PARIS IN WARTIME

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 36, 10 February 1917, Page 18

PARIS IN WARTIME

FABI3, November 23. THE CHdMEL TUNNEL. Amid the expressions of fraternal "ovdiaiity that exist in France for Eng.- , 1 n<l and her gallant eons, there exists jn?t one reproJtch- "Ah." cry the wise, ■■ rtd it not been for that atnpid Eng-;c-h fetish, wiiich ha<i 'hands off our insularity , for principle, the Channel tun:ir! would lonjr iiare teen an aecompilshed fact. Think of the Messing this would have proved in the present war." "~" As there ie no direct reply to this gentle a.lmoniticm, frangiit as it is with trenchant truth, it is wiser to plead gnilty at once. , Italy and Belgium, vrho were wont to J send a lar;re quantity ai their exports >. to Germany, an* more than anxioue to ; send these to England. With the prewar means of communication, these good | intentions were nullified. France, which j has always been an ardent supporter of : the scheme, is now keener than ever on | seeing the matter carried to a successful i issue. Germany has, with her sub- jj marines and Zeppelins, burst the Eng- f Jish insularity bubble, so let us resume 1 sxrb-C3£aiiiiel operations at once. Five j yea-T3 "13 the period necessary for the construction of the said under-Straits j railway. ** w hat a piAy it was riot crvm- j pleted in 1900, aa origina.ily intended," \ repeat Frenchmen. WARNING TO STEIKE-MAKERS. Following npon a threatened ext*>n- j eion, of the tram strike to other public ; services, the ilinieter3 held a Council at ■ the Hy3ees> pieside.l over by the Presi- | dent Poincare. Raving deliberated at i leugtfi upon what measures should be \ takea to prevent a recurrence durin-g the war period of euv.h an unsatisfactory state of thing 3, a decree was adopted which, after it has been finally approved by Parliament, ahou'ld act as a strong ; deterrent. Tne untoward stoppage of any industrial service or other enterprise related to public welfare is in futnra to be looked upon as prejudicial to- tie national defence, and such amenable to suppression by measures. "The Government will take all necessary steps to assure the continuity of pubfie services," says the decree, which Jβ a- polite way of warning woirld-be strilcemakers that it will stand no further , nonsenee while the Gennana are on Jrench *otL CtMTTROIXTSG FOOD STJPPXIES. As has been announced, the French Government is taking measures to control the scupply of food and certain commodities. Th«ee measures will ghortly be enforced by decrees and notices from the pTefectiures, and among them are reported to l>* the following: Rationing of petiel for automobiles, suppression of all fancy bread, and the substitution of a standard type of loaf; prohibition of all pastry other than that which can he- kept for four days, and of all sugar except the crystallised form; closing of butchers* shop* and slaughter houses two- days a week, including Friday. The Ministry of Commerce issued a note yeeterdayv stating that although th«L measurea had been incorrectly described in certain jorotnala. stepa would he taken in accordance with tho eituation. some Jiaving been already approved byvthe Government, and others Heeding further consideration. A MH.ITA.RY PtrZZX2. The French military hierarchy 33 at t-iroes aa in penetrable a» itft poHtiro.l counterpart. A etranjfe -xa.m p!e bearing , upon the question of rank has just come to and although the name of the learned arientwt in question need no hf. g\ver., he is no les* famous lor Saving ->y his manifold discoveries helped his fronntry's cause in no little measure. IJndoiiStedly one of the greatest of living Ennn.ifltp, the rank Jess profeseor wae considered Bufficientily eminent by the dispensers of XobeJ prizes to be prnscnted with one of these coveted awards. Btit the old adage that no man ie a seer in his own country eeema to havo obtained in this case. Simple soldier in a State laboratory, this sage is snrrouncled by assistants all superior in rank, even unto Jiis yonthfoJ secretary, whom hp. is at all times obliged to ealute, and more so when beiirg paid his daily military stipend of twopence-halfpenny by the natd hrnnnuensis, who is also paymasteradjutant. Hpre is s man whose chemical researches and discoveries have made his name universal labouring under the cap find tunic of a private when the ranVr of general would sit with dignity upon his splendid head. GtTN-FIRE AND THE WEATHER. Much discussion has raged around the question whether battles have or have) not an influence on the weather. One school holds that the atmospheric disturbance created by modern artillery fires cauee* just such weather—rainy, stormy, and generally detestable—as the weather which has prcrvailed of late in Northern France. Another school maintains that the "beastly weather" in due to causes completely independent of the war, even the most furioue bombardment exercising an influence s-o limited that it need not be taken into account in the study of meteorological problems. Both theories are defended with snoh ardour and tenacity that it Deems uselees to expect an ajfreement and to proJong discussion. Perhape it is for this reason that the distinguished scientist iM. Charles Nordmann has dseided to reverse the problem, and in a most interesting article for the "Matin," instead of asking what influence battles have upon weather, he shows what a decisive influence the weather has upon battles. Only last week the Germans, according to their own bulletin, were defeated in the Verdun sector not by the French, but by fog.' But for the Sag, so the German bulletins insinuate, the fort of Douaumont would still be in German hands. However, the Boehee should not complain of the weather. It was the deluge of the days following the battle of the Marne, a deluge which turned the roads into quagmires, that enormously hampered tio French pursuit and prevented the German defeat on the Marne from (becoming an overwhelming German. catastrophe. Xt is gjeatly due to the vile weat-her prevailing on the Somme that the German lines are not further to their rear than is actually the case. THE GERMAN WAY, 3f. Theodor, the deyen of the Brussela Bar, who, after being released from Germany, passed some time in Switzeaiand, arrived in Paris recently. He was met at the Gare de Lyon by M. Henri Robert and members of the Paris Bar. In reply to thoeo who welcomed >iim M. Theodor said that from tii© moment the Germans entered BruseeU he had fought them daily en lega ground, having en four occasions pleaded ■Lis ease with German ecldiers, surrounding avid ttieir bayonets touching ihim. Hβ was finally taken a captive in {September of last year, -when he was confined for seven months in a cell, aoi later- occupied a luora .with & score ol -other .prisoner*.