WAR NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16666, 26 September 1914, Page 4

WAR NEWS.

NOUMEA’S GRATITUDE. For some time past the cable between New Caledonia and Australia has been disconnected, and the residents of the French colony have found themselves at this most exciting period of thoir national history without the regular daily supply of European news, upon which they could previously depend. Under these circumstances the Governor, M. Repiquet, appealed to the Premier of New South Wales, Mr Holman, who has caused daily bulletins or events on the Continent to be transmitted to Noumea by wireless from Brisbane. It thus fell to the lot of Mr Holman to be the first to announce in New Caledonia the news of the great victory which was gained by the Allies on the Marne, which ho accompanied with an expression of warm congratulation on the event. He was on the following day the recipient of acknow-, lodgments from the Governor and from, the Mayor of Noumea, M. Leyraud, who said: “In transmitting to you the following address of the town of Noumea, I would associate the entire population of New Caledonia and its dependencies in its expression of gratitude of the inhabitants of the capital of the colony. I beg to renew, personally, my warm thanks, and to express, in my turn, my most sincere felicitations.”

The address referred to reads as follows:—“To Mr Holman, Premier, Sydney,—We were aware that yon had retained the kindest recollection of our colony, but in remitting to us each day the news of the war, you have conferred upon us a valued favour, for which I have to express to you, in the name of the population of Noumea, our deep gratitude. I have to say .to you how much we are touched by your sympathy and solicitude at a moment when the soldiers of our two nations, so strictly allied, are sacrificing them*' selves upon the same fields of battle* struggling, with united glory, for. th« realisation of the-same ideal, and when the cnt’ro union of our countries merges them in each other. We rejoice in the sincere friendship that you show us, and thank you for it from the hot* tom of our hearts.—Leyraud, Mayor of Noumea.”