The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-07 00:00:00

THE FOOD QUESTION.

Do the Prussians really mean to starve us out ? The
Government gave out a fortnight ago that there was food
then within the city for two months' consumption for a
population of two. millions. It is calculated that, includ-
ing the Mobile, there are not above 1,500,000 mouths
at present to feed, so that with proper care
the supplies may be made to last. for three
months. Prices are, however, already rising. We
have it bread and a meat maximum, but to force
a butcher to sell you a cutlet at the tariff price,
one has to go with a corporal's guard, which cannot
always be procured. The Gazette (Middle contains a decree
regulating the sale of horseflesh. I presume if the siege
lasts long enough, dogs, rats, and cats will be tariffed. I
have got I,ooof. with me. It is impossible to draw upon
England, consequently I see a moment coming when, un-
less rats are reasonable, I shall not be able to afford
myself the luxury of one oftener than once a week. When
I am at the end of my I,ooof. I shall become an advocate
for Ftlix Pyat's public tables, at which, as far as I under-
stand his plan, those who have money pay, and those who
have not eat.—Daily News Correspondent.

STRASBURG AFTER THE SURRENDER.
The officers of the Strasburg garrison who were set at
liberty on parole returned to France through Switzerland
and passed by Lyons. General Bavral, who contrived to
make an entrance into the besieged town after its invest-
ment by the enemy, and contributed greatly to the
defence by his skilful management and active directions,
stayed some time at the railway station en route from
Geneva to Grenoble. He was sad, gloomy, and dispirited,
and scarcely uttered a word. His chief remark was a
reproach to France : that, if Strasburg had only received
timely succour, it would have been saved. Had 20,000
men been provided in time all would have been
well, but further on it was impossible. During
the close of the siege an army of 65,000
Prussians were collected in entrenched and fortified
positions. A lieutenant of a line regiment, who was
about to rejoin his family in Brittany, said that from the
sixteenth of August, the day when the bombardmen
commenced, until the evening of the fatal day of the 28th ro-
of September, the officers of the rampart had not a people, _
moment's respite. They slept for a few minutes, seated under arms.
or standing. If they laid down, they ran the risk of the at her disposal ;
bomb shells and the obuses. The fortifications of Stras- flood of the enemy, and 6_
burg had no casemates, and the defence service was corn- tary forces of the country. a.-
pletely exposed. DUring the last fortnight they ate mense, and lam convinced that s
horses. All the ,horses of a squadron of artillery were shall conquer the enemy and drive hn
sacrificed. During the forty-three days which the tory."
bombardment lasted more than 400,000 explosive pro-
jectiles were thrown into the unfortunate town. THE GERMAN AND THE FRENCH
Fuses were thrown on masses of houses, and when once ARMIES.
they took fire the batteries poured a deluge of projectiles An interesting letter, from an American gentleman a
on them, to prevent any help from being given. One the head-quarters of one of the Prussian advanced guards
quarter of the city after another was destroyed by this has been forwarded to the Times. The writer had frequeni
means in the most methodical manner. The buildings opportunities of communicating with the German officers,
which belonged to the Germans were spared in the midst and he relates the result of his conversation with them.
of places that were completely ravaged. The young The men have a self-respectful bearing, and I have
officer saw the white flag waving over the powder-mag- never witnessed :any roughness or overbearingness on
azine. He had been made lieutenant the previous evening the part of officers towards them. The Prus-
by the death of a comrade, and he believed they were to sian military system carries everybody, without
continue the defence a l'outrance. He received a letter distinction of wealth or social position, through the ranks
from his colonel which said that their comrade who had for three years. There are thus counts, barons, professors,
just died, was to be envied, for he had escaped disgrace. members of the learned professions, and sons of wealthy
The colonel desired that the eagle of the regiment might be families in the ranks as common soldiers. This, coupled with
placed in the grave of their friend, and the flag torn up the fact that all (all except a few still from Schleswig
and divided among the soldiers. So soon as the Germans and from Posen) can read and write, and are, therefore,
took possession they commenced the work of restoring the more or less intelligent and thoughtful, ought naturally to
place to a position of defence, and in a short time it is ex- produce the result thus claimed. At the same time the
petted that Strasburg will be a formidable entrenched presence of such a sprinkling of persons of superior culture
Prussian camp. They are not likely to forget the case- and manners must produce the effect of elevating and
mates.
moralizing the whole body. Their minister tells me they
The correspondent of the Daily News, in a letter dated are generally religious. Under the French conscription
the 2nd instant, remarks :—" I have not yet said any- the upper classes, for the most part, keep out of the ser-
thing about the condition of the Citadel of Strasburg vice. About £lOO buys a substitute: The ranks
