The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-01-21 00:00:00

TilE WAR

The number of hems killed dally to feed ,'ar,a ii aSo.
Prince Frederick cherlea th hie late battles sppeere to have
had 60„ei1e ue 'hatay's 200,0 u e
Prins. ,trrive lin n •
Seam Gape :net Prue •• Idle Mare !• • .0.
Ills state 11 a Wee,: fem. urlllea that MC.amhettn
wad present at tic battle roar Le Mans, and saved himself
by an early flight
50,0 u• 0 troops heft Cherbourg on minday to reinforce General
Chau zy, but were reiable to toile with him, in consegnonce
of ten railway north of Le Maus having been cut by tae
Gemmel,
A Versailles letter states that In consequence of the ex-
treme elevation at which the German guns have been fired
since the commencement of the bombardment, many of the
carriages have become seriously stn-toed.
it is stated from Havre that sixty Prusslene the other day
Imprisoned the mayor and his deputy at Neufcturtel, under
Ills pretence that their foraglug patios had been obstructed,
ix the district.
Acconling loan r Metal computation, not more than one
German has been wouuded by every 300 round, from the for-
tress of Stout V elerien. In other words £3,000 has been
spent by General Trochu to compass the despatch of one
men to he hospital.
The German troops. according to a Berlin paper, now
Occupy, not partially but completely, 32 of the Sit French
Departments, comprising 15,000 communes. They exercise
In these all civil and military powers, control the poste,
tclegraphs, and railways, and regularly collect the taxes.
Many of the French refugees in Jersey are suffering great
hardships at the present time, and little by little their desti-
tution becomes known. They endeavour as much as possible
to hide their circumstencee from the public gaze, but have
been compelled to apply for parochial relief.
The German colony In Paris numbers now about 700 persons
men, women, and children. Before the investment of the
city and the decree of expulsion which was issued there were
leo,oo Germans In Paris. The 700 persons now in the city
consist principally of invalids, old men and children.
The Paris Correspondent of the Poet, writing on the 14th,
says rho supply of food in Paris coutmues lobes perpetual
surprise. We really seem to be better off than ever, and I
remark that preserved beef, chicken, and vest are beginning
to reappear le the windows of the charcutiori.
Dr Hermann Beige' ;from one of the London hespitals,)
Who Is now with the army of General Manteulfel, was
decorated on the 4th inst, with the order of the Iron Cross
—rueorder which can only be gained by persoual bravery on
the field of battle.
On Sunday morning the French frigate Heroine arrived at
Vigo. The Prussian war steamer Prirywa Augusta was in
the harbour at the tame time. The Spanish Government
decided that the latter, as the less powerful vessel
should be allowed to leave twenty-four hours before the
trench ship.
General Trochn has Issued a proclamation stigmatising the
conduct of two officers of the Mobile Guard, a sergeant and
corporal of the Mobile Guard, and a sublienteuant of the
Eclalrenrs of the National Guard, who, on the eth, held com-
e:nude:Mons with the enemy and then disappeared. Ile
declares them deserters; ordues them to tie prosecuted as
such; end consigns them to diehonour and shame.
Celina Bismarck has been inhering severely, and Von Roan
has been es,aolulely in danger —Speaking of Bismarck The
Timer' cerrespondent at Versailles says I saw Count Bo-
marck yesterday afternoon returning from a drive in moven
carriage. He was al me and unattended, wrapped up in his
cloak and looking, I thought, very far indeed from well.
His Excellency was not smoking, which is rather exceptional
on his part when he lairs good health."
NT Louis Blanc, in a letter addressed to NI. Victor Huge.
contends very strongly that Paris most he saved by an heroic
sortie. Ile does not believe that capitulation would end the
war, and the isolation of Pert., with the Prussians in posses-
sion. would be more complete than it is now. No more
balloons, no more pigeons, no more passing gleams of light
darting athwart the dreadful darkness it. which we are
plunged ; there would be night, black night, Infernal
night !"
A 'levee letter In the Daily Veuoe, dated the 14th Inst.
says :—The despatch from 13 .rtleaux announcing the defeat
and retreat of General Chancy appears in this evening's
looms's. It has caused a profound sensation among the
inhabitants here. We expected other news than that from
Chancy. Everyone shakes his head significantly. It
would seem that the hour for French victories has not yet
arrived.
