. May we offer you our hearty congratulations on receiving this high distinction. May it please the Almighty that your famous tribunal become the august tribunal for peace among all nations. . A FLAG WITH A HISTORY. ''We know, thanks to the'journey which you have made, that through your intervention, brought about by correspondence with Mr. Hyslop and Mr. Bollard, our flag is to be returned once more into our possession. A small episode of the war has not reduced the truth which underlay its long voyage. This flag provides us with a doubly dear link. "We become knit more closely together with a far-off country, whose sons have proved to be of great courage in the face of the enemy. "As far as I am concerned I shall never forget that phrase spoken on 26th March, 1918, by one of your superior officers who -first entered into our town when the German advance guard had already taken possession of our railway station and were surprised to see a civilian again. The New Zealander thus addressed the Mayor: 'Be calm; we are here to bar the way against the Germans; wherever New Zealanders are found the Germans will never pass. Soon the enemy let loose their batteries, the shrapnel burst forth, your troops made prisoners of . the ' Germans, and quickly caused s the'enemy to retreat to his former positions at Hebuterne and Beaumont. These events'go ' - prove to history that your regiments were formed of men of the highest calibre. "Please will you understand that we consider it to be entirely due to New Zealanders that our town fell not at all into the hands of the Boche in 1918. The Doullens-Abbeville road was completely barred—our country and our own town in particular, owes your people a lasting ■ obligation. Living far away from one another, it was indeed difficult to open our hearts; we only knew that one day such an opportunity might arise to emphasise our thanks and feelings of good fellowship. "In accordance with the desire of our municipal officers, officers of the Fire Brigade, and the men. composing this unit, we beg to offer you the title of Honorary President of our Society. We shall be very proud and happy if you will accept this. "Returning then to your far-off country we have the strong hope- that you will not forget our town of Mailly Maillet which you defended so valiantly. Say to all your fellow-country-men that, living at the Antipodes, very remote the one from the other, our hearts and thoughts will reunite on every occasion that'offers. On behalf of our inhabitants I assure you you will always be welcome among us." The flag referred to by the Mayor was one that had been taken by a New Zealand soldier as a souvenir. It was carried to New Zealand and lost sight of until it appeared at the South Seas Exhibition as one of the trophies of war. It appears that the flag had been greatly valued by the citizens of Mailly Maillet, and steps were taken to recover it. Just previous to his trip to France Mr. Coates had received a cablegram from one of his Ministers that the flag was on its way to France, j

A PRINCIPLE OP FREE NATIONS.

_ Mr. Coates, in reply, said lie would like to express his appreciation and the appreciation of the people of New Zealand for the very kind and thoughtful manner in which the Mayor and citizens had treated him and his party that day. It was most gratifying to know that the people of Mailly Maillet were back ia their own homes again and that prosperity was with them. Jsew Zealand was proud to be associated with the soldiers of Britain and of the British Empire, and she was very proud to Bo associated with the soldiers of France in tho recent war believing aa we did that the right of nations to hold their own ground and to make their own laws without domination was the principle that "Britain §5d France would, always maintain, ap,

an ideal, and an ideal they would be ready to fight for again should necessity arise.

_ "It was not until March, 1918," continued the Prime Minister, "that I was in this locality, although the New Zealanders were in the vicinity in 1916. I remember meeting your citizens in 1918, and their informing us that the enemy had broken through and that nothing would stop them. I remember the reply quite well—that if we could get through the town it would be quite safe; we would do our best and the Germans would have to come over our dead bodies if they came in here. _ "New Zealand has a very close association with this part of Franca, for the reason that many of her sons lie in the different cemeteries. But the people of New Zealand do not regret it. They believe, and rightly so, that their sons died in the interest of freedom and justice. I am sure that the tie that has been created—the tie of a common cause, the tie of troops fighting shoulder to shoulder—is one that will last, and the spirit of comradeship will abide not only for this generation, but for generating to come. It is a tie made on the field of battle where New Zealand's sons will rest and it will always call New Zealanders to this part of France."

The Prime Minister concluded by explaining what had happened to the flag of Mailly Maillet. He appreciated—and the people of New Zealand would appreciate—the honour they had conferred upon him by making him the honorary president of the Fire Brigade.

The speech was interpreted by Colonel Eric Murray (Secretary of the British Empire League), who accompanied the New Zealand party. At the conclusion of the very friendly meeting and when toasts had been drunk, the band again played their version of the British National Anthem and the Marseillaise, and the visitors took their departure for Al-