"THE PATH TO GLORY."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16169, 4 March 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

"THE PATH TO GLORY."

ANATOLE FRANCE'S APPEAL. j An edition of : " The. Path to Glory," by Anatole France, has been' issued with the original text and; a translation by Mr. Alfred \ Allinson. The following-are two of the great .Frenchman's most 'striking patriotic which,'Vwbile addressed to the French army and the French' nation, .", ."j are . equally applicable v to ,•. the allied : armies and nations, and are as. ap-' propriate now; ai when they were : written. "Friends, to the end that you may not have fought and suffered to no avail, that the blooa.of sons and the ; tears of -mothers may not have.flowed in vain, -. we I must destioy from base to summit' the military power of Germanyand; strip -?this barbarian nation of ; every possibility of pursuing its' hope of a,world-wide empire,!the monstrous dream that <at this hour ; is plunging Europe in fire and .slaughter./,,';' .. "'Tis a great' task. . 1 But what deathless praises, what', blessings .will' be heaped \on your heads for • having accomplished - it! You i will have guaranteed the security arid greatness, of your ' country,." you will have made it possible for the rulers and the masses of this vast ; portion of the world to draw nigh,.to justice/.-justice so hard to access, >or at, ; the .least to : walk in her ways; you will have overthrown oppression, restored Alsace and Lorraine to France, Schleswig. to;Denmark,;.Trent and Trieste to Italy,-you will have" resuscitated Poland/-. re-established .the freedom and the rights of nations, founded a harmonious >Europ'e, 4 .made 4 possible • the conclusion of ";'a stable f peace /'based, on right and reason, a] true peace, a peaceful' peace. And you will be dear to your kinsfolk and bulk large in "history: ,' I "Oh! may the sacred fire of our hearts go through the cold, dark night to bear to you in the - ' trenches its' ' comfortable warmth and sparkle joyously 'in your hearts." "••'" ;;; ';

"On our courage and our steadfastness depend our fate and the fate of the world. Let all Frenchmen vie with one another in zeal;, let all do their duty; and duty in these' conditions knows no bounds. Let all practise self-sacrifico and self-devotion— of themselves and of their property; all, administrators, officials of. every grade, private citizens, children, old , men! I say nothing of women; they have alreadv made every sacrifice, accomplished every form of self-devotion. -

"The times demand it. We, unhappy civilians, let us he fighters in our own war, let us serve with the same zeal and the same discipline as the soldiers at tho front.

"Victory is sure. Let us aim ,at it with one heart and one purpose, let is fight for it each with his own weapons, that it may be the victory of the whole, united country."