The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-12 00:00:00

A GERMAN WRITER'S REFLECTIONS.

Herr Wickede, one of the ablest correspondents of the
German press, indulges in some melancholy reflections on
the military situation, "Anyone with the German armies
in France at the beginning of September, when we were
under the intoxicating influence of the victory of Sedan,
who had predicted that we should have to stay in
Fiance into the ensuing January, and even then
have a tolerably remote prospect of quitting it as
perfectly victorious, would have been laughed at and
decried as a gloomy pessimist or incompetent judge of
military matters. I well remember how stoutly my
opinion was combated by usually well-iniormed officers,
when, relying on my lor.g and intimate knowledge
of the French people and army, I stated in the middle
of September that the French could confront as with
at least 200,000 men, and, if they liked, protract a de-
fensi 70 war till late into the autumn. And now, in
January, more than 400,000 Frenchmen, exclusive of the
Paris army, are opposed to us, the war goes on raging,
costs the greatest sacrifices on both sides, and, unless
the capitulation of Paris, not, it is to be hoped, very
distant, effects a change of opinion and breaks
down the obstinacy of the people, our troops
may have to resign themselves to a spring campaign.
As. to the power of resistance of Paris, all of us
without exception, were radically mistaken. "What
swarms of curious pleasure-seekers, almost all, often
on a mere pretext, decorated with the Geneva badge,
poured into the country last September, when it was
so pleasant to travel in France, almost universally
with the secret idea of witnessing the triumphal
march of our army Into proud Paris ! All these
pleasure-seeking birds of passage, who were then
quite troublesome to the troops, have been dispersed like
chaff by the snowstosm which rages over the barren ground.
White armlets with the.red cross are now seldom seen on
French railways, and whoever wears them deserves every
respect, for nothing but a real feeling of duty and desire
to alleviate the sufferings of their . fellows ties them to
places where anything but pleasure is to be found."

Among the servants left at Lady Arhburton's chateau
is an old house steward, who told a pitiful story to one
writer :—" Ile has a daughter who is shut up in Paris,
and the girl contrived to send her parents a letter by
balloon-post. It came on New Year's morning, and
the mother sat down to read it with avidity. The
letter killed her on the spot. With it in her hand—
containing, as it did a recital of privation and
misery which I refrain from giving in detail—the
poor woman fell dead to the ground. Her husband
had buried her the day before I saw him, awl now he
came to one whom he seemed to look upon as having at
least a consular position, to ask whether I could do any-
thing to get the girl out of her trouble, and also whether
I could send certain letters to England. The latter request
it gave me great pleasure to comply with ; I was forced
to tell the old man that his first . desire was not to be
thought of. He, for one, will pray God to shorten every
hour till the capitulation. It is pleasant to know that the
Prussian officers shewed him the most solicitous conside-
ration in his trouble, and smoothed every difficulty for
him with genuine kindliness."
AFFAIRS IN DIJON.—The Progr,s de Saline et
Loire gives what it declares to he the correct account of
the events which recently happened in Dijon. "In Dijon
certain provisions only became scarce and dear—butter
THE ATTA.CIc ON THE PARIS FORTS. was 35fr, per lb„ sugar Ifr. 750., and salt se. to 60c. ;
The following notice of the bombardment from the cor- but the principal artieles of consumption
for re to
to be had
respondent of the Pall Mali Gazette contains some into- without paying an unreasonable price m ;
proiucnedofofabpeoer
adboovfebflrad
anddi anogtoorigesuabbsotivteutlescf.o,r otfhias
resting particulars --" The opening of the bombardment
was treated quite as a holiday by the German officers, pound
horseflesh, at 50c. a pound. The want of
who made up parties to witness the ' beginning of the coal was work feared. The establishment of
end'— the commencement of the destruction of communal shops and the organisation of
the fairest city in the world—as they would for a ' banks of assistance in the companies of the
picnic or a shooting party. There was a great contrast Nationalen Gar
energy,
tact,
weretancid of greatisinterestedn value,
essof m.
and the
in the style 6f firing of the two opponents, the French there, and of the whole municipal council, have
firing deliberately gun by gun, while the Prussians fired received a universal tribute of praise.
'rhe Prussian s 110
salvos, the ripping sound of which was like that of mi- demanded a sum of 500,000 fr. as a security for the faith-
trailleurs magnified. Of course we know nothing ful observance of the treaty madea first sum of2oo,ooofr. was
of the French losses, but those on the Prussian side were returneddtiwin tc,) thtlirfiz, vtehtoureof atilieresmsiinLyw demandhich for
.wiatE,3
far from insignificant—eight officers and Isi Tiien bars threatening ilthe working classes. With this sum they
de combat, if I 441 not misiniormed. Something started the public workshops. Finally, the remaining
liko 180 guns opened flirt on the Prussian side, but it is 300,000 fr. whs returned by the Prussian administration on