El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-06-02
Of
WAR SHARED BY
ALL IN FRANCE
Rich Americans in Paris
Suffer With the Poorer
Glasses; No Luxuries.
GRAVE MENACE IN
SCARCITY OF COAL
ny c. F. BERTELLL.

- ARTS. France, June 2.-Three
- years OF warfare have affected
L the civilian population OF
France. particularly OF Paris. IN a
way never before experienced save
in the case Of actual siege. Priva-
lions and restrictions have appeared
within the last three months that, In
many respects. have set civilization
back to where 1t was two generations
ago.
The restrictions have affected every
man, no matter what his station. and
IN all the phases OF his life, from his
food to his amusements and his pleas
urez from his habits OF cleanliness
TO his habit Of taking meat with his
evening meal.
Affects Rich Americans.
Well to do Americans living In
Paris who pay from $4,000 to $4,000
a year rent for their apartments In
the Avenue Bots de Boulogne or the
Champs Elysees. have been '.pinched"
in the general Tightening Of the sit
uation as well as the ordinary laborer
gaining his $3.50 a day.
One returning to his apartment IN
vator was not running. He lived on
the sixth floor and WIS forced to toll
up nearly 200 steps, because of the
restrictions on coal The elevator was
operated by compressed air. To pro-
cure compressed air coal Is required.
Americans out OF their homes and
into hotels
The very latest restriction imposed
upon the people IS the coal card.
under which an allowance of coal will
be made to each family according to
its determined need In no case may
a private family receive more than a
hundred weight OF coal per week.
Those who live in steam heated apart
ments are not entitled to any coal
for heatins purposes nor to any
where cooking is done by other means
than over coal ranges The families
who both cook and heat with coal
must make the hundred weight SUI
flee no matter what their actual needs
may be.
Coal Scarce. Less Bathing.
The Paris working classes were just
taking kindly 20 the use of the pub
lie lighthouses. introduced in the past
generation in a country where the
bathtub was conspicuous by its rarity
20 years ago. when the restrictions
on coal caused the bath houses to
announce to their clientele they would
a week.
The news OF the very latest re-
striction that followed the next day
was received with considerable less
equanimity. 1t was a decree prohio-
itinE the serving Of meat in any pub
lie place with the evening meal. In
cluded was game, fowl and rabbits
II a man cared for neither eggs nor
fish. he had the option of a few vege-
tables or going hungry
No Pastries In Summer.
Previous restrictions had already
closed the cake bakeries and tea shops
OF the country on Tuesdays and We'd
nesdays. During these two days no
cakes, chocolates, sweetmeats or even
dry biscuits may be sold by any one,
whether restauranteur or shopkeeper.
During June and July the manufac'
turer Of pastry is absolutely pro-
hibited.
The devotees OF the afternoon tea
habit could brew their tea at home.
that is, IL they could drink plain tea
for their is no milk. The creameries
have a limited amount. which they
serve only to their established clients
A stranger has no chance of buying
even half a pint of milk. The same
is true OF sugar. No one unless
equipped with a sugar card can pur-
chase a grain OF sugar
A card entities the holder TO a lit
tie under two pounds a month, doled
out 10 him the first OF every month.
Two pounds Of sugar, IL morning cof-
fee or tea is taken, cannot possibly
be extended to include afternoon tea
So Paris goes without.