THE FRENCH MISSION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17516, 7 January 1919, Page 3

THE FRENCH MISSION

WELCOME IN WELLINGTON.

(Pee United Press Absooiation.l WELLINGTON, January 5. . Tho French Mission had a great reception in the Town- Hall, which was crowded The Mayor (Mr Liiko) and Sir James Allen welcomed them, and Gaptain Barclay spoko in I 1 rench on behalf of the Flrench-speaking citiv.cns.

General Bau was cheered to the echo on rising, and spoke in feeling terms of the warmth of the reception toe mission has received everywhere. Ho said that, though now too old to serve actively, it was a great comfort to him to remember that he had assisted in the training of some of the great French soldiers of to-day, and that they were his personal friends. To-day the mission was busy with official visits and conferences with leading men. TRIBUTE TO NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS', COMMERCIAL INTERCOURSE WITH FRANCE. (Fecim Odb Own Cqk&espondent.) WELLINGTON, January** 6. Never before iiavo the people of Wellington given such a welcome to visitors as they gave to-day to the members of tho I' renca Mission. The central ligure in the interest oi the public is the leader of the mission^ —General Pau, the kindly old sol dier with a partially empty sleeve. He is a remarkably striking personality in his uniform of .horizon blue, and, although he does not speak our language, he speaks to crowds in his own tongue with the utmost freedom, it would almost appear that he is somewhat of an orator in his own country. It was good to hear this distinguished soldier of France, whose only boast is that he was the master and teacher of the military chiefs of to-day in France, and is now their devoted friend besides being their disciplined subordinate, speak such words of glowing praise of the soldiers from New Zealand.

n't are .full of admiration," he said, ' for your citizen soldiers, who have come from a great demooraoy, and who have immediately shown the greatest qualities of warriors—bravery and discipline. We do not admire your men only as brave soldiers. We love them because they have been good to our own people. As president of the French Red Cross, I have been called very often to the front and behind the front, and I have been told very often by our civil population how good the boys of New Zealand have been to them. Do not be astonished, then, if in their letters to you your soldiers tell you that they are well treated by the French, or that they are treated by the French like brothers, or I dare say like members of the French family. It is so because the French have learned that in the soldiers of New Zealand they | have really good friends—friends always ready to help the poor and the destitute."

The gratitiide of the general for New Zealand help was sincere. "We have also to thank you," he said, " for the tangible help you nave given to us by your charity. We know what this country has done for France in respect of charities, and I wish to emphasise that we do not forget that on this very platform are several men who have spoken and done much to help France from a charitable point of view. But your help has been most useful, because the' ruins accumulated by war are such, and the loss life and the loss of health consequent upon the war are such,/that there remains an immense work to be done. Think of what France has suffered. Think of the several departments of the invaded territory in which industry has been suspended for over four years. Think of all the men and women whose health, has been, touched by the war. Think of those prisoners of war who numher tens of thousands who have been broken in health by the practices of the Germans. We look forward with fear to the time when so many will come back to us disabled by tuberculosis.- It will be many years before we can recover from the consequences of this .war. It will be years before the health of the people will recover. That is why we are so grateful to you for the help given, not only to Fraiice but also to Belgium, because the two countries are m the same position. Both have shared the dangers of the wax, and both must share the help of the Allies which is necessary to both of us.

The common sufferings of our two nations during the four years of war, the common glory of our victories, and the common joy we experienced two months ago when the armistice was signed have created between us ties of friendship which cannot be severed, fhere is another reason why France and New Zealand have a lasting tnendship between them It is this: We have the same ideals, the same civilisation the same respect for those great ideals of liberty and democracy, and lor those ideas of respect for justice and right that have been the cause for- which we have both fought m this war. I hope thai the blood of our soldiers, which has been spread at the same tune on the same battlefields, will create between us a friendship that will be everlasting. Of course, I remember—and I am not afraid to mention it—that for centuries the soldiers of our two nations have met onthe same fields, but not on the side. We have fought against each other, but we have fought like gentlemen—(applause)—so that the memory of those past deeds leaves behind nothing venomous but on the contrary leaves on both sides a strong feeling of respiect and esteem for a - former adversary who has now become an ally and a friend for erver.—(Applause.) Yoiir applause, ladies and gentlemen, shows that you understand, as we do ourselves, the need for friendship between tho two nations. Wo do not forget that in th© past economic reasons have very often led to ware. That is why in the future we must work together in order to settle every economic difficulty'between us, and even to make our economio relations a stronger reason for friendship between us. Ihe prosperity of this country and tiie prosperity of France go together and we must study the best way in which each of us can prosper and develop our resources without doing any harm to the interests of the other country. If we can do this we must do it, and in doing so we shall be working not only in the interests of France, of the British Empire, but in the interests of the whole of humanity.—(Applause.) The time that we. have to spend m your country is unfortunately very short ■iiwe .^ f° un< ' everywhere, and espe--52r y . the Government and the Acting •Frime Minister, such kindness to help us to study y<wr country that we hope to take back to France information about the future relations of this country to France which may lead in tho future to closer friendship if possible and to closer ties not only from the point of view of commercial .matters but from a social and intellectual point of view We are very aroaous to get information about social problems which New Zealand has treated and studied, not only theoretically but practically—the famo of. which has gone to Europe and to France."

As the Niagara has been quarantined in Sydney, her sailing date from Auckland has been put back to January 22. +-,ti m J lay ? r of fnvercargill has decided to take _ advantage of the opportunity offered by the delay of the Niagara to secure, if possible, a visit from the French mission