Evening star., 1918-11-24
FRENCH AT METZ
DAzED WITH JOY
Germans Resentful and Slow
to Realize Vast Changes
in Conditions.

WITH THE FRENCH ARMY AT
METZ, November % (by the Asso-
ciated Press).-It' is going to take
some time for "the territory OF
Metz" to accustom itself to. the
changes which are being made in
its administration, in the opinion Of the
old inhabitants of this region. BY this
name this part Of reconquered Lorraine
will be known until it has been finally
and fully reinstalled in the French re-
public.
Tho greater problem will be Metz it
self. the smaller towns and rural dis
tricts, excepting the mining districts,
being as thoroughly French as ever.
Metz. the metropolis of the province,
however. after having served for forty
eight years as a German garrison, has
been Germanlzed to an extent that can
be appreciated only by personal contact
TIE very considerable number Of Ger
man immigrants the imperial army
brought with it had established the
strong German colony, almost equaling
the French civilian population in num-
bers. These Germans held all the pub
:ic Offices and filled AL the public posts
en- railroad and in the postal service
They finally succeeded in gaining an
the rnul.icipal council.
Natives Surprised.
The native population, unfailing In
its loyalty to France. was over
whelmed and terrorized and could
only nurse its affection for France in
secret. Now that the liberation the
people hoped for, almost without dar-
ing to look for. has come, it has'taken
them by surprise.
Those residents of Metz who are
most devoted to France still find oc-
casiona1ly that In spite of themselves
they are speaking low when talking
of France and their newly regained
liberty, from instructive fear of a
and an invitation to follow to the po-
lice station.
Germans Resentful..
The German population, on the other
hand, appears to lack thus far full
comprehension Of what has happened.
The German residents take the arrival
of the French troops as an unwar-
ranted invasion. The presiding officer
of the German civil administration,
Baron Won Gemmingen, showed sur
prise when NJ. Mirman, the prefect of
Nancy, appointed commissary by the
French government for Lorraine, ar
rived to take possession of his post.
NJ. Nirman found portrait of
the private office of the prefecture.
Naturally it was taken down and rele-
gated to a corner. This action Baron
Won Gemmingen characterized as "vio-
lent pressure" 1t took two days to
convince the old president of the Ger
man administration that the newly ar
rived commissary was in fact his sue
cessor and that he must give way.
Order Being Maintained.
Order is being maintained in Metz
during the period Of transition by ma
tives of Alsace-Lorraine. with tri-
all the authority of municipal police.
There have been a few incidents, but
quiet prevails. and the people Of Metz
are beginning to see clearly through
emotions that have shaken their souls.
The German signs are being given
French color. the name of hotels.
restaurants and business houses los
ing their Teutonic favor. The arrival
Of American troops with the prospects
of more and better food has had a
decided effect in lowering prices. Ar
ticles that were Is marks a week ago
are selling for 10 francs.
Lunch, Five Francs.
1t is possible today to lunch well
in Metz for S francs. The portions
on the principal menus that were s
marks have been cut down to 4
francs. The bread and meat rations
as fixed under the German card sys-
tenn will be increased on the arrival
of trains Of provisions already on the
way.
Germans employed in public admin
istrations will be retained so long as
they perform their duties properly,
but the direction of all municipal af-
fairs will within forty-eight hours be
entirely in the hands of the French
population.