OUR LETTER FROM FRANCE

New Zealand Tablet, 11 September 1913, Page 43

OUR LETTER FROM FRANCE

(From our own correspondent.) ■:[' Paris/ July 15. War Preparations. All the noise in the air in France and Germany during the past spring and summer is over the increase in the number of men of their armies. The newspapers • are full of the business, and the Parliaments day after day discuss the matter—Ministers and Deputies of a conservative turn are for increase, and Socialists, Freemasons, anarchists, and revolutionists generally are against.- Strange to find revolutionists and rowdies the peace party! In Germany the Government has swamped the Socialists, and carried its complete proposals. In the divided and demoralised French, Parliament, the Prime Minister, M. Berthon, is proceeding very slowly with his ' Loi de'trois tins.' The Socialist periodicals are pouring shot and shell into his armyincrease project in the House, whilst outside, with tract and article and speech, they are trying to rouse the French youth in opposition. In fact, in several barracks mutinous riots have taken place. Though both Governments are striving to increase their armies, still both loudly proclaim: '''All is for peace; all is defensive.'. Both Governments are the victims of circumstances. The Franco-German war of 1870 left a legacy of fearful unhappiness to both countries, and, strange to say, rather more to the victorious Germans than to the defeated French. This result was foretold, in 1870, by the English diplomat, Sir Robert Morier. So it appears from his letters recently published. On August 12, 1870, Morier wrote to the Emperor William, with whom he was very friendly : The annexation of Alsace and Lorraine will constitute the greatest mistake that Germany could make.' Sir R. Morier, who knew France and Germany better than old Von Moltke or than the tricky Bismarck, was aware that the Alsaciens were more French than the French themselves, and their eyes would always be turned across the Vosges Mountains to France rather than across the Rhine to Germany. Hence ho wrote: ' The annexation will create a permanent state of armed opposition, and will render disarmament impossible.' The absorption of the two French provinces would bring no advantage whilst involving an immense annual army expenditure. But the pan-Germanising vanity and ambition of Bismarck prevailed with the old Emperor over the wisdom and fore-knowledge of Morier. Hence, Germany is today staggering, even more than France, under a huge military expenditure. In 1870, the newly established German Empire began with a credit balance. In 1913 its national debt is £244,675,000. In 1912 Germany's army and navy expenditure was £63,000,000; that is three times more.than it was even fifteen years ago. The army and navy expenditure of France is not so high, but it is very great. Its army cost France in 1911 £36,000,000, and its navy, £16,493,382. What ruin ; what a legacy of calamity the stupid ambition and obstinacy of one man can bring upon nations. One more illustration of the saying—' How little the people know the unwisdom with which they are governed!' Some Celebrations. The Feast of the Blessed Jeanne d'Arc has been celebrated this year with great splendor. In Paris the whole city, even the, commercial thoroughfares, were decorated with flowers and flags, oriflammes, and tricolors, national and Papal colors. The popular quarters of the city vied with the aristocratic in celebrating the Beatification de la grande Francaise. Several statues of the heroine were erected as meeting points for the different processionsone at Place St. Augustin, another at Place des Pyramided, a third at Place de la Concorde, etc. Forty thousand m-ani jest ants assembled before the statue in Place St. Augustin, and, having covered it with crowns of flowers, moved to other points in the city through throngs who shouted, Vive Jeanne d'Arc! Vive la France!' as the different groups constisuting the procession appeared and passed by. The military gait of the bodies of students from the faculties of law, medicine, letters, science, chemistry, and public

