Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-26
PARIS IN TEARS
AT START OF WAR
So Says William Leffingwell, OF
! Kearny, just Home from
4 Europe.

Vivid description of the war sltua-
ton in Europe is given by William
Lefingwell, of Kearny, who has just
returned from the continent. While
Inv Europe Mr. Lefiingwell visited all
Of the principal cities and witnessed
SOME stirring incidents in connection
With the existing condition of at
fairs. When interviewed Mr. Left
fl1gweil had the following to say:
" shall never forget the heart
refding. scenes on the streets OF Paris
atser mobilization was ordered. One
hour after the plaeards We're hung in
TIN, public places there was not a dry
ese in Paris.
RAnti-war meetings had been held
Throughout the country, from the
first scare. up to and including the
day that war was declared, and so
prevalent was the anti-militant spirit
that no one believed war in France
was possible.
WAR rumors We're ridiculed. Wolf
had been cried so often that when
at last the real call came everyone
believed 1t was a hoax. A sorrowful
state of affairs ensued when war was
finally declared Thousands upon
thousands of homes were broken UP
by the single stroke of a pen. Little
can we Americans realize the extent
OF this terrible situation.
"Business Is in bad condition in
France. Manufacturing has ceased
and fully 70 per cent of the shops are
closed. All those shops which bore
any of the earmarks of the enemy
have been devastated by the war
mad element. 1t has been said these
outrages were perpetrated by boys
I'm one particular instance ! saw
hudreds of men cheering the boys on
While the gendarmes on duty seemed
10 enjoy 1t as much as the others
Firemen were everywhere apparent
but seemingly they were only there
10 see that no fires We're started. One
poor old man had his shop destroyed
because he had a German name. He
afterward told me that his family
had been in France for three gener-
ations and that he had three sons In
the French army.
ga rumor was circulated that the
proprietor Of a large milk syndicate
had poisoned the milk and had beer
seen leaving Paris for the German
frontier with 100000 francs In gold
The result was that the milk bust
ness in Paris was crippled to such al
extent that for three days no mill
was obtainable, and when at last 6
1iEN supply Nfob OA'tdAiASb ~ nN'S epAe
for twenty-five cents a quart. i
later developed that the proprietor
was not a German. but an Alsatian
and further that he had been deat
for two years. and even had he beer
living it would have been impossible,
TO cart that enormous weight Of golt
TO Germany.
1.-THE only absolute guarantee the
foreigner has of safety in Paris is t,
wear a Union Jack or a tri-color
They are more effective than armor
plate.
ron leaving Paris we passed
through the rear end of the retreat
ing French army, and saw severa
attachments of artillery going int
action. The dead and wounded wer'
lying all along the track. The mem
cries of that trip are too horrible TO
description. Suffice 1t to say that
everywhere the horrors of war wer
apparent
Tin England trade has not suffered
To any alarming degree. The govern
fnent has fixed a maximum price TO
all staple foods. Strange to say, ne
cessities are selling for less than tn
liked price, largely because the peopl
have not the money to pay more. J
provision has also been made to fee
the school children from publ
funds"