PARIS IN WAR TIME.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 62, 13 March 1915, Page 13

PARIS IN WAR TIME.

T'Star" lady Correspondent) 7 PARIS, January 19.. . ONCE MORE GAT. ■ Xo: city in-Europe felt the blight of the war so-quickly as Paris: Its entire life, appearance and atmosphere changed on that unforgettable afternoon, Saturday, "August 2nd, 1914, when mobilisation was declared. ' But Paris "•■" the gay, the frivolous, the sparkling, is rapidly getting to be itself again." Now, while '■ other cities are. becoming'slowly, more and more sombre over the war tragedy, Parjo is slowly picking up, hot by any sudden leaps and bounds, but- day by day. Shops arid hotels arc being opened daily. Streets and:' boulevards are almost crowded asvthoy were in the good.' old days before this horror came upon: us; and traffic generally has become once .more so.numerous.that you take' your life in your' hands -when .you want to : cross the boulevards. MODIFIED AMUSEMENTS. '■ At one 'time there were only a-few cinemas open along the boulevards, and at night all was still as death. Many of the pretty actresses became Red Cross nurses, and are now at the front; some, alas;'have already given their lives for ** La--EatrieiL_Those who. remained: behind wear Red Cross badges. Now the Moulin Rouge is open" again, and though toned down' a-' little, it yet has its feckless review of Parisian femininity for the delectation of visitors—Parisians: rarely visiting such places: As for the Opera, and the Opera Comique, these- and some of, the other theatres have been giving occasional ■' performances", classical and patriotic pieces, with -part of the-re-ceipts advertised for the benefit" of the wounded soldiers." All these representations have been crowded. As for the [rest of the theatres, they, are still closed, land are likely to remain so until -the last .German leaves French soil. I,- Ml 7 "77" .-. I ".. A ZEPPELJN SCARE. i. The! steps taken to reduce the intensfifcy of the street-lighting in Paris, as a precaution against hostile aircraft which jmay'escape the fire of the French guns, | have put. a damper on Parisian, spirits. This "is to be rendered more effective by ! a corresponding reduction in the lighting of -private houses,' shops, factories and I establishments open to the public. This fear 4ft Zeppelin 'raids has caused- the hysterical, authorities to shut off : the [light at night. Tia too had. We are told to close our house window shutters,; to draw close our curtains, and to shut j Ourselves up ■ generally. And all thiß, because the 'Germans are reported '■■to he building Zeppelins to make a raidon I this-poor city., Surely wei .have had "our share!: ~ > ' ~. | 7 - THE WO GTNDED. . 'Most of the wounded, soldiers. in^hosI pital have been, stray bnllets.whJle fin the-trenches. ;Veiy few 'have, been wounded in hand-to-hand conflictj'though i a few of the TurcOs~ and : have received bayonet - wounds ■■ as j . a; re^ [suit of charges against the German Some ;'«f the most": desperate " nienvrho were-terribly shocked by shells which exploded hear rthein.; One" private, poor fellow, was hit in the hack, and ia paralysed in consequence. THE 'QUEER SBNEGAXESE. "Talking-of the -Senegalese; the medical staff of the? hospitals where these 'men are' being eared for have'been obliged to do"away with the female nursing staff, replacing them by male nurses. These i Senegalese have not "been accustomed-to [having women care'ibr them, and tame ! after time they have bitten and 'scratched at the nurses" whp'have tried ito help them! ".At times tfiey will.slip | down beneath^"the" bedclothes, viand-;—* : there all day, absolutely refusing to have j their wounds touched.- It is hot a 1 cowjiardly. spirit, for in; every'case • I hotica |the- Senegalese bear their' wounds with "much courage and fortitude. ' ' '■ ' •. SO-PIERS DRIVEN MAP. Insanity-land; neirvo-s prostration arc claiming large, numbers of the soldiers, and especially of the-German soldiers, who Have lain for weeks under fire in the flooded trenches about Ypres. The insanity wards in the Paris military hospitals are filled to overflowing, and a)] the hospitals have many patients : wh"e suffered, absolute, nervous collapse,'.and have been sent back-to Paris for treatment. T::witnessed a sad , sight , ;th« other day, when :the: ambulance--traiii arrived at the Garedu'Nord. After the first carriages-had.been emptied ofthe usual'".;wounded" contingency;'-a "special 'carriage, with drawn"blinds,'and painter? entirely in grey,' drew at 'theplat form."-All • the' walls were ■. padded -from roof to floor.:. This "carriage had? heei reserved for those who, in the -terrible battle around Ypres, y in the mud ■ anil cold, amidst the thundering of the can non, and- the rain of mitrailleuses, had lost their; reason. - Many of : them were weeping,: spine were " laughing,"'other! were- howling their: despair.•'.'■■ Poor wretched beings, for -riStom -Death/has no:.use, and for whom Destiny has "re served a fate more cruel than deatl itself!.; v :-7 EIGHT FOR SOU VEHIRS. Down at Vincennes T met a eheerfu soldier who had.returned for a greatlj needed .rest. He'still-hobbled afrit; bu he,isgoing to rejoin his" regiment in i day or two. "What he really remember* of the fight on the Aisne is his subse quenia quarrel with hi 3 nuise—goodies* knows- where! She - extracted, the biil let," and "claimed it as,a fiist bullet she had ever taken.out. Thi patient demanded it as the first bulle he had. ever taken in, and in the friendl; bout the nurse won. She had the bullet " Said a 7 British : Tommy to; mc onl: yesterday, "We have to look sharp]; after our badges, or- .they would eooi be gone, Yesterday, when I was sittin; having.a coffee I felt : hand on my shoulder, and turned roiini to face a girl; who asked; mc very charm ingly for one of my'stars as a. souvenir A DRAMATIC CEREMONY. . The first French court in the recoh quered. territory of Thann,. Alsace, was installed last week. The simple cere jmony was dramatic. The Court' was crowded with girls in picturesque Alsatian | tian costumes,; and old men who hat | waited forty bddyears for the day whei France should return to Alsace. The Court-room was. silent until the guarc [of honour of Dragoons* posted back o; the dais drew their sabres at the won of command from their officers.. Anothe: officer then entered the room, advance* to the judge's desk, and in solemn tone! I proclaimed: "In the name of.theFrencl people——"..the ;low soboing of an ole Alsatian, unable to restrain his motion [interrupted the officer, hut after a shor <(" : -'-■-■ 7 7-'- 77.. 77 , '. ' : ; ■-.. 7. 7,,; \..777:- . '7. .-: . :77

