Grim Days In France During Nazi Regime

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 164, 13 July 1945, Page 4

Grim Days In France During Nazi Regime

SOME idea of the physical discomforts and mental distress experienced by Parisians during the years of German occupation is given in a out the period. > "it is difficult to relate to >ou oj years of.o^paaon j bee- verv oainful. both .niatenaihy iand"morally ; We came "orm irom \ -hem with the impression ina.^g Have lasted not four, out twent? ' -ear* We have all aged mucn physaThe terrible food, regime 'u. , --^^—r- ?r~d wn'ch we Stili I Sow shaken cur ! health, and the \ mains is more than anj.tni-, = —- \ vous. ■ ..•_„_ -Tn addition to the privations, I wh : ch certainly sap the energy, tne ianeu : -r< in which we nave lived has 1 been- exhausting. There » something of this teeung o: oporfj;. •I :4r--h ii difficult for me even no* 'to write, to phone, and to i freely to people Ido not * mucn. : - I cor- r ar ? '--» nave tne ; suspicious, tnat some; one hostile is listening to ? me ano I !am still very reticent. It 0 -? i , hpT rhi; v.-i'-'i last a long tune ,>e., ! M-rnaos even we will never more oe i able to oe connden- U is * "-- j disagreeable feeling, and unfortunatelv fairlv senera:. Mans p* rr... frtends teU me that they experience | exactly the same thing.

• SOME idea of the physical discomforts and menial distress experienced by Parisians during the years of German occupation is given in a friend woo *» ts= * a — out the period. ■ -it is difficult to relate to >ou oj : verv painful, both .niatenalb' immorally; We came tortnirom i them with the impression thai: mey ' hpvp <a=ted not four r oat nrenxj 1 "ear- We have ail aged much physiIcSv' The terrible food, regimewe : Sol- shaken cur ! health, and the resistance■ that reI mains is more than anyuung —- i vous. ■ . .. „_ -•In add't'cn to the privations, i wh : ch certainly sap the energy, tne ancu'«fc in which we nave h'.ea na* g£" exhausting. . There » something of this -reeling of oppre= : |?on-litl difficult for me even.no * >to write, to phone, and to speak i freely to pec pie I do not toowMgi ; T oonstamh." nave tne impressio.- : be suspicious, that some; one hostile is listening to «ie lam still very reticent. It » P»T™ ! , hpT : ' n ; ; v ,-i : i last a long time ,>e., M-rhaos even we will never more oe able to oe connden-. U is <*"-- disagreeable feeling and unfortunatelv fairlv genera:. Mans p* m.« friends tefi me that they experience exactly the same thing. Years of Misery 'The Paris that you knew no longer exists. There is evidently still beauty, but misery has left its marK, and will leave it for a long, tune yet Strangers who come to Pans taius that they admire it very mucn- ims i- verv nice of them, but u you were to come again I know that you would not be verv mucn deceived, l • coeak to vou of Paris, because it is there that I have lived these years of misery, but all France is in the same state. ••We have just passed through a particulars'.- hard winter. It snowed ail the month of January in Paris, and that is exceptional. There was no distribution of coa! or wood an winter, and the electricity was cut off each dav from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It wa= truly painful. Add to the co'd the food restrictions, which i break down ail one's resistance. From December to March there was no butter in Paris, we were sometimes three or four weeks without meat, and for about two years we never received more than lhoz of cheese per person per month. During the same period the ration of butter wis 2oz a month, and we received one egg per person' every three or fcur months. Rice, tea. chocolate and coffee, of course, qisap- | peared four years ago. but we are S now beginning to receive a little i American coffee, which seems very delicious to us. . Am Not Complaining '•During all this period the black market flourished, and still fiourI ishes. unfortunately. But what is tc !be done? It is impossible not to ! have recourse to it. Don't think I am complaining. I write you all this only to inform you of the actuai state of France. "At the moment I am in a university house of rest fcr former members of the Maquis, and I am sure all the people here would interest you. Among us are several girl students, who have known terrible days in prison, where they have been tortured*. One among them had a month and a half m prison, and escaped when Paris was liberated, after having been chained in a ceil without food for six days. Many times her head was plunged under water, and her arms and chest were burned with cigarettes to try and make her talk. Her case is net unique, but I quote it to you because although many stories of this kind are tofd they 'are not believed. "I do not know if you will -come back one day to Europe. I hope so, but in that case you can expect seme profound, changes, so profound that we cannot yet evaluate ourselves the influence they will have on our life! to come. I should like to know how long my letter takes to reach you. and if it contains anything that has annoyed many of the* numerous een- j sors who must separate us. Since j the German occupation I have become obsessed with censorship. I no longer know very well what* is permitted and what is forbidden.'' —