SPIRIT OF FRANCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, 23 October 1916, Page 3

SPIRIT OF FRANCE.

STRENGTH OF THE GREAT

ALLIANCE

v A letter which sheds light on the present condition of France and echoes the supreme courage of her people has (says the Star) reached Auckland: from a lady whose late father, an. English doctor, then resident in France, was awarded the Legion of Honor for his distinguished services to the French nation during the war of 1870. The writer, then a child, remained throughout the war at their summer residence in Normandy, and it is. from there that she now writes to her brother, Mr John Graham, of Ponsonby: "We are living here in Nature," the' letter proceeds, "but it is impossible to forget the. hideous carnage.* All day long we hear at this distance the booming of the cannons—ours killing the Germans, or that of the enemy killing our own noble defenders, which? For the first time in my life I know what hatred is. I hate my hate, and I know that it can never be eradicated. It ~'took a monster to create such a feeling, but I cannot, thinking of the Bosches, say 'Pardonne nous nos offences comme nous pardon nous a ceux gui nous out offenses.' I cannot include the Germans in this prayer of forgiveness. <'.;.,■ THE GREAT ALLIANCE. i ; "We are making slow, systematic progress now. This is due to the heroism of our troops, and you will understand that I include our noble allies, the British, the people of the dominions, and all who have left their comfortable homes to join in this terrible fight for the liberty of the world. I think that before this war came I never knew what I really was, French or British. Now I know that I am equally both, and equally proud of having Scotch blood in my reins, as 1 am oi: my French education mingled with my British up-bringing: I notice j by your letters, that you in New Zealand were anxiousl about the result of the naval fight off Jutland. We were the winners, even if we did lose those ships and those heroes in such quantities. The week following the loss or Lord Kitchener was ghastly, and in our suffering we did to our aching hearts what men do when hungry. Figuratively, we tightened the belt so as not to show our suffering, and make up our minds that we must go on solidly suffering, determined to win, always looking forward and never backward.

CHEERS AND TEARS

"I am told that our conti-e espionage is first class now. That is wJtiy the , Zepps have not been heard of in Paris i these long months.. We have managed to get a terrible war machine (during war) against a foe who' had nothing unprepared, and had taken nearly forty years to get it up. We are' ready with more men than the enemy , has, and with ' courage wljich 'is in-: vincible. Verdun is still, holding, and the French are doing wonders with the j friendly English, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, Indians, etc. J The admiration of the world goes to s our brave men, but while we feel that J we have never Had- better .reason to hopej we/must, riot indulge in the idea that the war is to finish very soon. However, the pressure is being felt in Germany, while here, au contraire, business is rallying, Paris streets are crowded. The 14tn oi July was such j as never was seen v before. Great was i the enthusiasm over the troops drawn j from the front, our poilus, the Tom- •, mies, the Belgians, ■ the Russians, stilL! hearing, out of sheer habit, the roar j of the cannon. In Paris they heard j cheers of welcome.' There was no re-j joicing, simply a demonstration of loyalism, something grave and serious,' and. when those troops marched to their .various stations next day they had in their eyes a brilliant look, for they were going to meet the enemy and smash him if they could. The onlookers had tears in their eyes, for! they knew that many of those brave j fellows might never, come backhand' amongst those looking on were mothers, sisters, fiancees. ONE OF THE FIGHTERS. "On July 14 I bad a visit from one of the soldiers from the North, whom 1 had taken under my care. "Me is one of 18 children, seven brothers being in the Army. He knows that one brother died at Charleroi, that another is at Verdun, that one sister is in Paris (and she has lost her husband in the war), but of the rest" of the family not a vestige of news for 23| months. He is a brave fellow, but that day he was very sad, for he had talked with his sister, and knew that nothing had been heard of the remainder of the family shut up amongst, the Germans. These are the men our hearts go out to, for they are fighting with'heavy hearts, not knowing j -Wfiethei?"'they have any families, left,'' ,