Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-05

stan Correspondent Evenfno Ledger
PARIS. July H.
nARIs in wartime Is a very different
place from the gay Paris Of former
dava One sees the difference lmmedi-
efsIv on arrival. When our train reached
the Care du Nord, and ! motored from
there to the Care st. Lasaire, Il seemed
10 me that widows. and nothing but
widows. crowded the streetsl with long
streamers of black crepe floating from
their sombre bonnets, they we're hurry
ing along, arrayed in the deepest
mourning. II struck me that nine OUT
of every ten women were widows and
| 7 asked the chauffeur, who informed
| mo that. although they were In mourn-
ing for relatives killed In the war they
were not necessarily widows. PerhapH
II was father or a brother they had lost,
| and in most cases several members OF the,
family.
NV next impression was Of soldiers
everywhere, and such poor, smashed-up,
mutlIated soldiersl At one corner we
passed three blind zouaves. arm in arm
and all as cheerful as possible, while a
man in uniform conducted them across
the street.
Farther on were two cripples, each
having but one leg, their uniforms sad
" frayed and dirty, but both smiling
gardez les blesses-" some children were
crying. and following the wounded heroes
through the streets.
Everywhere in Paris one sees sights
like these. The soldiers are terribly
dlshgured, too, most of them having been
shot in the face, as the face is the part
exposed above the trenches. Many of
them have most of the mouth blown Off,
and in every street In Paris one meets
nh INT In M ri
way.
The Care st. Lazaire was crowded with
soldiers in every possible shade and
shape of uniform. And on my way out
to st, Germain the small suburban plat
forms were crowded with them.
1 was particularly struck by the cheer
fulness of the soldiers and their Wives
One never heard a grumble nor muir
muir. The French trains are peculiarly
built, the third-class carriages being over
head and reached by a small outside iron
stairway. Up this little stairway the SOL
diers swarmed, their packs or ''sacs" on |
their backs, all laughing and humming |
snatches of popular songs. In the little |
open-air carriages there they sat. all as |
happy as possible,
The train service has been, of course,
much curtailed, and as the trains are I
often Communicated altogether for mill
tary purposes, one must just take ones
chance. The military authorities have
first right to the trains, and whenever
he authorities want them for transport
purposes they Immediately get them.
POPULATION DECREASED.
The population of Paris has been tre-
nendously decreased, since every man
between the ages of IS and 40 must go off
% fight The expenses OF living have
zone UP correspondingly, and the shop
people are not doing anything like their
'ormer trade. Even where orders do
,ome in, they have not the men to execute
he orders, and have spoken with sew
,ral tradesmen who have been entirely
uined, not through lack of orders, but
through lack of men to carry them out. 1t
5 practically impossible to hire labor.
The motorbuses have entirely disap-
'eared from the streets of Parisl They
re all used for military purposes, and
lot single one remains. The car serv-
ce, too, leaves much to be desired. One
las to wait a very long time TO get a |
ar anywhere. Taxis abound, although
lst September, just before the Germans
we're turned on the Marne, all the taxis
Gere Communicated by the military au-
horities, and 10000 troops taken in them
o the battlefield. For a whole week
'aris was without single taxi!
The street scenes here are very differ
Mt from those in London. There are no
ecruiting notices, for instance, for where ]
here is conscription recruiting notices ,
re unnecessary. Theatres are all closed, t
nth the exception of a few benefit per- [
for the wounded, and the lit [
e street cafes close at 9, while the res
aurants close at 10. The change here =