The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1919-11-13
In FRANCE THE
TRANSITION Is TOO
ABRUPT ALMOST
FOR REALIZATION
Army Has Been Almost
Fully Demobilized and
the Poilus Now Farmers.
By CARL A. RANDAU.

tbnited Press Stan Correspondent
Paris, Nov. 1.-THE change from an
era of glory ana suffering and heroics
tine OF earning a living has been far
too abrupt for the people OF France
So fundamentally was the life of
every man. woman and child of
France affected by the long struggle,
that the one year since the signing oi
the armistiee has proved to be too
short a time for the readjustment of
the mental processes. In their minds
The people are living over the terrible
days between August. 1914. and No
Nember. 1918. In many cases the
people can not realize that the war is
ofer. Such a great world revolution
has proved too unusual to be fully
comprehended by the people who
played the greatest part in the change.
The armies of France are demob-
iifzed. The men no longer wear their
uniforms. The heroes of last year,
the iar-famed Poilus. are now engaged
in uninteresting tasks such as driving
street cars, tending corps or selling
ribbons. To all outward appearances
Paris is city of civilians. Very
few men in either the uniforms OF
France or the Allies are TO be seen on
the bohleyards. But the change from
horizon blue and putiees to civilian
clothes, has not been accompanied by
complete mental demooilization-
a very noticeable iei-down in hu-
man effort has marked the past year
This has been especially true among
the women-the mothers and wives of
the fighters. Many women who en-
dured wars hardships without COM
plant and with unceasing work. have
been compelled to take long rests.
many even have been sickly ever
since the war strain was so suddenly
removed Statistics snow that the
number of women treated in French
hospitals was much greater during the
year following the armistice than dur
ing the year preceding the armistice.
Doctors are agreed that this condition
has been due to the violent reaction
following the very long period when
the womanhood OF France less
than the poilu-was lighting the Hun
The cost of living has not ceased to
mount. Practically every article of
food and clothing is much more ex-
pensive than one year ago. The pub
lie, which had so long expected prices
to decrease when the fghting ended.
has been sadly disi'iusioned Now it
is stated that the high prices are here
TO stay.
The careless sii-explaining expires
sion ''Gest la guerre." which served the
French in accounting for all high
prices during the war-as well as for
everything else that went along-no
longer serves its purpose Active gov
ernmentai measures have been taken.
and VIII be taken in the future. to de-
crease prices. Maximum prices have
been set for certain staples. The
price of bread has been kept very low.
but only because OF the governments
action in reselliny flour at less than
it's market value
Despite the increasing prices. there
Is larger variety of food products
to be purchased The same is true
in clothing lines. The number of
tickets needed for the purchase OF
bread. milk, sugar. coal and similar
staples have been reduced. but the
former regime will In all probability
be restored during the coming winter
months.
The supply OF coal Is stated to be
less than during the war The strikes
throughout Europe have so thor.
oughly tied up the production OF coal
that no country will be really plenti-
fully supplied. Though France will
not be as short of this product as
Italy. Austria and several of the
smaller Central European nations. the
situation is, nevertheless, very seri-
Gus.
The drop in French exchange, which
has reduced the franc TO rate never
/ reached in recent history. has added
greatly TO the nations hardships. The
decline in the exchange rate has been
more or less regular. the monthly de.
cline averaging between so centimes
and as centimes month since the
removal of the artificial guarantees
last April. The latest quotations
are nearly francs for dollar as
compared with normal s francs a
dollar. This detrimental exchange has
hindered the importation OF goods
from America and England because
OF the prohibitIve cost In francs.
Paris IL more populous than ever
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