El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-10-19
PARIS
IS SUBDUED CITY
Pleasure Seeking Throngs
Are Absent; Streets Are
Almost Deserted.
by GEORGE DUFREsNE.

Paris, France, Oct 19.-TO look upon
the Paris Of today is to receive the
surprise Of ones lifetime. No one
familiar with the French capital under
normal conditions. its exuberant gaiety,
fits sleepless pursuit Of pleasure. its
NrOwded theaters. its thronged boule-
wards and Overlooking cafes. could
ever have imagined that Paris was
capable Of such an extraordinary
change IN the course OF a few weeks
The metamorphosis is staSgering-
Imagine, if you can, the wheels Of
Partisan life running at quarter speed.
Imagine, If you cap, the echOing quiet
ness Of a Scottish Sunday descended
upon the once vibrant city. Picture
10 yourself if you can, the bOulevards,
that are accustomed to animation I'M
I'll midnight and long after. damped
down. as II were, each evening at
eight or nine o'clock. Think Of Place
de TOnera ordinarily Maintaining with
wheeled traffic Of all sorts, now so
quiet and stiu that you might almost
play tennis on the carriage way and
FISK the occasional interruption OF a
passing cab or military automobile.
think Of the Champs Elysees as a study
in perspective, the Place de Ia ConcOrde,
as a sort Of geometric void. the Rue de
NivOi as a comparatively deserted
thOrOughfare.
q People Subdued but not Depressed.
But the people Of Paris, or as many
OF them as are still left within its
walls, seem in no way depressed by
the sudden change which has over
taken the course Of their daily eNis-
uence. They are subdued and chaS-
tened, perhaps, by the contemplation Of
event that may still befall themselves
and their fair city. Paris. responsive
to the stilled voice Of its street traffic,
may speak in whispers; but It IS per-
fectly calm now, and even confident
in the ultimate issue Of the war be it
long or short
At a rough guess, I should say that
three out Of every four shops in the
the hearL, are closed on account Of the
war The great numbering omnibuses
that are such a feature Of normal
Paris have gone long ago. and the
number Of taxis and cabs on the streets
IS still immensely curtailed. though
percepubly greater than il was only
Few days since, another sign by the
way that Paris is already beginning
10 shake off the paralysis which the
outbreak Of war inevitably imposed
upon her.
Exodus Continues.
On the other hand. at the Care de
Lyon 1 saw the longest train have
ever set eyes upon leave for the south
nd southeast crowded almost to suf-
ocaLlOn. very many OF whom were
primarily bent. as il seemed TO me. up-
on showing Paris a clean pair of heels.
And on the platform there was left
waiting almost as many people as
would have filled such another train
And occasionally as you move about
the city you come upon scenes that re-
Joice the heart Of a Britisher. 7 wit
messed one such In. Paris as In all
France. the British soldier is a hero,
and by now he has ceased to be a
novelty Ever and anon Just now IN
Paris, you seem to encounter a stray
soldier or two in khaki On one OF
the main boUlevards I saw three. All
Of them, as IL happened, belonged TO
Scottish regiments. Two were in
trews' and the third wore the kilt
Every body on the boulevard turned 20
look at them I had scarcely opened Z
conversation with them when OBJ
served that between the three Of them
they could not have produced one reg
mental badge. All had been parted
with IS souvenirs 10 an admiring pop
ulace
The veteran in the kilt told me he
'Elisted in 1897 and had been called
- as a reservist Greatly to his
chargin, he had seen no fighting. On
the march he had come by an accident
= his hand. which had necessitated
his being sent to a hospital He was
now going TO the front and was de-
lighted at the prospect