Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-11-03
Bordeaux
War Capital of France

I Banks in particular, where small sums
! had been deposited, hundreds awaited
their turns to draw out their mites.
Millions were carried off, until the gov
ernment limited. the demands to low
percentages of the deposits. To allay
panic, on account of anxiety for the
future, la moratorium commercial
ct hnancier regulated the payments of
outstanding debts, promissory notes,
! house rents and the like, so that the
debtor now owes practically nothing,
at least for the moment. Present
confidence is thus assured, but what
the future will bring, should the war
last long. nobody can say.
For few davs provisions rose to
ridiculous prices. The demand for pro-
visions caused visions OF woe and star
vation, but that also was checked by
military authority, so that all edibles
! have now fallen to normal prices.
Meat even is being sold by the soldiers
in one part of the city. and at prices
exceptionally low for the poor. The
! city being full of strangers, enough
money is naturally in circulation, and
everyone seems to have sufficient to
live for the day: that is, there is
money in small quantities-absolutely
no gold, very little silver, but plenty
of five and twenty franc notes issued
especially for the war. So many men
having gone to the front, that their
wives and sisters, as far as possible,
have taken their places. The conduc-
tors on the street cars are nearly all
women.
You will be interested to know just
| how the government is being run in
Bordeaux. Let me tell you that the
government is not being run in Bor-
deauX. 1t is being run, and probably
will be to the end of the war, by
short, heavy set man, who, at glance
gives the impression of indomitable
will and energy, man whose word is
now supreme law. General Joffre is
now mightier than a president. He
| is an autocrat running all France.
and. through him, General Oudard is
! running Bordeaux General Joffre
has assumed this command involun-
tarily but by natural right. 1t has
been thrust upon him by the conf
! dence and will of France.
Il had the honor yesterday to talk
| to -, one OF General Joffre's
staff, having just left the front for
his weekly visit here to the Minister
! of War. What sort of man is Gen.
Joffre, and how does he stand the ter
rible strain?' l asked him. He an
swered: He has a sangfroid terri
BILE, and. besides"-he hesitated and
smiled significantly-'it is going bet
| ter now" Was the general anxious
before the Battle of the Marne or are
we to expect good news soon?
1T is almost a certainty that Par
! lament Will not meet for sometime.
France now wants a united people-a
republican people who, il they do not
openly uphold the republic. Will keep
Eanta gonistic ideas to themselves. Roy
alistic and Socialistic speeches would
/ be detrimental to the end in view
patriotism routrance-(patriotism
! to the limit) To prove that revolu-
tionary ideas still exist in the France
of to-day, let me tell you that, speak
| ing yesterday to the Marquis de --
I a nonresident of Bordeaux, I remarked
that the inhabitants had been so un-
concerned about the change in the city
that few of them had even gone out of
/ their way to see the president. Well -
she said, I'm glad to hear it, She
would not be marquise if she were
not Q Royalist, and a Royalist is never
an admirer of the president of a re-
public. If Parliament, therefore does
mot meet during the war the reason
will be evident
The Bordelais is the hardest and
most inoffensive kicker in all France.
on an early day in September, when
the Germans were near the Paris for
| titications, l met two old friends who
treated me to one of the most scath-
ing harangues ever heard outside of
jail. One, a sensational Royalist, eX-
haven't single competent general, no
guns; We haven't even any powder. .
You fellows make me sick" l cried,
Il am a foreigner, but | have more
confidence in General Joffre than YOU
have and I'm far more patriotic" |
left them both laughing, and, looking
back, l saw them clapping their hands
in hearty appreciation. If one wants
to keep in the good graces of Royalists
or Bordelais, especially the latter you
must let him see you are his friend,
but you must do it in the most violent
and abusive language you can COM
mand.
"One story of Bordelais cunning.
On account of the many refugees in
the city who could not afford to buy
different editions of the papers, call
ing aloud the news or even the name
of the paper was prohibited. The
other day on the Cours Tourny ! saw
a vender. man about thirty. ges-
ticulating violently. and talking indig-
nantly and vociferously to himself:
"Oh! the pigs They have destroyed
our Cathedral at Rheims. They are
going to pay for it, Everybody had
heard of the destruction, but he SOLD
papers.
But the inhabitants of Bordeau,
can rise to height of patriotism ot
which France may we'll be proud
Nothing has so impressed and moved
them as the exodus of the troops. The
scenes among the crowds at the st
Jean station were beyond description
Many were there out of curiosity. bu
the majority were bidding godspeed tC
some dear relative or friend. Withou
distinction of class, the buecoat!
mingled freely-the marquis anC
count to the workman and peasan
who tolls in the fields. Each man hat
come in answer to the same call eacl
one to offer a life of like value to on
cause. Mother, with children in arm
and leading others, We're there; SON
too young and father too old to figh
were there. At night the sight wa
especially thrilling: Arc lamps sput
tering, locomotives shrieking, guard
crying out the trains, streets echoinI
the tread of marching feet, the SOM
of the 'Marseillaise' and lie Chant dl
Depart ('The Hymn of Farewell)-
an inconceivable outburst of bitterness
goodbys. abnegation and patriotism
The gates swung oDen, and, with
kiss and an embrace here, a hand
shake there, Georges, Charles or Ro
bert was gone.
Some have come back and beer