after the bombardment. The place is a mass of rub- are necessarily filled from the poorer and in France
bish. I had supposed that bastion No. 11 had suffered totally uneducated classes. They are brave, reckless,
the most, seeing that a breech was made there, and and impetuous enough, of course, being Frenchmen.
that the interior had been rendered entirely untenable._ As uncultured Frenchmen, too, they are necessarily
Yet the Citadel was even in a worse state than irreligious, loud-talking, self-asserthig, and vain,
this bastion. Where a gate stood on the side facing Kehl, and prone to violence tending towards brutality, not so
was now a rude pile of stones, the materials composing the much in manners as in morals. With such a soldiery
gate and the adjoining wall having fallen forward, and cultivated officers cannot be on very friendly terms nor in
formed an artificial pathway over the moat. With the close rapport. And this is one of the most important
exception of some minor gateways no place was habitable elements of military efficiency. They consider the
within the vast area covered by the citadel. The French much less steady in the field than their own
supposition was, that after the city was occupied troops. A French battalion once repulsed is rarely
the Citadel might be held. The truth is that the brought up to the attack a second time ; the
former proved the stronger, and the latter much Germans easily again and again. I mentioned
more easily destroyed than had been anticipated. having heard from our famous General Scott
This is partly due to the accuracy and severity of that nothing was more rare in war than the
the double fire to which the Citadel was subjected. While crossing of two bayonets ; that moral force carried
the batteries at Kehl kept up an incessant fire on the one the day; and that by the time the distance was
side, those near Schiltigheim threw bombs into it on the narrowed to a few paces, if the attacking column had not
other. Many shells were thrown into it from the giant been beaten back by the fire, but kept up the charge with
mortars. That the fire from the Citadel should latterly the moral fire on their countenances, the recipient body,
have been very weak seems perfectly natural to those who whose front rank was of the -same number of men, gener-
have beheld its present condition. That it held out so ally gave way, carrying with them as they broke those
long is more surprising than that it surrendered who were behind them. These gentlemen said that the
when it did. Perhaps it may interest some per- Prussians received as well as delivered the bayonet charge
sons to learn that in General Werder's opinion very firmly ; that the Austrians did the same, and that
the siege works constructed by the Wurtembergers bayonet crossing was frequent at Sadowa. In point of this
, were patterns of military engineering. A foreign steadiness, they considered the Austrians and also the Danes
officer of engineers with whom I walked over the works superior to the French. They recognized the impetuous elan
said that he had never seen trenches or parallels more of which the French speakso much, but they considered the
skilfully planned, or more efficiently finished. If our fame of the furia francese very much exaggerated by the
Government thought that English military engineers had phrase itself. They regard France as having now no army
anything to learn, they would doubtless have sent one to (that of Bazaine at Metz being as good as in
watch the siege, and to report as to the works. It is their hands) and scarcely any efficient war
possible that such an officer was present. If so, his material left, The National Guards, both Mobile
presence was kept a secret. An English officer of and S4dentaire, they regard as rubbish, in a
marginsie was
the said to
dhave been there during the later military point of view. They relate how, at a villaag-e
f bombarment. Neither professional men named Citry (I believe), a squadron of their cavalry, with
nor sightseers will long have an opportunity of a battery, came into contact with two battalions of
inspecting these works, for they are being swept away Mobiles ; that two shots, at about a kilometre of distance
with great speed. It -is possible that General Werder dispersed one of the battalions, thoirgh, owing to

"Imperial Headquarters, . . . ~ 1870.
" Soldiers,—The Emperor has confided to me the com-
mand of all the forces which, with the army at Chs-
ions, are about to assemble round the capital. My most
ardent desire would have been to go to the help of Marshal
Bazaine, but after close examination I am convinced this
enterprise is impossible under present circumstances.
We could not reach Metz for several days, and before
that time Marshal Bazaine will have broken through the
obstacles which detain him. Our direct march upon Metz
would only During our march towards the
east Paris would be uncovered, and a large Prussian army
might arrive under the walls. After the reverses which
Prussia suffered under the first empire she has formed a
military organisation enabling her to rapidly arm her
people, and within a few days place her entire population
under arms. Prussia has, therefore, a considerable force
at her disposal ; the fortifications of Paris will stop the
flood of the enemy, and give us time to organize the mili-
tary forces of the country. The national ardour is im-
mense, and I am convinced that with perseverance we
shall conquer the enemy and drive him from our tern
tory."