" PET OF FRANCE "

Grey River Argus, 26 November 1914, Page 8

" PET OF FRANCE "

" TOMMY ATKINS" IN EUROPE

When interviewed on board the Orontes. this morning-. M. H. Moreau bubbled up with enthusiasm (says a Sydney paper). There was a bright look in his eyes as he described "Thomas Atkins, Esq." "Tommy is the pet of France, 33 said he. "You cannot keep them back." 3

M. Moreau has been with the armies in France. He has sieen the war in some of its abhorrent nakedness. He gives the Germans the criodit for thoroughness, clevernesSj and immense icouragie, and yet he winds up with the conviction;, "But Germany is bound to be beaten; it may take two years, but she will be beaten. 3 M. Moreau has been in business in Sydney for abouti twenty years. He was in France when, war broke out. and his patriotism asserted itself. This is how he told the story on the mailboat : "I was too old' for active army service, but. I soon got a job as motor driver at Havre owing to everybody being: required for mobilisation. Then I acted as interpreter, and later on obtained a position as driver for a Red Cross motor vehicle. Our mission was to 1 pick up the wounded from behind the trenches, and convey them to the base hospital. France is one huge hospital. All the theatres and hotels are now being used as hospitals You can walk up any of the boulevards now and risk no danger of tieinjr run over. Paris is as quiet as a cemetery. The horrors of war hangover her like a pall.

"I must say that Paris is vastly different from" London. In London people take the war too* easily. They do not realise the vast danger that threatens Theatres, traffic, and the business goes on just the same as if there were no. war. . ,

"Tn France it is different. You could not bielieve that* the French people could be so< silent. It was thought by the world that the French people were too frivolous, but when war was declared upon us by Germany, there were no outbreaks of hysteria m Paris. Each man went to his allotted task, without fuss and with quiet enthusiasm. Of course, England has not been invaded like .France. That might make the difference.

"It was astonishing the thoroughness with which Germany embarked upon the war She was to have been in Paris- on August 13. We have documentary .evidence to prove . that a certain German general had been appointed Governor of the subjugated Paris, and Governments had ben appointed for all the French towns along the route of advance. German reservists were notified where and when to join their respective regiments at various French towns. Cement pits for guns were found everywhere. On one of the French canals were found 42 barges, ostensibly containing coal, but which were <laden 3 undernieath the coal covering", with guns and all munitions of war.

"The espionage) was remarkable. When I was in Paris, spies were being shot each morning- in trenches outside the town. Germany came through Belguim, and certain parts of France y.ery quickly. It looked to them as if they moist invest and ultimately capture Paris. The night before the (i-rent assault they sent aeroplanes ovei us for a. final reconnoitre. There were no French troops between the German right wing and Paris in the afternoon, and we were careful to allow the aeroplanes to see this state of things. We peppered the aeroplanes, but we were careful to do no damage to them. They went back and reported a, satisfactory state of affairs.

"In the night the Government, of Paris called up all vehicular traffic .in Paris, and moved with such speed that by daybreak we had 40,000 French troops between the enemies 3 right wing- and Paris. The enemy took fright, especially when we had sacrificed two regiments of xouaves in one grand assault. They thought that their right wing was threatened with annihilation, and they retreated to the Aisne and there they are now.

"With my motor car I moved in the rear of many of the battlefields. I saw Ser4is, a beautiful city, with but four walls to show, where great: build ings had once stood. In some of the districts women and children, with a donkey or a mule or a horse in a plough, started ploughing, . even though shelling had taken place bur a day or two before in that vicinity. Can you imagine such bravery?

"Some of the wounded we. met with were in a pitiable plight. Sometimes a trench would be in the possession of Germans. In those circum stances our wounded generally tried to get away from the firing line, and hide in the bushes. We could not find them, but the dogs did, and some of the poor fellows we came across had not been attended to for four days.

"It was astonishing the popularity enjoyed by Tommy Atkins. Some of the French people had become accus iomed toi regard the British people as a dour people, and they were disillusioned hen they came in contact with Tommy Atkins, and found he; was always happy and always joking- 'and courteous. His behaviour both on and off the field has been something" magnificent. I saw some of the British tropps helping poor refugees who came in from the country, and the British could not do too much "for them

"The Britisher has again proved to be a magnificent soldier. The trouble about him during the earlier part of the war, as was the case with the French soldiers, was that he would not stop when once ordered to advance Some times it was wise to retire and to advance again, but stop Tommy nev^r would.

"The French airmen have proved to be rgreat men. . I witnessed a dv"l between a (French aeroplane and a German Taube about4o miles east of Pans. After a bitter fight of some minutes, the German airman was mor tally wounded, and the aeroplane fell to earth in a zigza.or fashion, just like a wounded duck.