The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-11-04

t4ons flVe La Francei Vivent Le Al IIesn'
 The Canadians had established a sat- .sfactory line east of Vae1.ciennes by nghtfaAl yesterday. Within the city re- manned the work of mopplng up the derman machine gunners hidden in buildings and waiting to snpe the ad- sanclng troops. The Canadians went dpout the business systematlcaily and b !, this morning had accounted for every German so far as they knew
 RfreS and machine guns were working spasmodicaily In the environs when the correspondent entered the city. In many instances Germans rushed into the streets and bayonet engagements en- sued. As this went on cvllans who had peen hiding in the houses, swarrned to the windows and sidewalks to see the grim hnlsh of their oppressors.
 TOWN IS MINED Before they abandoned the city the 1eiAaans lald numerous incendlary mines m buildings and this morning a fire was burning in the outskirts, where some OK ploslves got in thelr work.
 The evacuation of most of the ciyi1ians occurred over week ago when the Ger mans started them on foot toward Mons ana other places to the east. It was a hurried exodus, the civilians taking only d small amount of their belongings, which tney pushed in perambulators or small carts. The houses were evidently aban- doned in great haste. Those which smells had wrecked near the canal showed interiors strewn with furniture. dishes ana ornaments and gave evidence of the desperate fight which the German ma chine gunners had put up when found by the Canadians
 sacred statuary. vases and what-nots had been crushed together in the wild est confusion, even overflowing into the streets. On one doorstep reposed a toy plaho whose little owner probably had gone out of the city with it's parents.
 Ioeputles Damien and Billet had been admlnistering the city for some time when the Canadians arrived Conditions unuer the Germans appear to have been much the same as in other occupied cities. The deputy mayors gave a brief report Of affairs as they existed re- centiy Municipal services were reduced, 10 the lowest minimum and the officials were able to continue their work LID to October 3l They regulated as far as possible medical services, sanitation. food and water supplies. They supervised the transportation of the sick to the hos pitals burials and supply of bread and Hour for the 5000 inhabitants still in the city
 Up to October IS Valenciennes was able to Keep up relations with the neighbor- Ing communes, thanks to the organiza- ton of M Dugard. deputy prefect. On that date the town was cut off from the other communes with the exception or Marty and St. Saulve. At the time of the evacuation there were distributed to every inhabitant two boxes of milk. a kilo and half of sugar, 300 grams of CO., coa. 25O grams of beans, 250 grams of coffee and other necessaries. Each day after October IS further supplies were distributed.
 There remained in Vaenciennes six doctors and number of nurses. Those of the population remaining behind were anaemic. They were chiefly women and children and aged persons.
 No casualty to the civilian inhabitants was reported up to the moment of the entry of the first Canadian detachment An hour later a telegram was dispatched notifying the outside world of this fact Soon after that three civilians were killed by shell. and the deputies immediate ly ordered the residents to take shelter in their houses
 Valenciennes still has a considerable quantity of flour condensed milk. salted meat, artificial lard and various cereals. Most of the supplies on hand came from the American relief commission.