PARIS IN WAR TIME.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15462, 15 December 1915, Page 5

PARIS IN WAR TIME.

CHRISTCHURCH SINGER'S EXPERIENCES. (srEci.M) to "ran press.") AUCKLAND. December 11. A well-known Christeliureh singer, Mrs Arthur M.-ad, returned to New Zealand by the Niagara last evening, nit.'-r a tv. o-y ears' a Usenet; from the Dominion. Mrs Mead has been studying in London, Pari:;, and New Yo:k, and was in the French capital when war broke' out. tSho was able to get aboard one of the Channel steamers in the wild rush from the French tourist resort,-, and was on thu last lx>at on which the passengers had any luggage. Sirs Mead returned to Paris in November to study under M. Aigier a well-known music'master. She heard much, but saw little of the visit of the Zeppelins to Paris. The noise of the bombardment, she states, was a tcrriuinjv experience. Aircraft raids were aimed at the Eiffel lower, where tiie principal wireless station or Paris is located, and the house at which she was staying was situated only a quarter of a mile away from the Tower. The Germans came near their mark, and th. l exjK'riencc was a ncrvc-racking one. After speaking of the strict precautions taken by the authorities to ch.?ck the admission of German spies to France and England, Mrs Mead paid a tribute to the marvellous fortitude the Parisians in the trying times they were experiencing, when they were rapidly and willingly adapting themselves to the work of men in every walk of life. She had even seen women delivering coal, which thev had carried up five flights of stairs. W oaicn acted as drivers and porters, swept the streets, worked as tram conductors, and even as chauffeurs. On every hand there were cver-urcsent reminders of the war. and yet rhecrfulness and absolute confidence in tho ability of the Allies to iviii orevailed. Practically every male citizen in Paris wore uniform, for if the men were too old or unfitted for active service they were engaged in somo other mihtar- capacity.