Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-03-23
Stories of Treatment of the
French Population in the
Occupied Territory Show
the Invaders Rule With
a Firm Hand.
OLD MEN FORCED TO
BUILD TRENCHES
Work on the New Positions
to Which the Germans
Have Reiterated Has Been
Under Way for a Number
of Months.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SiMMS
United Press Staff Correspondent.

United Press Staff Correspondent.
With the British Armies
Afield, March 23.-Not only
did the Germans sweep that
part of France they are re-
linquishing clear of homes,
supplies and roads-but in
many cases they swept it
clear of it's womanhood.
In some districts women
between Is and so were
forced to go back into the in
terror of Germany. The in
habitants left behind were
given to understand they
were being forced to work
for Germany.
At Rouy lie Grand today I was told
over 400 women and girls between
those ages had thus been driven to the
interior for work. When asked
why" the refugees merely shrugged
their shoulders.
STORY OF OLD MAN.
An old mamie said he was e5-told
me in a quavering voice as we stood On
a ruined street at Rouy LIE Petit:
Il have lived three miles northwest
of st. Quentin since a year ago when
the Boches made me dig trenches along
with hundreds of other Frenchmen.
They paid us so cents a day-and it
was script money which Lille and other
French cities had been forced to print
for the invaders.
The new German line, on which we
worked, is extraordinarily strong. l am
positive the Germans intend to hold it
if they can.
1T is about mile wide, covering the
support lines and communicating
trenches and roads and with enormous
fields of entanglements.
TO WORK FOR GERMANY.
Months ago the German forces came
here with a number of other old folks
like myself, and children. Both men
and women of from 10 to 50-and in
some districts, up to 60--were forced
to go into the interior. | understand
they were forced to work for Germany
There is no doubt of the strength of
the new German line on which this old
man and scores of other civilians had
worked. AS the Franco British forces
approached nearer to IL today the fight
ing became sitter and sitter. The
British and the French are pinning the
retreating Germans tighter against the
Arras Cambria st. Quentin La Fere-
Laon line.
INTENDED TO REMAIN.
Evidence multiplied today that the
Germans regarded the territory over
which they have now retreated as per-
manent property. The fact that they
had to give it up after viewing it rs
their own for some time may in a de-
gree account for the great i'll -humor OF
the destruction on all sides.
among the evidences of this idea cf
permanency the invaders must have
had, was that many cemeteries were
carefully constructed and permanently
decorated with solid marble tombstones
and crypts.
One hears America mentioned every
where in the desolation-for it was
American supplies which enabled the
French civil population to exist. An
speak gratefully of American aid.
ALL THE FOOD AMERICAN.
please have some coffee" said a
woman near Ham today as we passed
| through. It's American coffee. sweet
ened with American sugar. This bread
is American bread. We have American
salt, American lard, and pepper and
vinegar--and everything. l don't know
what we would have done without this
food"
The woman who spoke had a six
months -old baby in her arms and was
with four other children--all hers-ano
her grandmother The woman's hus-
band was forced to leave for the in
terror of Belgium or of Germany &c
work. The family had not heard from