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.‘•:.c,ther tele-

Prince Otho of Bavaria has just joined his regiment of light
horse at the seat of war Ilm Bavarian army has sustained
a leas since the beginning of the campaign of 15,531 men
1.644 of these have been killed. and 10,315 wounded, while
169 have been takeu prisoners. The killed Include 154 officers
At the beginuing of the war Prussia renounced the right
of capturing French merchantmen: but French men-of-war,
heeler; Lot only captured and burnt Prussian merchantmen
before condemnation by the proper Come, the Prussian Davy
have been ordered to make reprisals, it seems, however,
that the order will not be carried out before the beginning of
February.
The balloon, Vaucansen, which left Pans at three o'clock
on Surday morning last, cloacae ded at Erquinghem Lys,
near Armentieres, at eleven o'clock on Monday. The
news brought from Paris was favourable; the material
damage caused by the bombardment was not consider-
able. Oa Saturday last the bombardment appeared to be
directed principally against the quarter of the Pantheon.
Some of the Germans who were expelled from Paris are
nreing the authorities at Berlin to make arrangements for
their return by spedal train to the French capital imme-
diately after its surrender. They think that, under the
protection of the troops, they could thus save any portion
of their property which there is still a chance of recover-
ing.
"Ina German paper which recently found its way into
Paris, it was stated that the bombardment of Paris would
commence when the psychological moment had arrived.
We are Intensely indignant at this term. We consider It so
cold-blooded. It is like a doctor standing by a man on the
rack and feeling his poise to see how many more turns Of
the screw he can hear."—Nerespaper Corregpomient.
The Vienna Nero Free Free says that the statement of
fresh peace mediation beteg attempted is correct. Prussia,
however, is unwilling to enter ou negotiation until It Is
known for certain that France will not reject the advances
made. The extraordinary mission of lien von Schweinfis
had two objecte—first, to convey the thanks of King William
for the recent Austrian advances ; secondly, to give informa-
tion as to Pruasia's attitude laths Conference.
Count von Moltke, one day last week, while returning to
Versailles from the German batteries on the south-west, had
a very narrow escape for his life. A shell burst close to hie
carriage, and it. explosion covered with mud and fee and
hard fragments of frozen earth the General himself, his
aideede-camp, horses, driven. Ac.—wlthout, however,
doing any harm to anybody.
According to the Parts correspondent of the Pall ,Vol
Gazette, cries of "treachery in the camp" brain to assume
an ominous significance. One journal, the Siecle, declares
that of the four generals, Trochu, Ducrot, Vinoy, and
Schmitz, one must he a trailer: and It openly accuses
General Schmitz of giving Information to the Germans.
General Troche has written a very indignant note In the
Jr.urnal, In which he denounces the horrid plot
being hatched against the Government, and throws out a
strong hint about the guilty parties being made amenable to
justice.
General Chancy has Issued an order of the day, in which,
after referring to the late engagements at Le Mans, he says
that "shameful cowardice and an unaccountable panic "
caused a certain portion of his troops to abandon important
positions, and compromise the safety of all. Ile adds that
an energetic effort was not attempted, notwithstanding the
orders to that effect Immediately given, and he warns hi,
men that safety can only be found in resistenee, not in re-
treat. Ile call. upon them, therefore, to rally round their
Chief, and tight vigorously.
" Those who are out of reach of the Prussian cues are be-
coming accustomed to the bombardment. ' You naughty I
child,' I heard a woman who was walking before me say to
her daughter, ' If you do not behave better I will not take you
to see the bomhaodeienl,''tt le better than • vaudeville,' said
a girl near me on the Trocadero, and she clapped her hands. j
A man at Point-du-Jour showed me two great holes which
had been made in his garden the night before by two bombs I
close by his front door. lie, his wife, and children seemed to I
he rather proud of them. I asked him why he did move Into 1
the Interior of the town, and he said that he coati not
afford It."—" Besieged Resident " of the Daily Neter.
The correepondent of the Daily New with the Crown
Prince of Penes says is the wish of the soldiers
to shell the city itself. The bombardment of the fens,
and the comparative silencing of the French, encourage the
men, who are convinced that the end is close. 1 hey do not
sufficiently allow for the urgent political reasons which will
make the French resist to the very last General Troche is
likely to make a four months' defence, and struggle into the
fifth at any sacrifice. No doubt the bread supply will held
out tlll February.
By day few shells fall Into the town beyond the imrne•
ellate vicinity of the ramparts. At night they are more plen-
tiful, and seemed to be aimed promiscuously. I suppose
about ten people are hit every twenty-four hours. Now as
abeyant ty people die every day in Paris of bronchitis, there
is farmers danger nom the latter than from the batteries of
the disciples of Octet outside. It is not worse to die by a
nerati thee of scold. Indeed lamby no means sure that
of two evils the latter is not the least ; yet a person suddenly
struck (lowa in the streets of a capital by a pieceof iron from
a eaenon will always produce a more startling effect upon
the mind than a rise in the bills of mortality from natural
cauees.--Neuopaper Corre,pondent in Paris.
