The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-05-07
Much Like, Slavery.
Is Life Of =
French With Huns
Those Back Of Lines Are Forced
BY Germany To Undergo Perils
and Hardships

FRENCH FRONT, May 5-(Asso.
eiated Press)-Life among the French
civilians behind the German lines In
the occupied departments Of France
has become almost slavery. The op.
pressed people have to submit to restrie.
tIons deprVing them of all the usual
amenities of human existence. Details
OF the tcrroriZing process introduced
by the Germans, which is daily beeom.
ling more severe, have reached the cor,
respondent Of the Associated Press from
number of centers where the German
army holds possession. p. ~
According to some Of these conmuni-
cations everybody-that Is to say, men.
women and Ichildren-tiS forced to work
for the German cOnQuerors, especially
in the country districts and towns 1sar
the front. One young woman and she
is only one among many tells how she
was made to fell trees In the forest
Of Saint-Gobain, which was under con.
'tant gunfire, while in the same vicin.
ity all the supply columns for the
,roops In the most dangerous parts Of
be line were formed Of French civil.
ians. .'.@t.
All Produce Taken y E.
In the neighborho"d Of Cambria al
agricultural work is carried out By
che peasants under the surveillance OF
German soldiers and when the produce
Is ripe it is' all requisitioned by the
military authorities. The factories in
the city itself have been robbed OF
their machinery with the result that
aTge numbers of workers have been re.
luced TO semi starvation and conse.
went sickness. At the end of 1917
here were still 1000 inhabitants In the
'ity, all Of whom were compelled to
take refuge in the cellars
In most parts of the country the
Spanish-Dutcb relief, which has taken
the place Of the American Relief Com.
mission, goes on normally, but IL is
asserted that the German authorities
manage to obtain possession of D p0r-
ton of the provisions. In Lille the
prices Of food are extremely high, and
the population, already impoverished,
has great trouble to obtain food! Eggs
,ost them 30 cents apiece, meat is from
$500 to 81 a pound when il is avail
able, shoes are $25 a pair. cloth cost
SIG a yard, and there is no beer milk
~ W bd uiil, COul 10
tributPd at the rate Of SO pounds per
head Of the population per month at
the price Of 80 cents a pound or 1920
YER ton Of 1000 pounds .,,. -.
No Fresh Meat -
In Charleville matters are even worse.
me people have not had any fresh
neat for two and half years and 70,
other provisions they have to rely or
the relief committee, which makes o
distribution twice a week. Each person
IS given in the course of every fort,
night the following articles: half q
'onnd Of bacon, half a pound Of lard.
half a, pound of salt meat, half 0
II salt, sometimes a fifth Of q pound
pound Of haricots, four. ffths Of q pound
# coffee, two-fifths Of q pound Of bis
cult flour, q quarter Of a pound Of su'
gar, and small quantities Of corn, re.
idue. Besides these things each per
son receives once a month can of
condensed milk. In the stores coffee
'osts about ~ q pound, sugar nearly
s2, chocolate nearly a.. The sale OF
potatoes Is forbidden.
Work For Germans
Nearly all the men work for tie
Germans, who forbid them to leave
their houses before seven in the morn,
ing and they must return by eight in
the evening.
At Denain French prisoners have
been employed in the destruction OF
the factories, from which all the ma,
"hinery has been taken and sent to
Germany, while at Saint-Quentin al
he statues have been taken down and
SPECIALISTS from Germany have removed
everything Of value from the basilica
Even children Of school age, most OF
whom have not had the opportunity
to go to school three years, are made
to work along the roads and in thu
/ forests.