The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-08-03


clothes. Mother tried TO shield
me but she WAS weeping 30
bitterly she fell on the floor"
n, r-i,.d Pro-. re~.~d wire
PARIS. France. Aug "A party
OF 90 French girls. returned by the
Germans out OF total OF 5000
taken into virtual slavery from
Lille aud nearby territory. were
permitted TO make their way TO
Paris. because the Germans nj
lille we're afraid OF the effect OF
their stories on the civilian popula.
ton there.
Here are extracts from the diary
OF Yvonne Treyille. one OF the
girls. daughter OF a physician OF
Lille. shown some consideration by
the Germans because OF his useful
ness as a doctor to the people %
his parish:
FEBRUARY 23-Before ! could
answer the loud knock on my bed.
room door IL was burst open. \
German soldier brushed past my
mother. shouting: Get M and
dress. You leave Lille In 20 min.
utes TO plant potatoes In the Ar
dennes.' He did not leave the
room. ano-ssIi. ! dressed over
my night clothes Mother tried TO
shield me by pretending to help
With my clothes, but she was weep
Ing 90 bitterly she fell on the floor
Outside the other Germans lined
up In the square stared at mo. say
ing 'Ach, You have caught n pref
ty one. Fritz They laughed.
FEBRUARY 2s-It all happen
ed only two days ago. not two
years. But / am not 10 now. am
30. The girls In the cattle truck
with me we're all classes. While
we Travelled thru the night German
soldiers moved about among us In
the truck. ! took the part OF one
giri, not educated as I had been.
and daxed. But always I saw my
mothers face. AZ II was whom the
truck left. II seemed 10 be bccom-
Ing shapeiess with grief. I may
never sec Il again. But I shall ~.
ways see T.
sMARcN to-Ws hsvs been
In ~ snscty hevse In IN Ar
esnnes viilses morn than .
week. Am ! alive or dead
SITTER TNATi When, taken 20
the hssdausrtsrs, another emp
~ house. the day after We
came. the Officers ordered me
20 strip. ! wac stunned. ! ~ss
turned 10 stone. and could not
move. Net In pity. but TO save
time. he explained something
about medical examination.
And when I was naked the
German doctor asked me aues-
tIons and made tests did not
understand-then. objected
90 much that girls later In line
were treated more kindly.
90. I had not seen the sign
on the house where ! am kept With
five other girls. until this morning
In German, II said. six women.
That Is why these soldiers have
come to look at us. and hint at In
suits. That Is why We must now
never leave each other alone. but
stand together. with our backs 70
the wall. whom these men come.
What do you mean
asked Eugene. an artisans daugh'
ter from our parish in Lille. Ny
father was doctor and ever
watchful OF me. when she told
me what she had heard under
stood. too. Tho Germans had an
nounced We were evil women. go
the people would not take us In,
and we had to live In the empty
houses.
APRIL 3-Eugenie has gone
There was another medical
examination two weeks ago
more insulting. more obscene than
| had dreamed Of During II. things
were suggested. ] kept from
fsinting only by remembering II
did faint ] might lose more than
life. We were catalogued as good
for anything We we're 80 ashamed
We went home by different streets
Eugene has been gone from
| our house for a week.
No wonderi II Is simple. II 10
easy. Poor GIRL She had had
less training. " she
has a son IL will be sent TO
Germany TO become at last
soldier. Awful Some
day her son might kill her own
little brother. the little Eric
she always talked about.
MAY e-More than month
more--of daily horrors They put
prostitute In our house. We
cried. but II did no good. Two
weeks ago they lodged soldiers
with us. When two of them drag
ged me into a room | screamed 80
loudly and became so hysterical
they let me go They were partly
undressed. Since night be
fore last have been afraid to
sleep. or what happeend
and my escape. dare not even
think, much less tell Yet.
can only lie awake and pray to my
mother and the dear mother OF