Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-10-24
Hun Soldiers Choose Night in
Which to Raid French
Homes, Seeking Women for
Work Across the Rhine,
HOMES AND PUBLIC
y BUILDINGS STRIPPED
Boche Spared the City Itself,
Probably Hoping That the
Allies Would Attack and
Ruin It With Shells,
Especial Gable Dispatch.l }


London, Oct 23.-In dispatch to
the Daily News Perry Robinson. with
the British army. writing on Friday,
says:
From what was told me at Lille
by the mayor, by Mr.. Moore. Brit
ish chaplain; by DR.. Singer, natural
lied American dentist who had been
in Lille for four years; by Mr.. Lees
of Nottingham, who has had a lace
factory there. and from the frag-
mentary and half coherent tales of
scores of French residents of both
sexes, / will try to reconstruct the
story of Lille under German rule.
First, let it be said that the city is
practically unhurt. Some damage was
done by the German bombardment at
the beginning, but that was trivial
Lille is practically as undestroyed az
London. 1t is well understood that
the Germans hoped they would soon
be able 10 throw on us the blame for
its destruction. They had hoped we
should be compelled to attack Lille
direct, and history. think, will give
due credit to the stra tegy which aIfs
dpied us 10 rorca the evacuation of
the splendid city without fight and
with no damage to property.
in 1914 they told the inha abitants that
if they did not modest the soldiers
their lives and property would be safe.
Citizens did not molest soldiers, but
neither lives nor property were safe,
] could get no estimate of the num-
ber of people shot. but undoubtedly
there were considerable number.
Both from the chaplain and others |
heard the same tales of shots heard
at night, of people marched through
the streets under guard and not seen
again. When a person disappeared
there was an end. and beyond was
silence.
Property has been at the mercy of
the Germans from the beginning. The
first stage was one of universal plum
dering of shops and stores under the
form of nominal requisition. It didn't
matter that the goods had no sort of
a relation to military use. Whatever
an officer wanted from shop he took
and gave in exchange a bon de requi-
sition 1t is needless to say that these
bons de requisition remain unhonored.
Some Confiscations.
Then came successive proclama.
tons confiscating various classes of
goods. First to be taken was the
wine, all OF which was confiscated
from shops, though private individu-
ais were allowed to keep fifty litres
in their cellars Next metals were
taken under a proclamation specify
ing all objects of copper brass
bronze. white metal or nickel. Church
bells were removed and carried to
Germany. An order was issued that
all persons were to take all articles
of the metals specified to the Palais
Rameaux to be turned over to the
German authorities.
mayor Delesalle. protested that this
was impossible; so squads of soldiers
under their officers visited each house
and stripped it of all metal objects
One visit was never enough. GEN
orally four or five were made at in
tervals in case articles which had
been hidden on the first call came to
light later. In spite of this much was
hidden successfully, however, and still
more appears to have been taken out
and thrown into the canal rather than
let the useful metals fall into Ger
man hands.
Then came the confiscation of
things like bicycles and all rubber
goods. Next the call was issued for
all wooliens and every house was
stripped of woollen mattresses and
similar articles. All horses were taken
for the army, and all lace making and
cotton industries in the Lille area
were brought to O standstill by the
confiscation of stocks and the removal
of material to Germany Meanwhile
sll objects of art and value were
taken from the public buildings. The
great museum at Lille ranked next to
the Louvre itself. as it contained the
second finest galleries and collections
in all France.
"Everything there was taken to
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.nfta (Continued on Page Two.)