FRENCH TRAINING SHIP

Evening Star, Issue 22890, 23 February 1938, Page 9

FRENCH TRAINING SHIP

STATE LUNCHEON TO OFFICERS COMPLIMENTS EXCHANGED [Pee United Fbess Association,! WELLINGTON, February 22. The many links between France and New Zealand were referred to by the Minister of Finance (Mr Nash), who presided at a State luncheon tendered to the commander of the French training ship Jeanne d’Arc, Captain Paul Auphan, and a number of his officers. Mr Nash spoke of Britain and France as two of the great democracies of the world. The League of Nations was often spoken of as an ideal that had failed, but he thought that was a mistake. Whether the League succeeded or not, there would have to be some central authority to link up and provide the rules for the, peoples of the world. The two nations that had probably done more for the ideals of the League than any others were France and Britain. The value of the contributions which French nationals had made in past centuries to the world’s well-being in the arts was stressed by Mr Nash. He wont on to trace the association of Frenchmen with New Zealand’s early history. Mr Nash quoted from a letter sent by Captain Hobson to one of his lieutenants when Captain Lavaud arrived in New Zealand with French immigrants in 1840: “We have a French ship here commanded by Captain Lavaud, a straight-forward, honest man, direct from France.” “We , have some straightforward, honest men with us again to-day, direct from France,” added Mr Nash. (“Hear, hear! ”) Captain Auphan expressed thanks for the good wishes extended to his ship and his country, and he said that France would never forgot the sacrifice during the Great War of British soldiers who slept their last sleep in his country, Ho wished New Zealand every prosperity. With his officers, Captain Auphan drank to the continued friendship of and New Zealand,