Sydney

M. Mansard

Brutally Assaulted in Sydney

ON New Year’s Day, in Sydney, an extraordinary incident befell Com mandant Edmond Mansard, lately Governor of French Oceania, and recently in Sydney as a member of the Pacific Copra Conference.

When he arrived in Sydney. Com mandant Mansard identified himself closely with the Free France movement, and was much in the company of M.

Brenac, who lately has become the offi cial representative of Frenchmen in Sydney. M. Mansard proposes to go on, presently, to New Caledonia. He is now in Auckland.

According to “Sunday Sun”, M. Man sard was walking in the Botanical Gar-

dens, on New Year’s Day, admiring the flowers, when a stranger approached and spoke to him.

“The man asked me for something, which I did not understand,” said M.

Mansard. “When I replied in French that I did not understand the question he became hostile.

“Suddenly, this man hits me on the eye. I fall, and get up. Then he hits me again. Once more I fall, and this time my left arm is broken.”

M. Mansard said that no attempt was made to rob him. He called a taxi and was taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where he was treated. Afterwards he returned to his hotel.

The police were notified, but so far have not succeeded in tracing the assailant.

The incident has some remarkable features.

It has been suggested that the assail ant mistook the Cross of Lorraine (emblem of Free France), which M.

Mansard was wearing, for a swastika.

But the Lorraine Cross does not in the least resemble the “double cross”.

Another and more likely explanation, is that the assailant was drunk, and mistook M. Mansard for an Italian.

M. Mansard, an old comrade of Gen eral de Gaulle, was living in Tahiti when M. de Gery resigned the governorship in August last, and he was induced to accept the office. He resigned in Octo

ber, however, on the grounds of ill health. In December, by arrangement with the New Zealand Government, he proceeded to Sydney to represent the French Pacific Colonies at the Copra Conference.

Photograph of M. Mansard after the assault. —Block by courtesy of “Sunday Sun.”