The Prussian War (Oice has Issued a circular, Rteing
further directions as to the employment of the French
prisoaers. Caret, to be taken that they do not injure pri-
vate industry, and the manufacture of fish nets, straw mats,
grindstones, blankets, and boots, wooden carvings, boards
for bookbinding, An, Is recommended. In order to stimulate
the industry of the men, the present rule of live hours
daily labour without payment le repealed, and the entire
value of their work is to be given to them, either In pro
curing additional comforts or as pocket money. The pur-
chase of books and tobacco out of the proceeds of their
labour in especially suggested.
A curious instance of the effect of nervous shock Is to be
seen in one of the hospitals at Dresden, in) the case of a
soldier who was Vilna on the Beni after the battle of St.
Privet. lie is not wounded, but is In a state of extreme
prostration. Ile sees nothing, feels nothing, and perceives
DJ sound. The hattleihas so shaken his nerves that he has
even lost the power of speech entirely. There is another
soldier in a hospital at Bautzen who presents much the same
appearance of insensibility; but he moves his fingers about
as though he were knitting. Ills state is attributed to
depression of the skull caused by the splinter of • shell.
In the midst of all the distress existtng In Parts, and the
burden cast upon the Republican Government, a gentleman
writing on the subject of the charities of Paris, remarks
that there is a great demand for carpenters, saddlers, tailors,
shoemaker., troresmiths, Ac. In consequence of citizens pre-
ferring to gala thirty sous as National Guards to double that
sum at their ordinary occupation. Why so many men at
the cabaret," he writes, "while their wives are shivering at
the doors of the canteens, and the children are begging In
the streets instead of going to school ?
The charity of Paris, says the conespontient of the Daily
NPfl. ,Is Windless. I had no Idea till this winter what a
kindhearted people these French are We have an idea in
England that they are frivolous and heartless, and that their
kindly manners do not reach below the surface. You should
eee their self-sacrifice—then airnagiving—their good-hearted-
ness—their boundless liberality. The misery of the poor Is
very great ; but it brings out all the Veer qualities of 'french
nature, showing how those who have nothing can endure
with heroism, anal how those who have to spare will give
what they have most generously.
"The sensation news of the day Jan. 1.1. Is that Faldherbe
has driven Manteuffel across the Belgian frontier, and that I
Frederick Charles, who always seems to come to life after
being lulled, has been recalled from Orleans to Paris, The I
limas row to-lay one per cent, upon these nominee. Our
chief confidence, however, just now la in Bourbakt We
think that he has joined saribaill, and that these two will
force the Presetting to raise the siege by throwing themselves
on their cernmurdcatione. I only hops they may—ions
Correxpmaffr4t.
At present one can hardly and • family in Germany, from
the highest to the lowest, which has not some relative to
lament In consequence of this war. France has not suffered
so severely because service In the campaign has not teen nearly
so universal among the French families. In several regi-
ments of the Fourth Army the officers have been much more
than decimated. The Queen's Guards lost nearly half theirs,
so did the Schutzens. 0 ,me companies have been left with-
out one of the (Akan who set out from Germany with the
regiment. The linens have had 105 officers killed and 150
wounded, while their loss of men In killed and wounded Is
nearer to ;,000 than to 6,000.
The Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says, In a
letter of the 10th —Alter walking for many hours to-day
among the Inhabitants of the Fourtenth and Fifteenth Ar-
romilseemente, into which during the whole of last night the
tree projectiles fell like snow fines, I have Mend not the
slightest disposition towards terror or submission. I con-
verged again aud again with women who were living In houses
over which some hend reds of shell, have already paned, and
who tn some inatancee showed the great craters or holes pro-
d octet by shells that had fallen and buried themselves In their
gardens. From all came the same answer, "We may be killed,
hut Met is of little aceennt. on 4 let Paris hold firm until
is France has come to her rescne !" I had some apprehen-
sions that t. wards the end of the present menthonr provisiene
wee'st losee been exhisested ; but in the present temper of
Ocr 1" pnl llon, I. believe and expect that Parts will &idol%
ana endure cheerfully, such hisrdships and privations as
weree Dever before ellsetlenced by • city of the same imagist.
te.

- Messrs. Rothschild Lava Lan-1 • co the Mayor of
%YAW 1.0- the 1-.1tr,1,0c- ,-.!, a.-re clothing for the moat no-
ceeeteetn.4 the s•-
. - . . .

A projectile • • said to have fallen I t'n School of St.
