East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-05-06
BY WILLIAM C. SHEPHERD,
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent

! (Unlted Press starr correspondent
PARIS, April 26.--(By Mail to New
York. Within sixty or seventy miles
Of the capital are cities. filled with
French people who for the past nine
months have lived under German
rule What is life like in these
towns
When the kaisers hordes swept
southwark last July on their gigantic
attempt against Paris the people OF
northeastern France heard them COM
ing and fled in vast numbers scat
tering to all parts of the country.
Many could not flee; many more
would not; so the colossal gray flood
swept over them and pinned them
down and there they are to this day.
their daily lives ruled and regulated
by orders emanating from the local
headquarters of the various German
| commanders.
Here Is a picture of life in st. Quen-
tin under German rule, st. quentin,
a charming French city but little
more than an hours ride on rail-
way train northward from Paris. The
picture was drawn by a French citi-
zen of the place who succeeded in
making his escape through the Ger
man lines:
THE city was never so bustling as
now" the speaker told the cores
pondent. Across the square in front
of the city hall rapid autos filled with
| German officers dash in all directions,
they are coming from La Fere, from
Laon, from Vernand and from Cam.
brai. Troops are leaving the train
at the station, flies and drums play
ing; land wehr patrols come and go
escorting small groups of prisoners,
or relieving the guards in various
quarters of the town; a group OF
townspeople stand reading a notice
Just posted by German military au-
thorities purporting to quote Paris
newspaper begging for peace: the
notice is headed:
WISE WORDS OF A FRENCH
NEWSPAPER"
Under the gothic arches of the
city hall a detachment of landwehr
stand sheltered on the first floor,
in the great gala hall group of mu-
nicipal councilmen sit, night and day,
issuing billets for lodging soldiers and
requisitiOns demanded by the German
invaders; the police commissary and
his men, in civil attire, but with arm
rands in St. Quentin colors, are held
at the disposition Of the military.
The German Headquarters.
The German commanders head
quarters are at the Credit Lyonnais,
the city's largest banking establish
ment, but part of his administration
has headquarters at the second larg-
est bank, the Compton d'Escompt.
"The theater houses a company OF
landwehr Nearby the restaurant
Aigle-Noir has become "The German
Restaurant" and here the German
non-comrhissioned officers have their
mess. The commissioned officers fire.
quent the more imposing cafes and
restaurants, this being one of their
favorite occupations.
At o'clock the pastry shop, Ca
yeug becomes the rendezvous of the
elegants of the army. Spik and span
officers in monocles and full regi-
mentals. strut and gossip and deyour
cakes or group themselves around
tiny tables and sip port or cherry with
tartes and petitfours.
But the liveliest tables Of all isl
that at which the kalser's fourth son,
Prince Auguste, fraternises with his
cronles and cracks jokes with his
dapper staff-officers.
"All these officers live in the pref
ty villas bordering the aristocratic
Rue Charles-Picard and the rich
Champs Elysees, up and down which
streets every morning they caracole
upon horses of great pride. The em-
peror himself when he visited st
quentin, lived in the old Charles Bas-
quln home facing the Champs Elysees.
This is one of the most elegant prl-
yate houses in the country.
"The Girls Seminary has been
into a hospital. So hasI
Fervacques Palace The Henri Mar
tin school also. They are all over
flowing with German wounded and
arrive throughout thel
day and night.
St. Hilaire Barracks are occupied
by landwehr. In the courtyard OF
this group Of buildings all the citi-
zcns Of st. quentin who are subject
to mobilization, some 5000 in num-
Der must present themselves once a
week. These men were surprised by
the German advance before their day
Of mobilization had arrived