ANGLO-FRENCH FETES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19300, 29 September 1932, Page 2

ANGLO-FRENCH FETES

NEW INVASION OF HASTINGS Many visitors from France took part lin the Anglo-French fetes held at Hastings. At a banquet given by the Mayor, a welcome to the French visiters was eloquently expressed by Lord Ebbisham. who spoke on behalf of Lord Derby, the president of the United Associations of Great Britain and France, under whose auspices the fetes are organised. Lord Ebbisham said that the episodes in the pageant at Battle Abbey representing the invasion of Sussex in 1066 must arouse sympathies w'ith France, which had suffered three invasions during the last one hundred years. He said that France and Great Britain recognised their moral responsibility to defend the life and liberty of the new Europe against further invasion in the future, and that close co-opera-tion between the two nations, who combined in time of war, was just as necessary in time of peace He added that as a member for ten years of the House of Commons he was particularly interested in the personal relation between the parliamentarians of France and Great Britain, and thought it imperative that the leaders in both countries should know each other personally. He therefore welcomed the work of the Parliamentary Committee of the United Associations of Great Britain and France, which was started over five years ago by Lord Derby and Sir George Hennessy. In proposing the toast of “France.” Lord Ebbisham said that no one had done more in a spirit of complete unselfishness and loyalty to promote friendship between the two countries than the French Ambassador. M. de Fleuriau responded to the toast, and expressed his delight at these gatherings between representatives of his own country and of Great Britain. A I reception was held yesterday mom- ' ing at the Hastings Town Hall, at 1 which there were present representa- ! tives of Rouen, Calais, Boulogne, Le I Touquet, and Falaise. Amongst others attending the fetes are Prince Soomi batof. the Marquis de la Rochetoulon I et Gerente. the Comte de Kerdel, M. ; Bouquet of the Association Francej Grande Bretagne, Sir Stanley Johnson, M. Cartier, the Mayor of Folkestone, and the late Mayors of Brighton, I Folkstone, and Huddersfield.