The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST” MONDAY, JULY 25. 1938. The Kings Visit to France

Northern Advocate, 25 July 1938, Page 4

The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST”

MONDAY, JULY 25. 1938. The Kings Visit to France

Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper

THE King’s visit to Franco has boon an event of groat nnpoitance on two sides of the world. Its main purpose, of course, was to unveil the great Australian War Memorial at \ filersBretonneux. where, on consecrated ground, dedicated by the French Government to the perpetual keeping of Australia, the o-reat tower rises in commemoration of the deeds ol saenlice o . the Australian troops in France, particularly during those critical months of 1918 when, in that very neighbourhood, the German line was being rolled back. _ A secondary purpose of the visit was to consolidate good relationships between Britain and France, and here, too. it seems to have succeeded admirably. Everything passed off without the slightest hitch or the slightest discordant note. The French are a Republican people, yet there is something in their nature that responds to the tradition and spectacle inseparable from an ancient Monarchy such as Britain’s. They made most elaborate preparations for the visit—preparations designed with meticulous care and attention to details to ensure the comfort, enjoyment and safety of Their Majesties from the moment of their arrival on French soil. More than that, the French people seem to have taken King George and Queen Elizabeth to their hearts. The cry “Vive le Roi,” which disappeared from the everyday speech of France when Louis XVI was borne to the guillotine in 1793, echoed along the boulevards of Paris with an. enthusiasm and a spontaneity which speak well for the impression made by Britain’s King and Queen on the French masses. Whatever minor differences may arise, it seems clear that the people of both countries are bound together by a solid respect and affection, to which on this great occasion the French people have given joyous expression. Britain and France, in matters of general foreign policy, stand shoulder to shoulder today just as they did in 1914-18. Since Hie war, theirs has been a heavy and at time irritating responsibility. They have had to bear the burden of trying to maintain peace in many delicate situations, which might, if mishandled, have precipitated conflicts as savage and tragic as that which, 20 years ago, at this time, was just beginning to draw to a close. Always it has been shown that, where Britain and France presented a unified front, they have been able to exercise a profound influence towards European peace. The imposing shaft of the Australian War 1 Memorial at VillersBretonneux is, like the other memorials in France, a reminder of the partnership which endured so much in the desperate and trying years of the war. Added to this, the happy circumstances of the visit of the King and Queen must have further strengthened the good feeling between the two great and powerful countries. Thus the King’s visit to France and the response it won from the French people do not merely constitute a gesture of mutual good feeling, but have a deep international significance which may have a bearing on the peace of the world.