FREEDOM ACCLAIMED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 7 August 1941, Page 3

FREEDOM ACCLAIMED

FRENCH IN NOUMEA DE GAULLE’S RECORDED WORDS Noumea, July 17. One of the most popular features of the celebrations of France's national day on 14th July was the first showing of the special de Gaulle newsreel film, in which that leader addresses personally the French peoples of the Pacific. Audiences cheered their leader’s message and cried ::Vive de Gaulle." The Governor. M. Sautot, decided on the spot to fly the film, operator and equipment, with him two days later to Port Vila for the benefit of the Hebridean celebrations. Later the film will return to tour Noumea and bush cinemas, and will then be sent to Tahiti.. Another feature of the fete-time was M. Sautot’s speech. “It may please the men of Vichy to erase 14th July from our national calendar.” he said, “but we Free French continue to proclaim the intangibility of the past with all its glories. To disown our great French Revolution, which established democratic liberties and the rights of man and of citizen, is unthinkable. Now destiny’s finger points to the irremediable defeat of Hitlerism, and soon all sons of France will join their Free French brothers and the heroic Brit-j ish and Russian armies in an avenging i revolt.” The crowd fervently applauded and sang the “Marseillaise.”