FRENCH NATION INSPIRED

Grey River Argus, 7 October 1914, Page 7

FRENCH NATION INSPIRED

SPLENDID SPIRIT OF THE PEOPLE. •-. :. PARIS, Aug. ii. The spirit with which- the entire French nation is throwing itself into the war is beyond all praise. An officer in the Remount Department told me that horses seemed literally to be rising out of the ground for the use of the army. Peasants who had carefully concealed from the authorities the fact that they owned a horse for fear of taxation were to-day bringing them in of their own free will for the sake lof their country. I This officer, a captain of reserve ,is [ well over the age 3 but .he has volunteered for active service, and his wife is going to the front as a nurse, lie has two children, both of them, sons, and both of them are already on their way to the frontier. "I said good-bye to them both yesterday," he said. ''Neither I nor my wife went to the Gare de lEst because we wanted no heart-breakfng" farewells- I told them not to be rash or overdaring, but to do their duty, but, of course, they will pay no attention. The older one is an aviator, and I know that nothing is the world will prevent him if he sees a. Zeppelin, from, ramming it and dying. I cannot blame him ;I should have done the same at his age. My only prayer is; that they may both come back. For myself Ido not care. I am quite old enough to die." . All this was said in -a quiet undertone arid never were words a more perfect expression of the spirit inspiring the whole nation.— "Morning Post."