MUST NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 12 June 1945, Page 5

MUST NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

FRANCE’S DEBT TO BRITAIN HERRIOT RECALLS EARLY DAYS OF WAR (Rec. 11.0 a.m.) London, June 11. “France owes Britain her fife.” That was the gist of a speech on British and French relations by M. Herriot, President of the Chamber of Deputies and a former Premier of France, when he made his first important political address since his release from captivity. M. Herriot referred to the time in 1940 when Mr Churchill went to Tours to beg. France to fight on. “If at that time, discouraged, he too had capitulated instead of gritting his teeth and pulling himself together in a gesture of energy, where would we be at this moment?” M. Herriot asked. “We should not be here to-day, all united together and among friends. There would be instead. “Naturally, France and Britain sometimes have small quarrels but family quarrels help to consolidate wellmatched coupled. What must never, never be forgotten is that owing to the treachery of our leaders Britain found herself alone. We must remain faith ful to this old friendship because the British are the people who love justice and freedom, and who perhaps love liberty more than we do. The British fought for right and liberty. Many died on battlefields in France. That we must never forget.”

M. Herriot said he intended writing a book on the inside story of the armistice of 1940 based on notes he made at the time. “You will shudder when you se how we fell. I blushed and you see how we fell. I blushed and notes.” M. Herriot said if a British. French and Russian barrier had been built when Hitler came to power Hitler would not have stirred. Nothing could, be done in foreign policy if that policy was subordinated to home policy considerations. He was speaking disinterestedly as his whole career was behind him. Every Frenchman must work for France and for the restoration of the Republic. Frenchmen could only achieve this in view of their smallness ''f numbers compared with Americans and Russians by uniting. They must have unity behind General de Gaulle.