LIFE IN FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 229, 15 June 1918, Page 8

LIFE IN FRANCE

COURAGE IN THE SHADOWS

WAR IS WAR!

. I lived in Paris through the hard winter of 11)16-17 and afterwards-then. 1 was six months in England, now 1 am here, for u time at all events," siid Madame Mclaine Primmer, a French lady who has spent the greater part of her lite in England, yet who loves her I'rauce and feels keenly its troubles. Madame Primmer is the wife of Captain l'rimiaer, formerly a Government veterinary surgeon in i\ow Zealand, who was killed in the memorable Battle of Messiiies a year ago. lie was behind the lines among Uie horses during tho nunderslorm which rnged during the Imltle, and he and niuo others were slruck by lightning. Captain Primmer di«l-lhe others were paralysed. Still, MUamc l'riiimier's knowledge of JNew Zealand is restricted. Being three-pans I'leneh, she went to Paris when her husband wentjo tho war, and bus much to say about the condition of life in that beautiful city. "England is one thing—France is another. Mere-why you don't know Inures a war oil," sud Madame himmer. "In England there are indications here and there, and (he food is in short supply. it is purposely made diliicult lor ii person lu eat well. But if you want lo" know what war is—go to France. Ton will not perhaps be sorry to get away again, but whilst you are there sights will be burnt into your brain that can never be effaced. There, w.ir is a stark horror, and when its miseries bile home in the dead of a bitter winter some idea of human eutt'erine. of the subliinilv of human endurance, may be gathered. Here, you have your Bed Cross (as wo have), your I.M.C.A. and Ued Jersey, and sailors, but poor Paris! One of the greatest troubles arises out of the south of refugees from the invaded districts. The men from such parts have long since been sent off to the war, and sometimes get no chance to get back to their homes or farms, so w/ien the Germans come on the women aml_ children and old people have either to fly before the enemy in the best way they can, but mostly' on foot, or stay and f.ice the ruthless brutality and slavery Unit the linn inflicts, bne of our first charities in Paris ,is to feed -and him I'loines for llioso poor refugees, who simply have nothing. In their flight away iroui the awful guns, families become separated, and, moving by instinct, follow different roads and becomo lost to one another in the confusion which cannot bo restored'to order. Think of the agony of mind of the mother parted from her little ones; of tho little ones breaking their hearts in despair at losing their mothers. Sisters parted from each other—old couples torn apart by the vicissitudes of this hateful, cruel war. Outside the big railway stations you will fc'ee long lists, of people's names and ad-drcs.-.es (these, tou, are sold in the streets, where people looking for their, relatives and friends may perchance find them in this rough-nml-rendy register. All refugees are. asked lo register, so that they may be able to get together and help one another. The greater number of these people are in rags, and are without a penny, and many scenes of piteous anxiety and heart-break may be seen if one watches the. motley crowd near the lists. Then they have to be foil, and meals are provided for them at huge places under the main stations. England knows nothing of that—perhaps the moot terrible aspect of the war. Then thero are the orphans—the thousands of orphan children whose fathers have given iiip their lives for their country, and whose mothers are missing or incapable of looking after them. They have lo be cared tor, and in that direction the Sisters of various religious orders du great work. Then there is a system of training the young girls from ten to fifteen to 'mother' the little ones, one girl undertaking to look after three or lour toddlers lor an entire day, and another girl lakes her place the next day. There is no time or opportunity for anyone to play in France.

"In the hard winter 1 was ihere wood was unobtainable —it was all needed to keep the men alive 'in the frozen trenches. Coal! 1 have seon a long linn of sitivwing people waiting patiently for hours for what?—a parcel of 101b. of coal.

"Of coulee, hospitals were everywhere —the wounded, tiie maimed, the halt, the blind, oil had to he attended to. Yet as .soon as a convalescent soldier became strong enough he was sent out to work. Anyone requiring workers had to apply to the Mayor with a description of the wjrk required to be done, ami the denuimU would be forwarded on to'tlie, big military hospitals. Even the grounds of clis hospitals in and around the city were used for growing vegetables. That reminds me of food. When 1 was there we were better -jff for food than they were in England, probably owing to the French style of cooking— co much can be done with vegetables, and they were plentiful. Then as the convalescents grow stronger they. were 'put to work in various ways, and so successful weru they that great national industries were being founded by soldier labour—potteries, brasswork, basketware, cabinet-making, and even lace and bead.vorlc. The sick soldiers in bed, not even in a convalescent stage, often take up lace and fine beadwork [which is very be-'uitii'ul and expensive). You see them with a big basket of their work beside them, working out wonderful designs, or perhaps falling asleep over thnir' work to dream uneasily of other battles. Toys, too, they are making, to replace the German trash. "Tho work of our surgeons has been so very wonderful that the world will be enriched by their heroic work and end-Ic-s resource. Our surgeons are belter than the English, but our nurses are not so good, so careful, as the English. The soldiers say that tho English, girls make the best' nurses. I don't . know why it is—but a different class of girl tr.kes an interest in nursing in France. In Paris there is a society of ladies whose-mission is to look alter and entertain tho maimed. I saw one day a lady walking? along with three poor maimed fellows. It was that lady's duty to look after those three men-they were just big babies in their helplessness— for a few hours every day. It was a common sight to see three men sitting on a seat in the boulevards with three legs only between them; and an idea that is fostered is for the maimed to help one another. So a man without a leg or arm, or both, would bo seen guiding ono who lias lost his sight. "The fashionable work for the young ladies of Paris is to assist in tho canteens for, soldiers that exist all over Paris. I thought I would like to helpj but when I offered my services I was told that it would cost me equal to 30s. a week, and as I could not atlord that amount I did not help at a canteen, line hospitals existed everywhere. There were seve'ral at Versailles and at bt. Cloud, whilst the French-Canadians had several fine institutions. Of course, the art galleries at the Louvre and at Versailles have been dismantled, and the pictures are all stored in deep vaults, so that it is impossible to see the great pictures now, and many of the soldier visitors'arc disappointed, but it cannot btf helned-war is war. You will understand that Paris is always swarming with soldiers of all kinds-soldiers on leave, convalescents, soldiers moving up to the front, soldiers on loan for the harvest, and summer or winter you will sec them lying around by the thousand in (he big stations waiting to push on to their destinations—and all the time tho heart of Paris beats Round. The people do not mind the bombs—they are there to see it llirnugli to tho last. man.

"Knowing what I do you can imagine my profound astonishment at the attitude of your Government over this proposal to raise a. little money for the Trench people. Some people say: Where would F.rsuiro be to-day but for British intervention? Very good. T say: Where would England be to-day but for Trench valour and doggeduess? We are all in (his for what we are worth. The French ;ito poor people compared to what they are in New Zealand—but they have valour, and do their 'devoirs' to honour and chivalry, and why should not, you good people in New Zealand .civo a little of. your nlenty to our starving funds in Paris?"