Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-04-28

not be able to confiscate much Of the
food which Uncle Sam has sent.
ChArleviile II important 70 the Germans
because 1t IL the headquarters on the
western front from which all opera
lions are directed. When General Won
Falkenhayn was chief Of the general
staff he and the kaiser had their
headquarters here, but since Field Mar
sha Won Hindenburg has directed tho
German forces only q sub general staff
has been located in Charlevilie. When
the French reach this city they will
probably he surprised to find 10 few
French Inhabitants, because the Ger
mans over two years ago compelled
nearly every French man. woman and
child to leave.
SLOW, RUTHLESS RETREAT.
Unless the allies are able to break
through the western line and compel
the Germans to retreat in disorder;
unless the morale Of the German army
Is broken. slow, ruthless retreat may
be expected in this occupied district.
And in case the retreaters take their
time 1t Is certain that they will dyna-
mite or burn everything which they
are compelled to leave.
and Belgian Inhabitants have been
awaiting day and night for over two |
years the return Of the allied armies.
They have been awaiting deliverance.
Their suffering they show in every
thing they do. / have seen women
standing in the doorways Of partially |
destroyed homes, and their faces show
ed such bitterness, hatred, such SUI |
nd LET hot 4
think they could neither cry nor laugh
again. have seen children playing in |
the streets with dolls and toys which |
they had had before the war. because
they have not had an opportunity to |
get new ones. Little girls play with |
headless and armless dolls, and con-
slider even these little playthings as
sufferers under the invaders A few
months ago. when travelled through |
most Of this territory. there was not an |
ounce Of candy to be bought any place. |
One could buy small quantities of milk |
chocolate, but it was so expensive that
children Of France have probably for
gotten what candy tastes like, just as |
they no longer know how it is to play |
with q real pretty doll.
A number Of times when I talked to |
shopkeepers and convinced them that
was an American heard pathetic |
tales OF suffering and depression. |
When the people in this territory met |
an American it was the same as meet
ing q friend from the other side Of
the firing line-the people are 30
grateful to the American Relief Com
mission. Tho German deportation |
measures have been the ones which |
have caused the greatest distress. |
Those who have not been sent away I
have lived in constant fear Of the evil |
day when they might be called upon
to leave all friends and relatives for
a strange city.
CAMBRIA IN WARTIME.
Cambria, as late as last December,
was the headquarters of Crown Prince
Rupprecht From here all operations
on the Somme were directed. The city
at that time was not destroyed. Stores
were doing normal wartime business
among the soldiers and officers. The
beautiful city hall was occupied by the
intelligence departments of the crown
princes army. The big French chat
eaus were housing German generals
and officers. French families owning
beautiful chateaus were compelled to
or two rooms upstairs and turn the
other parts of tho chateaus over to
German officers.
The contempt and hatred which these
people have for the Germans cannot be
described. It is SO extensive and so
deep that the German army from time
to- time. fearing It's own safety, has
attempted to win the friendship of the
people. have seen officers go through
these cities and give money to the
hoping in that way to win
their friendship. But it was not sue
cessful. Children had been taught By
their parents not to accept anything
which was offered them. In some cities
the Germans have opened schools. Ger
man officers who could speak French
and who had been teachers in Germany
were placed in charge One day in
Munich met young officer who had
a school near Sedan. He said that al
though he had been there a year, he
had been unsuccessful. Even the
children were so belligerent, he remark
ed, that they spat on him whenever he
said anything good about Germany. He
declared Germany feared the effects of
this hatred after the war and that the
army was trying every method known
to education to make friends of the
children. But, he added, he had
learned that 1t was a hopeless task,
because the mothers OF the children
were SO loyal to France. that they
had only one thought-the complete de-
feat and destruction Of the German 6
army. Germany spent thousands of
marks having textbooks printed for :
these French children in an attempt to
leach them the German viewpoint of
tho war. The army also spent con- !.
nd III hlo