AN INCIDENT IN PARIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20075, 12 October 1928, Page 18

AN INCIDENT IN PARIS.

reparations commission. MR. HUGHES TELLS A STORY. | kko m oca OWN conn F.srox PENT. ] SYDNEY. Oct. i. The French journalist, M. Pierre Benoit, who visited Australia recently, has published a book in which ho doscribes "Billy" Hughes as "a charming old man, eloquent, and fervent." Mr. Hughes takes no revenge on M. Benoit. but the other day he amplified some of the stories which tho Frenchman has put into his book concerning him. One of these is that Mr. Hughes told M. Benoit of a French Minister who "wagged it" from tho Reparation Commission when "Billy" was a member of that body in Paris, after tho war. Every morning, said Mr. Hughes, while they were sitting in tho garden waiting for the march of events, a flunky would conm in with a card on a silver salver. "Permit me." tho Frenchman invariably said, leaning forward and taking the card. Whereupon ho would each day profusely excuse himself, and say that ho was sorry, but he was called away to the council of the "Big Four." Mr. Hughes happened to remark to "Tiger" Clcinoneeau shortly afterwards that the Commission was making little progress, as its chairman was called away every morning to tho council of four. M. Clcnienceau, with a grin, said: "lie lias never been to the council in his life. "Next, time you see him ask him': the lady's address."