Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-29
RUINED VILLAGE
GIVES Up ITS GOLD
Homes in Ashes, but Peasants
Show Touching Loyalty
: to France.
TEARS IN EYES OF COLONEL
Aged Man Braves Death to Con-
tribute $50 Francs Gathered
From Neighbors.
TEARS IN EYES OF COLONEL
ny GEORGES DuFREsSE.

PARIS, August 2s.-An officer who is
from the front tells the following
touching story:
Some time ago We were fighting near
French village. which has changed
hands at least half "A dozen times. II
was at that time in the hands OF the
Germans, while our frst-lne trenches
were only 100 meters from the nearest
houses.
One evening. while everything was
quiet and only an occasional shot was
heard at long intervals. a sudden fus!l
lade began. We thought IL was tho
signal OF a German attack. and every
one rushed into the trenches. In the
darkness they ran UP against man
who cried: Don't shoot; / am a French
man"
Tho proved TO be very old peasant.
but It wns possible that he might be
German Epy, he was surrounded and
taken before our colonel. who began
to examine him. There arc four or
fve OF u.s. he said, who remained in
the village when everybody else had
fed, because the land and the ruins
Of our houses were our only earthly
pOBScSPlOnS. Al our age II is easier
tn remain in tho midst OF the nghiing
than to change your habits. and death
ia preferable BY far to exile.
THE last time tho French occupied
our village an officer gave us French
newspaper. 1t didn't contain much
news. but we passed il from hand TO
hand. and one thought came to all OF
us Immediately. The Minister OF France
wanted gold. and each OF had put
away n few louisdors We dug them up
and my friends sent me TO give them
TO you at the first opportunity
Then the old man handed the colonel
$50 francs in gold. the entire wealth
OF the devastated village.
with tears in his eyes our colonel
received this precious gift. and en-
braced the old man, who said: In re-
turn beg you, colonel. to keep me here
until you take the village. want to
come back with you, for II tried to
return before. I should be shot
Tho gold was Immediately sent to
the Bank OF France, and a collection
is now being taken UP for tho benefit
Of the people OF that patriotic village"
GERMANS IN BELGIUM
PREFER FRENCH MONEY
Hero is another story which comes
from Liege, and which shows the Ger
mans In Belgium prefer French money
TO their own currency. which continues
TO decline in value.
a LieSe merchant who applied to
the German military authorities for a
passport 10 go abroad on business
trip was told that he could only get
this IL he would deposit Il cash bail
OF 1000 francs o. guarantee that he
would return and not Join the Belgian
army. The merchant handed the Ger
man official 500 marks in German paper
money, the equivalent OF 1000 francs
at the current rate of exchange. but
the official refused to accept it.
Il told you TO deposit 1000 francs"
he said. mot 500 marks"
With some difficulty the merchant
got together the 1000 francs. got his
passport and left When he returned.
some two weeks later. he demanded
his 1000 francs, but all he could get
was a German war-loan bond for 500
marks. He thus involuntarily became
n subscriber to the Kaiser's war loan.
.SSYMPATHY Is SHOWN
FOR FRENCH AIRMEN
A French journalist who has just
visited the French Airman Gilbert, af-
ter his vain attempt TO escape from the
Swiss village of Hospental where he is
interned, found him greatly moved by
the many signs of sympathy he re-
celved from the Swiss people.
Every morning" he said, Il got n
beautiful bouquet of wild flowers in
the French national colors and on
our national holiday my room was
literally filled with red, blue and white
bouquets. Everybody here knows how
I long to return to France and take
up my military duties, and they do not
hesitate to express the hone that some
day I shall succeed in escaping across
the Italian frontier.
why, even the sentinel who stopped
me when / made my futile attempts
some six months ago felt sorry for me.
but duty left him no choice in the mat
ter" On his table stood a small doll
in Alsatian national costume
THAT is my mascot" he said "It
has never left me, and some day hone
1t shall again accompany me when
take up once more the fight against the
vi Ire