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Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 44, Issue 13518, 15 April 1918, Page 3
A FRENCH HERO.
M. GUILLAUX'S CAREER.
MR VIGOR BROWN'S STATEMENT CHALLENGED.
Speaking in tho House of Representatives on Wednesday evening, Mr J. Vigor Brown (Napier) declared that they had Germans still in high positions in this country, still in high positions in the .Government. An ordinary carpenter or labourer was promptly put on tho island, but a German who had married a British, woman was allowed freedom. He cited the caso of tho airman, Maurice Guillot (Guillaux), 1 who had been much foted in Australia, and had been the first man to loop the loop there. Along with an Australian girl, whom ho passod off as his wife, Guillot had been photographed with the vice-regal party, but when, tho war broke out he had vanished. Subsequently ho served with tho French airmen, but was v discovered to be a German spy and was shot. In Australia ho had pretended to bo a Frenchman, but he could speak English well, except that ho spoke it with a German accent. In reference to the abovo statement, a Mastorton resident writes aa follows:—
"The rumour repeated by Mr J. Vigor Brown regarding tho French aviator Quillaux having been shot as a spy ie absolutely unfounded, and will cause feelings of resentment in the hearts of all Frenchmen. The aviator 'played tho game' right through. It is rumours of this kind that will do more towards driving a wedge between the. British and French than, all tho Hindenburgs or Ludondorffs. Tho Tumour which has been repeated by the member for Napier was deniod some time ago, and it is to bo deplored that statemonts are still made which reflect upon tho honour of a dead hero. I attach a clipping from a recent Australian nowspaper which I happened to have by mo, and trust that when Mr Brown reads the paragraph he will immediately, from the. floor of tho House, show a true British spirit by rotracting tho statement mado about M. Guillaux. Tho paragraph roads as follows: "Tho story recently widely published that the "French aviator, Guillaux, -who carried the first aerial mail from Molbourno to Sydney, was shot as a German spy, has been donied by Francis ,Luks, an Australian aviator, who has just returned from the front. 'They are wicked slanders, says Luks, 'for Guillaux, ono of tho most brilliant aviators who ever flow, spent threo years in tho most porilous service of'all, that of testing flying machines. As a flier he was a wonder, and it was extraordinary that ho lived so long. But at last he was killed at his work.