Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-04-13
Stories of the War
Havre of Today.

Havre has always been the most
cosmopolitan port in France, out never
before the war would you get three
British half-pence and a Belgian sou
in eight cents worth of small change.
That triviality is symbolical of the
Havre of today-only half French,
ee-eights British and an eighth
Belgian.
1t is the influx of the British that
has doubled the traffic of the port dur
ing the past nineteen months and con-
gested the docks until scores of ships
are at, times seen lying for days to-
gether in the offing waiting for a spot
| cotton, giving to the port a resenb-
| lance to New Orleans.
The cotton sheds, covering 20 acres
| of ground and fitted with 20 electric
| cranes, have become insufficient and
the bales are rolled upon the quays
everywhere that a ship from New Or
| leans happens to find a berth.
The traffic of the port of Havre
which amounted to $4,000 tons in
| 1918 was less than half that of Rot
| terdam and only a little more than n
| third of that of Antwerp and Ham
| burg. The reasons for it were largely
| lack of docking facilities and the lin
| tied railroad communications with
Paris and the center OF France. Even
| before the war ships were sometimes
held up in the roads waiting their turn
| TO dock, and a new basin called the
| Tidal Basin" was planned and partly
finished with the view of relieving
congestion.
The congestion of traffic now is not
only a hindrance to commerce but n
danger to navigation which greater
| vigilance on the part Of the French
navy against German submarines may
obviate but which is considered suffi-
GENTLY serious at the present time Ia
justify consideration of the temporary
use of the uncompleted Tidal Basin
a hlf
turn to dock.
The town itself is far more animated
than in time of peace, and is un1void-
ably getting rich from the vast eN-
penditures of the British commissary
department and the individual trade
of officers and soldiers. English shoI
| signs are seen everywhere alongside
; the French, for Tommy Atkins" i.
slow in learning the language.
One OF the most conspicuous thing;
one sees in the Rue de Paris. the prin,
: cipal street in the town. Is British
Bar in big, brave British red on tn
window of a saloon. 4 little furthe
on sign points the way to the Brit
ish Soldiers Club" Another sig;
2 post directs men to the British ON
2 GERS Club while there are tea rOom
(, | everywhere and restaurants that con
spicuously advertise Ham and Eggs.
r | The right shop for British" Com
+ in and demand for all the things whiCl
=
among some of the appeals to III
soldiers.
British transports have the right
c Of-way over all other ships in III
= harbOr and at the docks, and the Brit
- lSh prevail everywhere on shore. som
e people at Havre have inquired whethe
= the British occupation is going TO las
Y forever, an inquiry inspired by III
d seemingly permanent character of IN
q installations for the different service
nj ha Fri FR. TlV-fs
f. ish troops. Most people at Havre wi
# be glad if it does, because they ar
o getting rich-all, excepting the fisher
: men. The herring catch has dimin
- ished so per cent, while all the othe
d commerce of Havre has doubled.
s Havre is under naval instead {
e military rule, despite the occupatio
IS by the British army. Khaki is the Pre-
e vailing color, but the French admire
4, Biard, is the king of Havre and Ton
= my Atkins must submit to his author
ity. He must quit the saloon at o
clock and must not be found in \ res
y taurant after 10. Patrols look for hin
,e through all the narrow ways and by
s ways and in the corners of the dock
" and pick him up sharply if found al
Al ter hours where he should not be.
% As to the civilian, he looks in. val
& for any sort of consideration in Havr'
1t those that live there content then
n selves in taking British money in e.
lot pest TOOIIlSt pest aIiE-
Or ments and best tables in the restal
? rants. The civilian from abroad &c
lie in with so much difficulty. he feels
is if he had broken in and almost fnseI
Of sibly tries to sneak out: this. too,
Ir difficult, for the man from Scotlar
l. Yard considers every civilian guilty
IN spying until he has proven his innt
he cence; If he happens to speak Englis
ct the presumption against him is
I'd much the stronger.