WAR DAYS IN LILLE.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 March 1919, Page 5

WAR DAYS IN LILLE.

A CITY OF THE DEAD

OUTWITTING THE GERMANS

Lille has (a peculiar aspect. It is a city of the dead, a city of ghosts, wrote a correspondent at the close of last year. The people have a jaundiced and spectral look; they look like ja. population of caretakers, who have lost all colour by living in the dark. At any sudden noise they start as if awakening from a dream. The doors of Lille have no handles, even the electric fittings have been (taken away; and the wood was taken out of the mattresses. These are small things. A considerable part of the town is in ruins; but the destruction of houses was not systematic; it was due to a great explosion of German (ammunition near the Porte de Douai, which wrecked that quarter, and to other causes more or less accidental.

The Germans, as I have already said, did not seek to destroy Lille as a city; what they did was to destroy its key industries, and to wring it like a wet cloth until (they had squeezed the hast franc, the last kilo of wool of cotton, and copper out of its wretched inhabitants. Their system of exactions and requisitions was well calculated to. breah the spirit as well as the purse of this gretat ancient and rich city. Half of the population of Lille have been in gaol. The Germans organised a system of spies and denunciations which encircled the inhabitants like a net. One well-known citizen told me that iie had a' collection of over 200 posteis. all threatening the people with severe penlaltios, up to ( a fine of 30.000 francs or a long trm of ira : prisonment. if they did not declare something or other. Independently of the re qnisitions, gang% of from 15 to 20 men went from house to house searching for hidden goods. Once he had a mason in to make an alteration in his cellars. The Germans c(ame to know of it at once, and his house was immediately visited and searched.

AN INNKEEPER'S PIGEON. Yet it was wonderful how people contrived to outwit their oppressors. An innkeeper of Tourcoing told me with pride that before the war he was the greatest fancier of homing pigeons in that part of the world. He kept a large flock, some of which he had flown from Paris, from Lyons, from Madrid. All through the occupation he kept most of these pigeons alive in an attic. If they had been discovered these pigeons would certainly have cost him his life. He liiad put all his copper down a well—and had saved it also.

Mr William Loos, a Nottingham lace manufacturer, who had lived in Lille throughout, told me many curious stories of the occupation. One of the most curious concerned the Lille newspaper, ‘‘La Depeehe et le Nouvclliste, ” which has its offices in the Rue Nationale. When the Germans entered Lille the proprietor hid a large store of paper and his principal printing machines behind la. false wall which he built across part of the underground printing establishment. The Germans took possession of the place, and requisitioned such machinery and paper as were visible, but did not suspect the wlall. One dav, however, the Germans, who were

using the office for some purpose or oilier, fold the proprietor that they must enlarge the underground accommodation. and the German in charge, lapping with his cane the false wall, staid: ‘“Thai wall must go. I shall send workmen to remove it to-mor-row. ’ ’ A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT. The proprietor’s hair rose on his head, for he knew that when his cache was discovered he would be punished with terrible severity. At his wits’ end to know what to do he wetn to friend, a well-known member of the Chamber of Commerce. His friend pondered for a moment. “There is nothing else for it,” he said. “I must denounce you.” The friend wont straight to the German officer in charge of the requisition. “I have come to toil yon,” he said, “of an important discovery I have made. I know where' a large quantity of very valuable stuff has been hidden. I propose to inform you —but upon one condition only—that you do not punish the man who has hidden it.”

The German pressed him close to

The German pressed him to disclose what he knew. He refused. They asked him if it was really valuable to them. He replied, very. At last they gave him in writing the pledge for which he had asked, and he took them to the very wall the other German officer had decided to destroy. “Knock down that wall,” he said, and you will find a large store of machinery and paper.” The wall was being knocked down when the other German o;ccr came in. The two compared notes. They discovered they had been tricked, and wore furious, but were compelled to

respect the written guarantee, and the proprietor escaped punishment.

THE ENGLISH COLONY

Lille, as I need hardly say, had a considerable English colony. Fawcett told me that no less than 117 English families were left in Lille during the war. They were treated by the Germans with peculiar bruatlity. Thus, for example, Mr James Walker, the British Consul at Lille, was deported to Germany. I have since met Mr. Walker in Paris: he is 58 years of age, and his health has been completely broken by the treatment he received. e told rile that he was taken away from (Lille pn [November 17, 1914. His fellow consuls protested, and the American Consul suggested to von Gaevcrnitz that ho was taking upon himself a very heavy responsibility. “The Master covers all,” von Gaevnernitz replied^

Mr .Walker was first taken to Giessen in Hesse, where his hair was cropped close, and he was set to work to clean windows and sweep the yard. He was also drilled in the military, salute, so that he might minister to the pride of the German officers. He was then taken iSo Wittcnburg where he saw Sir Roger Casement and some Irish prints from Rome vainly endeavouring to induce the Irish prisoners to enlist against England. From there he went to Ruhlebei sr. d was ultimately exchanged; ba; not before the cold, the wet and the hardships of his prison life had destroyed his health.