El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-12-28

DARIS. France, Dec 27.-According
L to the testimony recorded IN va
rious memoirs by men who played
prominent parts during the dark days
(for France) Of 1S70-1S71. the German
headquarters repeatedly received
peace notes from neutral sources en-
phasizinE the necessity OF showing
an attitude OF reconciliation and
magnanimity towards France. But
Bismarck. knowing that the time had
not yet arrived for the ingathering OF
the fruits Of victory. arrogantly
brushed the proposals aside with the
remark, typciaIly Teutonic:
There Is no hurry 10 answer that
rubbish
IN view OF the coming peace con
ference it is fitting that we recall the
way in which the Victorious Ger
many" Of 1s70-1S71 treated the French
peace delegates who sincerely wished
to end the shedding OF blood. a war for
the breaking out" and the conduct"
OF which the French people were not
Tooth as much responsible as the Ger
man people were for the outbreak OF
the world carnage which has just ter
minated by the utter defeat OF its
authors. The French peace delegates
to the German high command were
Jules Favre and Theirs. the famous
French statesman and historian.
France was not yet at the end OF her
ropes as much as Germany became
when she finally appealed to president
Wilson, accepting in toto all his peace
terms. when Favre first met Bismarck
g. -
TENDER, 1870. Bismarck received
Favre in the most naughty manner,
opened discussions in no mood for re-
ciprocal concessions. but in the spirit
rather Of a conquerOr come 70 dictate
terms.
The AIMEE Terrible.
Bismarck all along held out to
Favre the threat to starve the French
ca1ital as a settled piece OF German
policy. Hunger was the weapon on
which he relied. Yet during the pres
ent conflict a nation OF pirates and
savages has whined at the very
thought Of being brought to book
has tried to make the neutral world
believe that such action is new to the
practice Of war.
Parisians Of the older generation.
however. have not yet forgotten their
experiences OF 1870. Whole families.
AMuEEQa can SUN ItGdA4 inc A441GAA G1 u
that AIMEE Terrible
When the poor of Paris were
digging from under the snow pO-
tatOeS that had been left within
the range Of German artillery
Bismarck. with Hunnish brutality,
ordered his soldiers TO shoot these
furnishing people.
The capital was girt by 4 ring OF
steel. through which for weeks. during
a scrap OF food nor an ounce OF medi-
cine was permitted 10 pass AS the
Wretchedness Of the 1000, 600 citizens
increased. and the death rate, espe-
cially among aged people and young
children, became worse. Bismarck was
Inhabitants were not sufficiently
great He suggested that TO the pangs
OF hunger there might be added some
OF the refinements Of torture He said:
II the ParisIans first received n
supply OF provisions and then
again put on half ratiOns and once
more Obliged 10 stzrve that ought
I think. to work. II f. like fog
EinE. When IL Is administered
continuously. il is not felt 50
much. But when IL IS suspended
for a time and then another dose
inflicted il hurts. I know that
from the criminal courts where 1
was employed.
IF, he said on another occasion.
garrisons could not be supplied for
every place within German occupation,
I've should from time TO time send
flying column wherever the people
showed themselves recalcitrant and
shoot, hang and burn"
The foregoing quotations are taken
from the secret pages" Of the history
OF Bismarck by DR.. MoritZ Busch
Busch being a Bismarck worshipper,
he may be trusted not to have set
down aught IN malice respecting his
hero.
Massacre and Plunder.
The haughtfness Of Bismarck to-
wards Favre was due in no small
measure to a knowledge that France
was without the support, moral or
physical, Of any powerful contem-
porary nation. While the Germans
were approaching Paris Theirs made
tour OF the courts Of Europe in the
hope OF securing some sort OF medi-
alton by neutrals. But. while all were
sympathetic, none would interfere, an
attitude which isolated France.
The refusal TO end hostilities except
MIL or u