PARIS IN WAR TIME

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 13, 15 January 1916, Page 13

PARIS IN WAR TIME

HOW THE POOR LIVE. WOMEN SOLDIERS. (Special to 'Star."), PARIS; November 7. FEEDING THE DESTITUTE. "Tis an ill-wind that blows no good." Thus the war breeze has proved a veritable godsend to creatures entirely destitute of this world's goods until the clashing of steel and the roar of the cannon broke in upon peaceful nations, and these things, awful as they are, brought comfort to starving thousands. Week in, week out, they live upon the Government's good grace, and if their allocation amounts to a sum only equal to 1/ per day, the greater part of the "war 'bourgeois" will be that much the poorer when the dove of peace deigns to fly over Europe. Is it not therefore within the domain of possibility that there actually exist some people—few, no doubt—for whom the end of the war will be a source of some concern? Bad patriots? - Not necessarily. Just human nature. • BRAVE AMAZONS. It is no secret that here in France, as in Russia, women are doing.their share of the fighting, and right, well too. I had a long talk with one of these girl soldiers. She is a most feminine, finefaced, but delicately-built girl of twenty-four, very earnest and • very pretty. She wears a shabby-looking uniform, andlthe three .stripes on "her Tcqiiar denotes., her ranks, as a sergeant. She tells mc that she has been fighting for a year now, feels perfectly fit, and has only been ill for nine days. She comes from Marseilles, and before the war was a student in the Lyons University. When. the war broke out she became, a volunteer, for she • thought everybody ought to go. She received her medal for patrol work, and her rank was also given her for patrol services. She once' succeeded inslippihg through "the"' German lines ."'.with7.the;:. cavalry patrol under her command, and brought important information.' At X——- she was also in command of, a patrol' of chasseurs, and after this she .received the medal. .- She tells mc that her friend who joined the force with" her is a prisoner.of war in Germany. She is also a girl, twenty years old, and was one of the. most gallant and' brave soldiers in the force. A patrol commafider also, and. a sergeaht7she7his had'her,decoration as weU.:"'';'.""''■ T"7 DEPARTED GAIETY. ' The heights of Montmartre, where in times of peace more money, is; spent after midnight 'than -in j anj-7 other place on the globej, are not exclusively. the pleasure spots that they are generally taken for. Behind the night cabarets, and the streets where the dance-houses are, that follow the direction of ancient veattle;, paths up the slope, many thousands of serious workers lived in times of peace, and are vegetating rather miserably in times of war. The Mayor of the 18th arrondisement, which :criinpfises Montmarte,! attributes relief to .thirty thousand families. '. The niun'ber of workers living there whb were thrown out of work, according to figures taken between October 9 and 24 last, was -26,800, of which 15,(W0 have, been unable to return to work before the beginning of the month. "* ; .'"'", \. '.:"■ 7 „7:'7L. AGREED WITH JOFXRE. . A funny little comedy wis • ■ recently, enacted within the four, walls of. a -Paris hotel noted for its military clientele. Of . course, the principal topic of- conversation was the war, with the inevitable crossfire query launched at most newcomers as to the possible end of the war. At that moment the swinging door revolved ou its axis, and there appeared a French general, whose brilliant strategy at the. battle of the Marne contributed no little towards its success. Here, then, was the man of "all othesa who could solve the great problem, and with that end in view, a few wealthy Americans decided to entertain the soldier at dinner. The pre-arranged moment having arrived for the probing process— namely, after ■ dinner—the • general seemed -in a particularly favourable mood. Every, subject of interest was freely ..discussed, but .there wis.'.'no hloying. the illustrious guestr when" anything approaching the war was surreptitiously brought up for argument.- The plot was failing miserably, when one of the hosts at last decided to open hostilities pointblank. . ..:.,.." 7 -77-.-..:..- ,:7 "I guess you- have -some idea,- - General; when the war will be overt" "As to; that, gentlemen " "replied the warrior with'amity, "I am entirely -in agreement with General Joffre." Here was light indeed, and it appeared that, after all, the evening's' entertainment would not be in vain. "And what is this opinion?" cried the Americans simultaneously. - '-- - : '•Well, to tell you the gentlemeni" - concluded - General M:, "Joffre hasn't any!" and he finished !his cigar in peace. FERDINAND'S DIPLOMACY. . The most talked-of man at the present moment in France is undoubtedly the King of Bulgaria.. That his shady diplomacy has won him uncomplimentary adjectives may not be surprising, for his case is particularly condemnabie. Son; of Princess: Clementine, herself"a French king's daughter, Ferdinapd is practically a Frenchman. His uncles, the Dukes of Nemours; Orleans, Chatres' and Aumale, were all men of whom even Republican France retains a high souvenir. Per contra, such terms as renegade, traitor, adventurer are launched at this Germanled grandson of a Fiench throne. The terms in which the Bulgarian monarch addressed France's departing Ambassador created a further had impression in Paris,: for the words .coward and hypolcrite are now associated with'this ambitious monarch. "1 am inconsolable," Ferdinand is quoted as saying, "to see you leave Bulgaria thus, for French blood flows in my veins, and I deplore the fact that the relations between France and myself have come to such a pass. But what can I do? Germany will be victorious, and I would even ask you, from the bottom of my heart, to counsel France- to ' prudence." The Ambassador's reply to this tactless diatribe, offered with grand seigneur delicacy, will nevertheless remain one of the diplomatic bon-mote of the present crisis;. "I shall counsel prudence to my country. ,Biie-*ftes tha decfeiYetattlei'-.