Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-09-20
vo gOna i'll with the Germans

Their difficulties explain the lels- urely methods with which the siege
 was conducted during the first SIX
 weeks when the population of Paris was scarcely put to serious discom- fort. But there was no well trained field army on which to rely. French men responded galantly enough to the fiery appeals of Gambetta and De Freycinct, but the raw levies had no time to acquire discipline and their the west, D'Aurelles de Paladines and Chanzy in the Lorie country Faidherbo in the north near Arras and finally Bourtaki on the Swiss frontier did their best but each in turn was effectually disposed of and the hopes to which their activities gave rise in Paris died away The garrison in Paris was continually elated by cheering rumors Of victory outside which never materialized and by confident promises of Success in the next sortie, which when it took place invaribaly ended like it's pred cessors, in reDulse.
 Every direction was tried in turn. There was the sort1s of Chatillon on the helghts of which the Prussians had established their most formidable batteries. There was the big sortie of Champigny on the eastern side. across the Marne on November 29. but the only result of three days fighting was that General Durot lost some 5000 men and WIS thrown back to his own lines.
 ParisaD= Lose Confidence. The sortie of Le Bourget, On De- cember 21, met with no better fate and the final sortie of Buzenval a month later was the last flash in the pan. By that time even the most opti- mistic Parisians had ceased to believe 1 in the mysterious plan by which Trochn was to cleave way for the Garrison to the outside world.
 1t is often forgotten that tine Prus- sians did not begin their serious bonn bardment of the forts Of Paris until December 27 three months after the 1 investment was complete and that they did throw shells into Paris her self until January ,. Bismarck had spoken contemporary of the French forts. we can take two or three ith ease" he said, whenever we like ! to try" But that was an idle boast. l The forts of Paris, notably those which faced the lPrussian batteries at Mendonfi Clamart and Chatillon, 1 held out manfully to the very end though the most exposed forts at D1ssy Vanves and Montague were 1 greatly knocked about their remained in action down to the equalization. l The first shells to fall within the I walls among the civilian population came on tine 110 tn day of the siege.
 Thenceforth they rained in without
 much intermissiou the aim being chiefly directed at the Luxembourg,
 the Invalides and ambulance of the Val de Grace. A number of women
 and children and inoffensife citizens
 were killed but the Parisians soon got used to the shells and the cry of
 Care Pobus." It is computed that
 5000 shells were thrown into Paris
 in the twelve days and that the deaths due to them were 296. Then,
 as now, the Germans did not care
 whether they killed non-combatants
 or not; then as how the King of Prus-
 sia cheerfully invoked the blessing of
 God upon the success of his gunners
 in slaughtering women and children.
 Their system of warfare" wrote
 Mir. Gibson Bowles lis based through
 out on terrorism exercised upon
 those who cannot defend themselves,
 in order to awe those who can,
 precisely the same system in fact that
 is pursued by brigands of al coun-
 tries. They fight indeed, when they
 cannot help it, but when they can
 they prefer ot tage hostage and levy
 acquisitions upon civilians, and now
 that they have met in Paris force
 capable Of resistance they do not
 scruple to take their revenge upon
 women and children"
 Prussian chivalry and German cul- ! ture were the same in 1871 as they
 are sem to be in 1914.
 Losses by Epidemics.
 The chief sufferings, however in
 Paris. was caused by famine and | pestilence. Everyone has heard of the privations of hunger which were endured by the populace with great courage as long as any hope of succor
 remained. Tine mortality was fear full. In the last week of the siege g. 300 infants died. Smallpox during those terrible months claimed 64,2OO victoms. More over it was winter, fuel was scarce and the season in- element.
 Such was the siege of 1S70-71, and the condition of Paris was aggravat- ed by the political dissensions which a little later culminated in the hor- TOTS of the Commune. If Paris should have to endure a siege now she would not have to fear the. worst of the evils which have just been enumer- 41,d