Praise for Australians

Manawatu Times, Volume XL, Issue 13941, 19 July 1918, Page 5

Praise for Australians

BY “TIGER” CLEMENCEAU. —is the description given by the Commonwealth Official War Correspondent of the warm-hearted spontaneous, and generous-minded visit of the Grand Old Man of France (M. Clemenceau) to the Australian troops at the front after their recent victory at Hamel. News of the Battle of Hamel happened to reach Paris just at the time when the Dominion Premiers visiting there were sitting round a table in consultation with M. Clemenceau and Mr Lloyd George, the correspondent states, and all sent, at once, telegrams of warm congratulation to the Australian troops and commander. The venerable French Premier, a man upon whose fiery courage and grand determination Prance has depended through this year of terrible trial, turning to his .secretary, said: “Telegraph them my warmest congratulations.” Then, “No. I will go and see them and congratulate them myself.” The following Sunday he was true to his word. The Premier of Franco came from Paris in a motor car Co the Australians who weio concerned iu the Hamel fight. The little, whitehaired Frenchman, with hji 3 genial, laughing face, humorous, kindly eyes, and chin firmer than steel, went among the officers and men straight away, laughing and talking to them in English. It was not hard to believe that the crumpled grey felt hat, and strong, good-humoured countenance, covered a generous soul, and the strongest, most unswerving determination. This little leader, 78 years old, looked not a day more than 60. Every week he travels hundreds of miles through the country, visiting the various portions of the French Army, He gathered the Australian boys round him in one big semicircle. He did not attempt to hand them out cheap and easy flattery. Ho simply, with quite obvious emotion, told them w’hat he had come from Paris to say on behalf of the French people. Speaking in English, he said: “I am glad to be able to speak at least this small amount of English, because it enables me to tell you what all the French- think of you. They expected a good deal of you, because they heard what you had accomplished in the development and creation of your own country. I should not like to say that they were surprised. You have fulfilled their expectation,, which shows the high standard by which they judge you and admire you. Hamel was not a great battle, but in a battle of that scale the individual deeds show clearly, w r here in a great battle they would perforce pass unnoticed. In this battle the Germans saw that they had against them men Tvho came from far away to attest that wherever a free people lived—in England, Franco, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada —they were not ready to make way for the rules of barbarity and brutality, 'which the Germans are trying to impose on civilisation. We have all been fighting in the same "ba/ttle for freedom. You have all lie a Yd. the names of these old battlefields — read them in history. It is a great wonder that you should be here fighting on these old battlefields, where we never thought to see you. But you came to protect the work of our fathers, which we wanted to hand down unharmed to our children. These men tried to take it from us. They tried to rob us of all that is dearest in modern human society. But men are the same in Australia, England, France, Italy, and all countries which are proud of being the home of a free people. That was what made you come—that was what made us greet you when you came. We knew you would fight a real fight, but wo did not know that from the very beginning you would astonish a whole continent by your valour. I have come here for the simple purpose of seeing the Australians, and tolling them this. lam going back to-morrow to say to my countrymen: ‘1 have scon the Australians. I looked into their faces. I know they arc men who, having fought great battles in the cause of freedom in the past, will fight alongside us again till the cause of freedom for which wo arc all fighting is guaranteed by ns and our children.’ ”