The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-08-21
I'D r. ARTISANS
ONCE MORE HUNT
RATS FOR FOOD?
"A Last Great War With Ger
many Hundreds Died Of Star
walton During Siege
MANY FROzE FOR
4 LACK OF FUEL
Ring Of Fire and Steel Held In
habitants of Joy City
Prisoners - ;

In the very hospitals German shells
we're exploiting their death-showers
among rough cots laden with rwoand-
I'D and dying! 1890
Out In the streets, while this rain
<ok projectiles fell mercilessly on all
sides, lines OF poor women and chill
dfen, clad only in rags TO protect them
\ {rom the bitter cold and sieet, were
MORNING the regular morning bread
line. -
& Il was the dread siege Of Paris!
For hours the line moved painfully
Forward, the freezing slush penetrat-
Ing the sufferers straw-stuffed wood
en- shoes, and at the end or the line
they received their days rations--
& losai than half pound Of bread, and
IAN ounce OF meat! Coarse bread made
e sweepings Of rye, And for meat.
horsef1esh.
II was early January OF 1870. one
o1 Frances coolest and most bitter
winters. Since the 18th OF September
Paris had been hemmed In on all sides
~ vast hordes OF German troops. And
tohe was destined to hold out heroical-
An, suffering indiscribable horrors Of
E0ioease. starvation, and death, for
nearly month longer!
IL h that historic siege Of Paris
which many French warrior has In
mind today as he charges on the Ger
man troops along the frontier. He
feels that death is a pleasing price to
pay II only he helps to avenge his
znther's sufferings In the great bonn
bsrdment.
From the first OF the siege, the city
MAS In feyerish, almost hysteric
<ctate. The newspapers published in
Sopiring promises OF early succor, Of
Groat victories Of the French troops
I1n the provinces. And the next day.
these rosy stories were denied, and
1@he bitter truth of another defeat was
Dublished.
N The reaction was one OF hopeless
Impression among all the people. To
nd to the troublous times, the citi-
|1ons were never secure from bloody
|oprisings and riots by the rabble.
There were attacks on the govern
|1nent oficials, often actually led by
'oGlcers Of the national guard!
Paris was peopled by women and
&hildren and old men. All the males
o{ lighting age were on the walls or
III the trenches and forts outside.
While fathers and husband lay MAIN
'od Or killed by German bullets in the
E1Ilourbs, their wives and daughters
Xero hunting rats for food through
<he vile haunts OF the sewers.
b. Those who had q few pennies, or
who had husbands In the national
~1xard, were entitled to the ounce OF
noroefesh and half pound OF bread
ay But there were many destitute,
< Fho were forced to forage for rat
neat, or starve. And many froze to
|eath. for lack OF fuel. In one night,
700 1Oldiers froze In bivouac outside
Paris.
The armies were being continually
mt out upon such sorties. Paris
My hope was to break through the
80Defan lines. But each sUrtfe was
4puIzed, and the bleeding bodies In
NJ streets and alleys and frozen mud
oodo OF the suburbs. told OF more
l0oWs and orphans left In the starv-
~ capital.
Women Of wealth and position
6lnod with the poor and side by side
6bored In improvised hospitals. just
10 Parisiennes of today are planning
- DO. The magnificent corridors Of
1o Theater Francois, which O. few
Months earlier were filled nightly with
|Enlly dressed, laughing pleasure-seek-
~. now echoed with the groans of the
tying. The theater was hospital!
< And then came the bombardment.
The German gunners picked out the
clty's sore spots to prod with their
cannon Three Of the big hospitals
we're penetrated by 235 German shells
~ the space OF three weeks. In those