Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-12-15
ASKED DANGEROUS POST
WHEN WAR BROKE OUT
Project of Department of Meurthe
and Moselle Says New Spirit
Keeps Discipline in France. !
Correspondence of the Associated Press.

Correspondence Of the Associated Press.
NANCY, France. October 25.-"Every
ones thoughts are directed toward the
victorious termination of the war, and
that unity of purpose alone sufiices
to create discipline" said NJ Mir
man. project of the department Of
Meurthe and Moselle. in explanation of
what some call the new spirit in
France.
NJ. Mirman has become widely known
through the work he has done in
a dangerous post during the war.
He was director of hygiene at the min
istry of the interior when the war be-
gan. and he could have retained that
safe post. but he preferred to take
an active part in the great tragedy.
Send me to Nancy" he asked of Min
lister Malvy. when he learned that the
project of Meurthe and Moselle had
fallen i'll. ITO Nancy? 1t is a question
whether you can get there ahead OF
the Germans he was told at the min
istry. He was given the chance and
he arrived in the ancient capital OF
Lorraine the historic day. August 4.
being consecrated in the French par
Lament. He lived with his family
through all the anxious moments of
the battles of AIorhange, of Nancy and
of the Marine. During the critical hours
from August % to August "a. when 1t
was expected that the city might at
any minute be occupied by the Ger
mans. NJ Mirman and Nine. Mirman
were conspicuous in the Rue Saint
Jean. making what the project calls
their diplomatic promenades." The
cannon thundered ominously and un-
monsieur lie frefect'' and madame
la prefete" calmly examining the goods
displayed in the principal shop win
dows. went Quietly and resignedly
about their various occupations There
was never the slightest panic. and at
the most critical moment August "a
less than 5000 of the 10000 inhabitants
left the city for the Interior
Takes Steps for Relief.
The last shots of the battle OF
Nancy. or the battle of Metz. as the
Germans call Il, and the battle of the
Marine had scarcely been fired before
NJ. Mirman, in the wake of the re-
treating Germans, set about making an
inventory of the damage in his depart
ment and the Inauguration of meas
ures of relief, comfort and restoration.
Dead bodies of civilian victims were
still lying where they fell around
Gerbevillers and other afflicted towns
when this work began.
We picked up the bodies of seven
dead civilians over there" he said to a
correspondent of the Associated Press,
pointing to a little ravine on the road
from Gerbevillers to Nancy.
NJ. Mirman had not only to assure
burial to the civilian victims of the
invasion found here and there after
the decisive engagements of the first
week of September, but had to provide
food and shelter for thousands of
refugees from regions still occupied or
from towns rendered uninhabitable.
Towns Only Wounded, He Says.
1.-The bombarded towns of Lorraine
may be said to be wounded, not dead"
he said, in explanation of the rapid
restoration of many stricken villages
to which the entire population has re-
turned. 1T is only the towns to which
the torch was applied that are practic-
ally annihilated. The houses of Lor-
raine villages are solidly built of stone
and bombardments, unless systematic
ally followed up. damage without
destroying. Gerbevillers and Nomeny
are examples of another kind There
were few shells fired into these towns.
The buildings were Systematically set
afire by squads of German soldiers pro-
vided with most complete incendiary
equipment. specimens OF which We
picked up in and around the town
afterward. The hypothesis of accident
is entirely precluded also by the fact
that it took two and half days con-
tinued effort to complete the burning
of Gerbevillers: an accident is rarely
either so perservering or so thorough
In the stricken villages of the por-
ton of Meurthe and Moselle not still
occupied by the enemy. in some cases
all, and in most cases nearly all, the
exiled population has returned Even
Gerbevillers. where we have repaired
what was repairable and erected new
temporary homes, half of the 1900 in
habitants have returned.