The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-07-26
French Officer Pleases
Abbeville Audience
LIEUT.. VINCENT DEWIERZBICKI
TELLS OF "LA BELLE FRANCE"
AND HER PART IN WAR
Enthusiastic Audience Packs Court
House Despite Rain-Speaker's
Words Frequently Punctuated
With Applause.

Father Purvius, in his major Of
fensive against the open-air patri-
otic rally Tuesday night, was sue
cessfully repulsed at the Court
House. Despite the torrent of rain,
several hundred people attended the
lecture of Lieutenant Dewierzbicki
of the French High Commission, fill
ing the legal chamber to it's capacity.
Many were compelled to stand
throughout the evening.
The distinguished visitor, escorted
by DR.. E. J. Smith and Mr.. Wade
Harrison, of Greenwood, and Mr..
VIM. P. Greene, Chairman of the
Local Committee of the State Coun-
Gil of Defense, entered the hall ex-
actly on time, quarter after nine.
Immediately, the audience arose and
a choir of selected voices, under the
leadership of Miss Fannie Stark,
sang The Marseillaise, the French
national song. 1t was followed by
"Keep the Home Fires Burning" in
the form of a solo by Miss Stark, as
sisted by the chorus. Mr.. Greene
then introduced the speaker in a
short address of welcome. The peo-
pie of Abbeville do not cherish the
French nation solely because of its
assistance in the Revolution, he said.
For French Huguenots early set
tied in this section of the Carolinas
and many citizens of Abbevlle coun-
ty are of French descent. In fact,
Abbevlle was named after the French
city of the same name.
Lieutenant Dewierzbicki proved to
be a fluent orator of pleasing per-
sonality. Of medium height and well
developed, he presented a distin-
guished appearance with his auburn
mustachio and Poincaire beard.
Vouching his pleasure in being
among people Of French descent and
in a town with a French name, he
began by pointing out that he was
sent to talk Of France and her part
in the struggle rather than about
other phases of the war. In this
connection, he felt compelled to pre-
fix an explanation. When the
Frenchman boasts of France, he is
not necessarily conceited. Individu-
al humility is a French virtue. But
national humility is not one of his
vices. The Frenchman is proud of
his country and reserves his humili-
ty for himself alone.
First Battle of tho Marne Epochal.
Four tremendous battles have
marked the saving of the world for
civilization. Eeach time, an over
whelming barbarian aggressor has
been miraculously repulsed. The
first was the battle of Marathon, 400
B. c., when the Athenian Greeks
held back the Persian hordes under
Darius. The other three took place
on French soil. In 451 A. D., At
tia, "the scourge of God" was de-
feated and turned back on the
plains of Chalons. And in 1872 A.
D., Charles Martel and his hardy
Franks won the battle of Tours,
saving Christian civilization from
the Mohammedan invasion. How
ever none of these battles was more
important than the battle of the
Marne, 1914. For it saved the world
from the worst of civilizations, Ger
man Kultur. There, Germany lost
her feeling of invincibility. There,
the Allies gained that supreme con-
fdence, which has never since left
them.
The Battle of the Marne was won,