Evening star., 1914-10-11


November 81. 1870. Minister Wash
burne wrote as follows Of the courage
GUS way in which the Parisians up to
that time had undergone the horrors
Of the siege:
tions with good deal Of fortitude. II
they could be made to believe that
France could be saved they would
suffer to the last extremity. AS it is.
can see no prospect Of the siege being
raised in any way. bhall not be as
much surprised In seeing the city now
hold out till January as 1 have been
already in seeing 1t hold out SO long
as 1t has. There has been no real
pinch up to within a short time, but
now things are getting to be little
hard. Fresh meat, including horse and
try. butter, cheese. etc. are about out
Of the question. A turkey sells for SIS
and a chicken for IS. Butter sells for
81 q pound. There is yet quite a guam
The price Of bread is hxed by law, and
1t has not raised much. Wine Is abun-
dant and cheap. The time is not far
distant when the great mass of the
people must live on bread and wine al
most entirely"
December 8. 1870, the department
cabled Minister Washburne that 1t left
to his discretion the question of
whether he should remain longer In
the beleagured French capital. He re-
piled that he considered it his duty to
remain In Paris. and would do so. At
that time he said there were still $50
Americans in Paris and 341 poor Ger
mans, who were being supported out Of
the legation fund. Then came the days
Of the bread riots and wood riots. when
the suffering in Paris became intense.
without even the semblance of mill
tary success to keep up the courage Of
mans were being supported by the le-
cation, and even that number was still
increasing. By January it had grown
to 1.753. and their suffering was great
wrote Minister Washburne. "to allevi-
ate the suffering of these unfortunate
people, but If the siege continues much
longer l really do not know what Is
last approaching when money cannot
procure what Is necessary to sustain
human life. My position in this regard
Is becoming embarrassing to the last
degree"
Next came the bombardment Of the
city with all It's terrors. January 8
the number of poverty-stricken Ger
mans whom the legations funds were
caring for reached 2,039.
Cases of terrible suffering are
brought to my notice every day. wrote
Minister Washburne. II heard few
days ago of a family in the last stage
of destitution. absolutely perishing of
cold and hunger. I Immediately sent
my messenger with a small quantity Of
wood. some wine. chocolate. sugar.
conhture. etc. He found family Of
seven persons, consisting of the father.
mother and hve children, cooped up In
a little seven -by-nine attic, entirely
without hre and nothing to eat but dry
bread. They had already burned their
last bedstead as last resource. On a
little pallet Of straw on the floor was
little boy, seven years old, SO weak
ened by hunger as to be unable to sit
up. or scarcely to lift his head. / di-
rected some money to be given them
unless this siege shall last forever"
A week later the bombardment had
grown SO severe and had caused SO
much damage to hospitals and schools
the diplomats in Paris Joined in their
appeal to Count Bismarck
The bombardment so a has not
had the effect of Fastening the surren.
Minister Washburne. "On the other
hand 1t has apparently made the people
more firm and determined. In the pres
ence Of a common danger the feeling
of hostility to the government, which
was SO openly manifested some two
weeks ago. has been greatly modified"
At this time Minister Washburne
wrote an interesting note to the de-
partment suggesting that the attention
Of Congress be called to the fact that
instead of the $1,000 which he had
estimated originally would be neces-
sary for tho Increased expenses Of the
legation 1t would require an appro-
priation of $4,000. In the present war
Congress made an appropriation of
$1,000, 900 for just such extraordinary
expenses, but in 1871 such a liberal