El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-09-08
PARIS SUBURBS
QUICKLY RAZED.
Wiping Out If Beautiful
Villas and Gardens Proves
Costliness of War.
BY GEORGE DUFBEsNE

Paris, France, Sept S.-Like a lovely
woman shorn Of her tresses, Paris to-
day stands alone, a city without sub
urbs. Gone are the little villages
where lived some of the city's laboring
people. Gone are the houses and barns
Of the market gardeners Gone, too
are some Of the handsome villas, the
country homes Of wei 10 do Parisians-
The military wreckers have finished
their work of razing all the euvirons
Of Paris and the capital has a distinct
" bob tailed" look The SUBURBS
were demolished against the dreaded
but deprecated contingency that the
Germans might invest Paris II was
deemed necessary by the war office,
now in supreme control that the
country for many miles around Paris
be cleared Of houses, in order that the
forts defending the capital might nave
uninterrupted range and also that the
enemy might have no shelter TO aid
their advance
In order to raze homes, surrendering
without compensation the fruits OF
their years of toll, was perhaps the
first thing that brought to Frenchmen
OF the younger generation a realization
OF all that war and martial law means.
The survivors of 1870 know all about
confiscation and siege and destruction
Of property, but younger Paristans per
haps did not fully comprehend the SIT
uatiOu until they heard the explosions
that tore down the beautiful and pic
turesque suburbs Of Paris and saw
homesteads go by the board
People Do Not Complain.
But there was little complaint and
lamentatiOn heard as the result of the
destruction Of the suburbs Save fer
the tears Of some old women. weeping
for the loss of the homes and their
'Tares and penates' there was no pro-
fTnr1rr her history France
has been a military nation and French
men have for generations been taught
to accept the fortunes Of war
II is the youth Of the country who
are learning new things now At first
the war was more or less Of a frOlic,
intermiXed with bitter denunciations
of Germany The gathering OF troops,
their departure amid the waving OF
flags and ringing OF cheers seemed
like a holiday occasion Then came
the shortage of money That carried
to the consciousness Of the people that
they were up against serious sltua-
ton.
And then came martial law. Its
rigid provisions convinced even the
most buoyant and volatile that war
was real. that in its dire effects II
touched the whole people, women anu
children as well as fighting men
The uneasiness Of the Parislans mas
been increased Of late by the perform
ances Of German aviators who nave
flown over the city and dropped bomDs-
True. the missiles have done little
damage, only a few persons beng
wounded and scattering buildings
damaged. Most Of the bombs nave
failed TO eplOde. But the Iacr tnaI
death and destruction threatens them
put Of the very air, naturally makes
the people nervous and anxious
The Notifications Of Paris and Ihelr
ability to resist siege are receiving
careful attention these days, while
the cfty's detailed defences are sur
rounded with secrecy by the military
authorities. yet their general and 10Y
midable strength are we'll known