MARSHAL FOCH

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 21 March 1929, Page 9

MARSHAL FOCH

LATE EDITION

LONG STRUGGLE OVER. THE FINAL SCENES HIS SIMPLE LITE. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright.) (Australian Press Association.) Received 1.30 p.m. to-day. LONDON, March 20. Marshal Eoch died ia the evening of a lovely spring day in the presence of his wife and daughter. He had surmounted so many crises recently that th c final collapse” left a sense of stupefaction. He had a violent attack of breathlessness at 5 o’clock. Doctors and a priest -were summoned and tlio tatter administered extreme unction -while Marshal Eoch was unconscious. He died apparently without pain. The closing of the shutters was the first intimation that the long struggle had ended. The news of his death spread most rapidly and callers and flowers began to arrive in a few minutes. M. Briand was speaking in the Chamber when the news was received. M. Poincare announced the event in a few heartfelt words which were supported by the president of the chamber. The sitting was immediately adjourned. Marshal Eoch died in a simple bedroom not more luxuriously furnished than a barrack room. The only relief from plain walls was the combined flags of the allied nations worked into a banner. Occasionally during his Inst hours the Marshal raised an arm and lovingly caressed the banner. Marshal Foch’s only son was killed in the war. Of the two married daughters one lost her nusband the same day as Marshal Foch’s son was killed and thc other is the wife of Colonel Fournier and has two sons and two daughters. The eldest son received the right to change his name to Fournier Foch in order to perpetuate Marshal Inch’s name.

At the end of the -war the Marshal was financially poorer than at the beginning and did not own the house wherein he spent the last years of his life. This belongs to the French G'OV: eminent and will be the home of the succeeding army chiefs. While other allied nations awarded titles, lands and money to their leading generals, Foch’s only compensation was the knowledge tiiat France was saved. His country home was bought out of his wife’s dowry. BODY LYING IN STATE. Received 2 p.m. to-day. PARIS, March 20. M. Poincare and other members of Cabinet, M. Lyantey and ' President Domergue, called and condoled with Madame Foch. Representatives of all -the Allies .will be invited to the funeral, which takes place on Saturday. The interment will be at the Pantheon or at Invalides, unless the will requests otherwise. Until then the body will be in state at the Invalides, where thc tomb of Napoleon stands. Meantime Marshal Foch’s two aides and two nuns are watching the bier. The body is dressed iu a dark blue uniform wifh the marshal’s baton at the side, and a sash across the breast, the hands resting on a crucifix. “GREATEST GENERAL OF OUR TIME.” VISCOUNT ALLENBY’S TRIBUTE. Received 11.25 a.m. to-day. LONDON, March 20. Viscount Allenby, in a tribute to Marshal Foch, in which he described the leader of the Allies as “the greatest general of our time,” says: “He will probably go down in history as tlie equal of tlie greatest soldiers the world has ever known.” TO BE ACCORDED NATIONAL FUNERAL. PARIS, March 20. There was a memorable scene in the Chamber of Deputies when M. Poincare announced the -death of Marshal Foch. Every deputy except Communists and a few Socialists immediately rose. After a. few moments’ silence JM. Poincare said : He was'not only a great soldier, but a great citizen. I am sure the Chamber will associate itself with the national mourning. Subsequently M. Poincare announced that Marshal Foch would be accorded a national funeral.