The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-02
M|RMAN WORKING
 ID RESTORE FRANCE
Is Prefect of Department of Meurthe and MOselle
PREVENTED A PANIC
Gained by His DemeanOr Less Than 5000 Inhabitants Left Nancy Even Though German Guns Were
 Thundering in Their Ears


 spondence of the Associated Press.)-"Ev cry ones thoughts are directed toward the victorious termination of the war, and that unity of purpose alone suffices to create discipline said Monsieur Mir man, prefect of the department of Meurthe and AIoselle. in explanation of what some call the new spirit in France.
 Monsieur Mirman has become widely known through the work he has done in a dangerous post during the war, He was director of hygiene a the ministry of the interior when the war began and he could have retained that safe post, but he preferred to take an active part in the great tragedy.
 PREVENTED A PANIC
 Send me to Nancy" he asked of Minis ter Ma1vy, when he learned that the pre- feet of Meurthe and Moselle had fallen ill. "To Nancy It is a question whether you can get there ahead of the Ger mans" was told at the ministry He was given the chance and he arrived in the ancient capital of Lorraine on the historic day, August i, 1914, while the sacred union was being consecrated in the French Parliament. He lived with his family through all the anxious mo- ments of the battles of Morhange, of Nancy and of the Marne. During the critical hours from August 9 to August 24, when it was expected that the city might at any minute be occupied by the Germans, Monsieur Mirman and Madame Mirman were conspicuous in the Rue Saint Jean, making what the prefect calls their diplomatic promenades.' The can non thundered ominously and unceasing ly, yet the population, seeing Monsieur 1e Prefect'' and Madame la Prefete' calmly examining the goods displayed in the principal shop windows went quietly and resgnedly about their various Occu- pations. There was never the slightest panic and at the most critical moment on August 24, less than 5000 of the 10000 inhabitants left the city for the interior.
 The last shots of the battle of Nancy or the battle of Metz. as the Germans call 1t, and the battle of the Mame had scarce ly been fired before Monsieur Mirman, in the wake of the retreating Germans. set about making an inventory of the dam age in his department and the inaugura- ton of measures of relief, comfort and restoration. Dead bodies of civilian vic tims were still lying where they fell around Gerbevillers and other afflicted towns when this work began.
 BURIED CIVILIANS
 We picked up the bodies of seven dead civilians over there," he said to a corre- spondent of the Associated Press point ing to a little raVine on the road from Gerbevillers to Nancy.
 Monsieur Mirman had not only to assure burial to the civilian victims of the in- vasion found here and there after the de- cisive 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 rem dered uninhabitable.
 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 returned. Tt is only the towns to which the torch was applied that are practically annihilat ted. The houses of Lorraine villages are solidly built of stone and bombardments, unless system atically followed up, damage without de- stroying. Gerbevillers and Nomeny are examples of another kind. There were few shells fired into these towns The buildings were systematically set fire by squads of German soldiers provided with most complete incendiary equipment. specimens of which we picked up in and around the town afterward. The hypo- thesis of accident is entirely precluded also by the fact that that it took two and half days continued effort to complete the burning of Gerbevillers. An accident is rarely either so persevering or so thor ough.
 Tn the stricken villages of the portion of Meurthe and Moselle not still occupied by the enemy, in some cases all, and in most cases nearly all the exiled popula- ton has returned. Even Gerbevillers where we have repaired what was repair- able and erected new temporary homes. half of the 1890 inhabitants have re- turned"