In Invaded France

Horowhenua Chronicle, 2 December 1916, Page 2

In Invaded France

« HARDSHIPS OF RESIDENTS. SERVITUDE AND PLUNDER. ' A story of the hardships of the inhabitants of invaded France is toldi by a Lausanne correspondent, who secured his information from a person who j succeeded in leaving the north of>-. France, and lias taken refuge in Switzerland. In the invaded departments of Northeru Fiance, even more than in Belgium, the misery is heartrending. It extends everywhere like a great epidemic, and in all the occupied districts the inhabitants see themselves, little by little, despoiled of all by the invaders. Nevertheless, many of the inhabitants consider themselves fortunate not to be separated from their families and transported to Germany, where the lack of employment is making itself more and more felt. \ Lite is practically the same in all the towns of the "north, and the unhappy inhabitants are everywhere subjected to the severest forms of servitude. The Germans have already extracted from the occiipiedi districts all that they were able to;"and to-day there is practically nothing more to take. Every inhabitant "over 50 years of age is obliged to carry a car:! of identity with his photograph and his signature. On the card are written the fines and the punishments inflicted by the commandantur. In the hall of each private house, and in the corridors of the working-men's dwellings, are hung up lists bearig. the ! names, ages, and occupations of all the occupants. Members of the military poF.ce pay visits at. any moment— , , at night for perference—and brutally check the lists. AMERICAN COMMITTEE'S EIFFORTS. Generally speaking, there s no want of work, especially for those who caji render .services to the army of occupation; but the price of all necessary of life is so exorbitant that, even when

tie to earn sufficient. In many districts there would bo a famine but for the American Committee of Succour, which .renders a marked seivice to the Germans by relieving them of the feed in,g of a -good portion of the civi.l population. The German army requisitions all the products of the earth and of industry, and the civilians would die of hunger without the American help, which procures for them 'indispensable articles, at least, at reasonable prices.. The task of tiie American Committee is often difficult. The Germans, instead of recognising loyally the service which it renders, places vexatious obstacles in its way. Very often it happens that the unhappy inluibi ants, haVng been able to procure f-om« provisions from the committee, find themselves deprived of them by tiie German soldiers quartered upon them or see the provisions seized by the G rmnn authorities, who despatch them to Germany. At uVletz, in partf.cular, numerous Gorman dealers, with tiie help of the military motor transport service,, were furnished with provisions corning from towns and villages of the Wbevre and of the 13 ass in de Uriey, French Lorraine, which had been delivered by the American Committee to the inhabitants, from whom they had been taken by the German authorities. PROHIBITIVE FOOiD PRICES. The only money to be found in Lille consists of bonds of the City of Lille, isued by the municipality, which continues its work as best it may under the German stick. The bonds are of all vallien from 10 Centimes to 100 francs. The rich riihnbitants still find some luxuries in the way of food, for which tliey pay an onormous price. Beef is sold at fioft lis to Ms 6d lb. Pork fetches Os; potatoes about Is Cd flour costs about £20 to £22 'lOts a sack , English. Rice alone, thanks to the American Comite de Secours, can be obtained at a reasonable price, and it forms the principal nourishment of the po.-;r class, wlvcb is becomming moro and more numerous. Vegetables cannot be found, for the fields have been thoroughly despoiled by the German soldiers. The same remark applies t# 1 fruit. The German soldiers at .Lille .are lodged with the inhabitants. Sometimes they speak confidentially of their weariness, their de-ire for peace, arid" of the anxiety and sufferings of. the population in Germany. Discontent and depression are particularly observable among the men of the reserve and of young troops. Executions of soldiers refusing to obey orders or to go to the trenches havi become very frequent and are known to the inhabitants and to the soldiers, in spite of the pains taken by the German authorities to keep them secret.