• thin. 'dear the Polytechnic in Park and to have Med
A photograph ofFort Vanvesasken ala distance of several
Shona :nil paces by the Germans) proves the walls to have
been much damaged by the e muoilade.
On Friday in lest week a body of 500 Prussian. arrived at
Dieppe, and Imposed upon the town a contribution of ;iO,OOO
relics, taking as hostage the suteprefect.
The Temps publishes a letter addressed by the members of
the Diplomatic Corps remaining in Paris to Count ii.awarck,
consplaming that the bomoardment was commenced without
previous notices. They request that measures he taken to
enable their countrymen to place themselves and their pro-
tardy in a place of shelter.
A denial is given to the statement of Le Paris Journal,
dating that the Pruselans had tloished their first parallel in
trout of Fort irosny ; the trenches dug by the French on the
plateau of Avron, and where Prussian sentinels are occa-
sionally seen, was mistaken for the Prussian parallel.
It is announced fr. m Versailles that the German lessee in I
killed and wounded In the recent fighting near Le Slane were
177 officers anti 3 203 rank and his. The number of un-
wounded French prisoners taken is new stated to be 23,000;
19 guns, besides a large quantity el arms, ammunition, Lc,
have also been captured.
A new messenger from Wllhelmer Oho, bearing despatches
teem Dr. Conneau, peened through Brussels on Sunday. lie
presented himself at the ihltel de Saxe, where Prince
Napoleon is at present residing, but was not received It Is
stated that Prince Napoleon's presence In the Belgian capital
has to do only with private business of his own.
I The Daily Net,' Correspondent with the Head-quarters of
the Crown Prince of Saxony says that during the sorties
recently made by the Parts troops against Le Bourget, the
officers were heard entreating the men to etivance; but all
to ni. purpose. The French soldiers had previously reached
within a hundred yards of the German outposts, but were
met by a fierce musketry tire which compelled them to
retreat.
The ininteendance nage says :—" Two manufacturers of
arms from Liege, who had gone to Sedan a few weeks back,
have can arrested by the Prussian military authorities on a
charge of having sold arms in that town. The families of
these respectable citizens of Liege have been ill the deepest
distress from snot knowing chat bad become of them, until
they lately received tufdPmation of their arrest, after which
they were taken to Niadgeburg, to remain interned there
until peace has been concluded."
The manufactures of the Middle Rhine, at a meeting at
Mayence on the Ilth, discussed with great Interest the ob
structions offered to trade and Industry by the almost com-
plete monopolizing of the railways for war purpose. It was
urged that, in spite of the gigantic meatus of transport re-
imuired by the war, civil truth,' could be carried on but for
the want of s comprehensive organisation. It was resolved
that a memorial on the subject should be forwarded to Count
Bismarck
Pd. tlambetta, having ordered the Immediate enlistment of
the recruits due in October next, this is regarded as a proof
that the available supply of men of riper years is exheusteil.
The regulation Dumber of the fresh recruits 1411300. De-
ducting sickly persone and those to be provided by the pro-
vince, under German control, there remain no more than
00,000 who, Under al,•nsleur liambetta's system, will be ready
to take the field in a month.
Notwithstanding the peculiar and critical position of Pans
at the present moment, it appears that many persons still
find opportunity to Memos SJCial questions which are usually
considered in calmer period.. The 1), hato of the 12th of
.1 anuary reports that an, interesting meettng was held at the
Club Valentine, at which hi Francais Coignet delivered an
able speech upon the reforms required in the system of public
education and of political education, to which MM Lahatte
and Faure replied. XI Shuman replied to these speakers,
and reminded the audience that the real question of the day
was the national defence.
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---
The Faris papers recount the capture of a couple of spies.
One of these worthies was taken in a cart under a heap of
vegetables, and another was handed over to the authorities
at the Instigation of the popular songstress, Suzanne
Lender, who heard him utter au exclamation in the German
language. Tull man declared himself to be a Pole, and
when being dragged to the guard-house said, "If you want
spies you must look for them on the staff." This remark
has been carefully noted down.
The German forces on French soil comprise, according to
the calculation of a Berlin paper, 511 battalions, with 575,100
men ; 424 cavalry squadrons, with 66.400 men; 240 batteries,
with 74,100 men used 1,680 guns; and 12,609eng00eers, making
a total of 720,000 men. The effective strength on the 151
Inst., was aboUt 510,000 men, and so many reserves are being
sent that it will hardly fall below this number. Sixty-two
Landwehr battalions from the old province s and 62 battalions
from the new provinces and Saxony are available for active
service if required, and a portion of these have already been
directed to undertake aappen duty.