works, and the el&ves of over a dozen lycees and colleges! aroused' "special notice. Another procession of the . League of Patriots started from the Tuileries having" for its objective the statue of-the saint in the rue de llivoli. Several members of 'Parliament led this procession. At its head was Paul Deroulede, who crowned the,-statue with-a garland of violets exclaiming in a tone of vibrant emotion: l Gloire a Jeanne d'Arcl Vive la France !' Maurice Barres, a noted member of the Chamber of Deputies, then delivered an allocution which was received with applause. Other bodies, such as the Association of Catholic Young Men and the Cercle des Ouvriers Catholiques, held processions on" their own account. The ceremonies in the churches were particularly imposing. "Cardinal Amette, Archbishop of Paris, presided at .Notre Dame. The nave was filled by 6000 persons. Oriflammes, banners, and shields swung from galleries and pillars. The panegyric of the Bienheureuse was delivered by the Abbe Prade. St. Sulpice, Saint Honore, the Madeleine, Notre Dame des Victoires, etc., imitated or surpassed the mother Church in the exceptional solemnity of their functions, the beauty of their decorations, the number of the faithful present, and the impressiveness of the sermons. Though constant rain fell, the private houses and public buildings, as darkness came on, were illuminated on the right and the left bank of the Seine. Suddenly at 9.30 o'clock, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, on the heights of Montmarte blazed out in a maze of light with ever-changing colorsgreen, red, and white, — that the noble building appeared like some gorgeous monument in a dream. The news from the provinces shows that the provincial towns, such as Nancy, Troyes, Reims, Boulogne, Nimes, Limoges, Lyons, etc., imitated the faith and enthusiasm of the capital. After this, who would say that the Catholic Faith is dead or dying in France? It is true that here and there, as at Montpellier and Orleans, Freemasons and Socialists showed their teeth, but popular enthusiasm overwhelmed them. Frederic Ozanam. Following on the celebrations in honor of the Blessed Jeanne d'Arc came those in memory of the great Ozanam (b. 1813, d. 1853). As all know, Frederic Ozanam, a great, lawyer, a great litterateur, a great historian, but above all a great Christian, was founder of the now world-wide charitable Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Hence the conferences, where strong, have held impressive demonstrations—church functions, panegyrics, and meetings in memory of the birth (1813) of their founder. Pope Pius sent Cardinal Vannutelli from Rome to represent him at the celebration in Paris. These celebrations have been held throughout the French worldeven as far away as small towns in French Canada. The anniversary has brought out several panegyrics, and three or four 'Lives' of Ozanam. There are one or two short biographies of Ozanam in English. I dont know any reading more inspiring for a young man facing the world than the lives of Garcia Moreno, and Frederic Ozanam. Emile Zola. ■ It takes all sorts to make a world,' they say. And there are all sorts of Frenchmen. There are those who admire everything noble, unselfish, Christian, who are delighted to recall the memories of the Blessed Jeanne, of the brilliant and faithful Ozanam. There are; also those who love carnal, filthy putridity, and who consequently admire that supreme representative of the foul, in our time —Emile Zola. Of some writers of fiction it could be said— They have touched nothing which they have not adorned ; of Zola it can be said he has touched nothing which he has not defiled. Louis Veuillot went to Rome, a city which is a museum for artists, a library and treasure-house for the educated, and a sacred sanctuary for believers, and Veuillot wrote Les Par funis de Rome. Zola went to Rom© and wrote a book on his visit, which might be called Les Odeurs de Pome. Truly for some nostrils il-n'y a pas de par f urns: il n'y a que des odeurs. He went to Lourdes and over that grotto of mystery and miracle he threw the fetid air of a charnel-house. He profaned everything he touchedeven the beautiful French language of his

fathers. .- The language of Racine and Bossuet and Lacordaire, chaste as a virgin of the cloisters, clear as the water jetting from the fountains, light as a bird on the wing, became, at the end of Zola's pen, the spitting, half-drunken jargon of the slums. Yet it is this filthy-minded man whom the Third Republic has treated' as a kind of saint and hero; whose corpse it has placed in the Pantheon, and in whose honor a celebration was held the other day in, the Cafe du Globe. About three hundred of the illuminated assembled to honor the glorious memory. They invited one of our present-day leaders in what is called the Paris literary world to deliver the hero's panegyric Anatole France. The comical point was M. A. France has never tired of pouring out his contempt for Zola. Still, he came to this celebration; the victuals and wine were, no doubt, good and exhilarating, and the orator exalted 'that great writer who had devoted his life to accusing triumphant crime,' and so on. Such, the consistency of our modern sceptical writers and leaders! But who would look for consistency and principle among sceptics ? With them it is caprice, the humor or expediency of the moment. The French people then are divided into two classes admirers of Ozanam and of the Blessed Jeanne d'Arc, and the admirers of Emile Zola. But it takes all sorts to make a world. Let us have patience. Stanislaus Mugwana. Truly it depresses one to read of our brave three hundred 'supermen,' leaders in modern civilisation and progress of the most advanced type, assembling to honor a creature like Zola. But life has its consolations. Here is perfume from the —wafted from the distant desert of Ouganda in Africa. The White Fathers have been laboring in Ouganda now for over a quarter of a century, and they have made many converts among the native tribes. One of these converts is Stanislaus Mugwana, who has recently received the Cross of the Order of St. Sylvester from Pope Pius X. Stanislaus is one of the three regents governing his kingdom for the young native king, Daodi, a minor, travelling at present in Europe. Stanislaus is a man of high intelligence, well instructed in the Christian religion, and of most exemplary life. Since his Baptism in 1885, he has come, in the early morning, to the church to make his meditation when the missionaries are making theirs. Then he hears "Mass, receives Communion, and makes his thanksgiving during.a second Mass. He waits for the instruction, if one is given to the neophytes. Then he returns home or to the public offices to carry on his day's work. No wonder that he is admired by all the natives and Europeans, and that they were delighted to hear that he had been honored by the great White Father of Christendom. A Little French Girl Writes to the Pope. The Univers publishes a touching letter sent by a little French girl to the Holy Father. She wrote two copies, and placed one under a little statue of St. Joseph in her room. She no doubt wished St. Joseph to take charge of the one sent to Rome. The letter ended thus: Great Holy Father, bless my grandfather, who has reared me he loves the good God and you also; bless my grandmother and my mother and me. Whilst awaiting your answer, if you be so good as to write to me, I beg your pardon for troubling you, and I send you my sincere and respectful love.—Aimee.' The letter was addressed: ' Entirely private, for our Holy Father, Pope Pius X., Rome.' A little note was added on the envelope, 'Praying Mr. V'car-General MeriderVal (sic) to give this letter to the Holy Father, quite, quite alone. ' The reply from the Pope was the first hint the grandparents had of the audacity of their little grand-daughter. No doubt the astonished grandfather, who received all the blessing asked for, thereupon took little Aimee and gave her a caning.