24 JUNE 1943, Page 14

FRENCH IN ENGLISH SCHOOLS

Sut,—I have been reading with interest the letter on " French in English . Schools " in your June 18th number. It is encouraging to read of the improvement in suds work at the present time, for it must have been sadly lacking- in old days—vide the story of that Duke of Buckingham, Who when Governor of Madras, paid a visit to Pondicherry and, being anxious to ingratiate himself with his French-speaking .audience, com- menced his address in that language by referring to his period as a Minister of the Government in England by saying, "Quand (etas dans le Cabinet en Angleterre . . .," which .was hardly the position which his Anglo-French oration intended -to infer! Nor was the British soldier more successful in France when wishing to buy some butter for the officers' mess said, " Modotn, voulez vans me Bonner du beurre pour la messe?" and received the answer—"Ah, mon Dieu, guelle religion! " —Yours faithfully, J. HANBURY WILLIAMS. „Henry III Tower, Windsor Castle.