FRENCH TRIBUTE TO THE BRITISH.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, 23 October 1916, Page 5

FRENCH TRIBUTE TO THE BRITISH.

A glowing tribute to the heroism of the ■ ; iiritisn troops is paid by, a prominent French Socialist leader now on the staff of the French Army, who has been serving with the British Army since' the beginning of the present offensive. He says: "Until I saw for myself, I was among those who asked what the British Army was doing for our common cause; 1 ask no longer. In the three , weeks' I have been with the incomparable British troops I have had oral and written answers:—the first in deeds that 'winy live'-for ever in. history • the second in letters of blood on many a hard-fought field.1 Nothing I have seen or heard of could be finer) more glorious, or more self-sacrificing than tne behaviour of; the brave Britisn. troops with whom I have served." In the course of his narrative .fche -writer s»ys: ""The next object lesson of what the Britons are doing was given me by a battalion of sublimely courageous Highlanders sent to sweep the Germans -out of .a strongly-held, position. '"•■'•' \

"Artillery had done all that was possible to prepare for -.the assault, but there is a limit to what even modern guns can do, and the task confronting the infantry was one that might have made the stoutest hearts .quail. It was to advance up a narrow hill, at the top :o£ wliieh. .tan ,an .elaborate system of strongly manned earthworks. In face of a tempest of gun and rifle fire, supplemented by all the devilish devices of whjch !the Bodies are masters, the advance had to he made.

"Across the narrow road forming the .approach to .the .gateway into tthis citadel a stoutly-built barricade covered over with barbed wire of .fiendish pattern str.eieh.ed. For .two hundred yards at least every approach was swept by fire. Naturally the Highlanders suffered cruelly, but they .never slackened Ttheir pace until they \wete .brought to a standstill just by the barricade. "At this they tore and clutched .frantically,, cutting .right .and .left, .and gradually making an opening, through which men were able to force their way. The first maoi .through iell ..dead. Over his body sprang a second Highlander:. Then :a third, :and so on until there was enough to complete ;the work <©f tearing xlovwn. the barricade. ' 'Then the irresistible Highland \wa.ve broke through. The enemy wjere soon oaa i-.estr.eafe, with the Highlanders last on their heels, transferring their xetreat; into a rout and talking ° many prisoners. Bravery «ueh as this is bound to maike an impression ion rtihe French people, and if '■ the ifull ttruth were iknowaa regarding the way in which British .troops are acquitting themselves in this war, 'all France would hasten *o pay the homage due to your heroic nation. As it is, the truth is gradually coming out, and French people are increasingly :ga-.aite-tful to their bray© Allies."