; . janse,,he continued:;" -^—t :*nd' by;" vi rt ije )f the instructions of the_ General com:, sanding tKe'Firit %Tmy, we declare -M. —7—y Judge of Thann, with jurisdiction," ;tc..That. ./was all.- -The-»young- : peo'p'e rushed cheering but • into the -streets, BvhJle" the old men remaiiiedlfpf.'a; while in \ tn cir places;jn quiet ecstasy,. -...:,'-'.:. : "' . -■ ' - I attended, yesterday, the funeral ofa Ked:Cr*oss':nurse,'a young French girl from a rural/tpjvh¥ear~Paris. 'ibis -girl,' at. tlie' ..the" war; was-liviu3 in..a happy home-with hef ; .mother, arii four Frotliws", Tiese la>t, who had couipletcd "their .mUitary .seryice,,.were- thobi-? 1 bred.;.in; August,, and.'later," the sistas. joined ;the Red Crossi'.Herve'cy pifeieflea in. the.ward.seemed to scatter, sunshntoi One! day-,' a suxgieil - instrument" was heeded froni the field hospital.- Thl» --' '7 little nurse at once, volunteered" <or th* job. She started.at once ba -horseback* alone. , An occasional rifle-shot. guided .- her on the route-she was to go." • -£&- ..-_;'7 rode, looking-neither to. right nor. lei'ti when suMenly, at the end of » trench, her horse baulked. There • before" her eyes in a heap lay the mangled forni3 of .soldiers, some in khaki and-some in red.. She turned her lioise and galloped away froni.thisvvalley of death.': -She thought she "-was taking "a'short "route'tos the field hospital, but. she had made.; a" inistake-and lost her "way ;;and "\vaß~ -.- approaching nearer the -danger, zone; l'>oni_the protection of a.wocided'space she tuimed into an open-field-and'"-sne r ••.;'.' rode forward till she vva3 stritrifc by" si •bitllet.: Instead-of falling, she cliing to the saddle and "rode" onto the hospital v camp." There "it she." vras mortaljly wounded, hut before she died she told the incidents X have given here: On the following day herbody wastaken to'her country home, and we heard that" neAvs,had_.come,to..the niotherof tbe death :of her four:sohs. a lons weary way to .the cemetery. - ;Arotuid thegrave a little group were-gatheredy At one end stood-the-priest,-and next - the coffin was the mother. was draped .in- the tricolour - France, and on the-lid: were the .Red , ;Gross Brassards. The-flowers'were of: the commonest variety,' but "their :sim> | plicity was as it should be. Meh; oi-the; I .little"., company passed, by in line; -.and.'-theire-were one-or two: British-uniforms ■present. . It-was all very solemn and-sad; the dreary little churchyard Tin "the "mist ,/ and mud, and.we could not Jielp thinking. . of thei still form—the'.slight'figuie"m" the uniform of the Red : Gross,";with", white folded hands, and the crucifix around the neck.. . • '■'..' • ■.-.■• ■ "-. - : "'•;-. t.". . Vl7 ■■-' PROHIBITION OF ALCOHOL. - Already the absinthe: prohibition ii - making itself Mt in. .this city. ua deliver our people from the alcohol ; devil;-finance ;wifl take.care bf ; "itself," '. thePresident : is;,jeported-to..iuivei.said. ;By a single strokeofth_e.pen, dent df-the : Freiich : has gained-a-yictorjr, . the like of which a thousand "battalion's of picked guards could not achieve,.were thejr to wipe the. German:, hosts off thfe. "fields of Europe.' human n>ind- ia - -.. keen enough toioretell the far-reaching, consequences of the measure. One thing ia, certain :Ilt means the advent Of .anew era ;for. France, an era, ; of* sobriety; industry and social Teform. - So as not to. give, even the well-to-do "the chance to imbibe ioo freely,-theclosing of all restaurants at : ten o'clock,-as I Save ;just r stated, is Ha viiag a salutaJry effwt. Certainly the foreigner in Paris would not recognise the Paris as he-knew it before the outbreak of the'war.