FRENCH TRIBUTE TO ENGLAND

Southland Times, Issue 17877, 5 September 1918, Page 6

FRENCH TRIBUTE TO ENGLAND

“A GIGANTIC IMPROVISATION.” STIRRING SPEECH BY M. PAUL DESCHANEL. In the latest “Nouvelles pour Francais a I’Etranger ’ (nows for the French among strangers) appears a report of a-strikingly fine speech delivered by M. Paul Deschanel, Speaker of the French Chamber of Deputies, on British Empire Day (May 241, at the Sorbonnc, Paris, in the presence of a vast audience, which included the English Ambassador and military representatives of all the Allies. Speaking of the English race, the popular French orator said:— “Wo have here a people great in their power of judgment and conception, but great, above all, in their granite steadfastness of purpose; a people who, after having established their own civil and political freedom, stand to day as the rampart of European liberty; a people who have carried civilisation across the farthest seas, among savage races under unknown stars, who, with Shakespeare, have sounded the utmost depths of man, with Bacon have reconstructed philosophy, and with Newton have , discovered the laws of the universe.” After a passing reference to the ancient Franco-British rivalry, which he characterised as ‘‘a wretched anachronism, the mere recounting of which could give satisfaction only to those who in IS7O-7I dismembered France,” the speaker continued: “At length, at the beginning of the twentieth century—May 2, 1903, to be precise—there came a prince of clear vision, a , man of .experience and fine wisdom, King | Edward VII.. who spoke the words so new j and yet so welcome to a meeting of the ■ British Chamber of Commerce in Paris, say- , ing, ‘The friendship of the two countries , (France and England) is the object of my ! continual solicitude.’ He came to us with ; hands held out, not actuated by a spirit j of hostility and aggression towards Oer- ! many, hut only mindful of the growing j ambition which she (Germ any! no longer tried to coiwcnl, For at A'xfla-Chanelle on June 20. 1092. Emperor William 11. said; | ‘ !t is to the empire of the world that Gcr- ; man genius aspires. And in that statement j he interpreted tire desire of -all Germans. ; poets, philosophers, statesmen, warriors, econ- j omists. and profe-sor-. In January, 1907, j on the morrow of the Reichstag elections, i taking up the famous words of B'smarck, | ‘ Germany knows how to ride on horseback ! when she likes.' Emperor ’ William cried j aloud. ‘ Not only shall she rid.e on horseback, but we shall beat down on our way , every obsfarle that opposes us.’ He further , minted from the verses of Klcist (a German ( poet) | 1 What matters it to us the rules By which our enemy is beaten down, So that he helpless lies at our feet; Ho and all his. standards!’ And, he added, ‘ The art of beating uown j we have learnt, and we burn with desire ' to practice it still!’ And in January. 1909, he gave before ell Germany the most resounding approbation to the article written Iby the Comamndcr-in-Chief. Major General von Schlieffen. entitled, ‘The Treaty of Frankfort is only a Truce!' “AH Germans' cherish the same evil dream of Germany dominating the work* ‘Deutschland über Alles.’ And yet neither England nor Fiance realised the peril. Because English Ministers did everything to maintain peace they thought to avoid war. The memoirs of Prince Lichnowsky prove | with what conciliatory. not to say friendly, j feeling (hey were animated towards Berlin i right to the eve of the outbreak of war. ! R is therefore mockery to pretend, as the I Germans do. that any nation meditated their : downfall. Britain was entirely given up to 1 industrial and commercial pumuits. She ! was governed by the most pacific of men , | she had an army of 150.000 men. But 1 Berlin, soon convinced her that Geimanj 1 was still the land of Frederick and Bismarck, thr homo of the invaders of Silesia and ! forgers of the Kins dispatch. She replied I to the courteous procedure of British Minis--1 ters by cutting Britain to the quick, by | eiining at her heart. Soon she added to I (hose ‘proud’ memories the murder of Miss 1 Gavcll. Then was accomplished the prodi- | gious marvel lhat we have met to glorify i to-day, that gigantic improvisation we hold lout- -not for imitation, for a like miracle cannot be accomplished twice —but to the admiration of the centuries. . . . NevertheI less, Germany has united France and Britain, j not’ only for the terms of the war, but for I ever, as the following omen clearly indii cates: Before the war there Was in the belfry of Calais a famous peal of Flemish bells. On the face of the clock that looked out from ho'ow the bells were two cavaliers represent inr- Henry VIII of England and Francois I of France. As the hours struck the two figures exchanged tilts of the lance, the number of thrusts corresponding with the hour -struck. A German shell struck the historic adversaries, and pul an end to theii lone combat for ever. ‘That is the only shell that ever showed any sense of humour,’ said a Frenchman, who did not lack it.