Evening star., 1940-12-30
By A PARIS REFUGEE.
NEW YORK. Dec. 80 (N.A.N.AD.

NEW YORK, Dec. 80 IN .AN.AO.
I have Just returned from oc-
cupied France. The first question I
was asked when I stepped off the
boat was, rs France going to
starve this winter?' 1t all depends
on what changes come in the next
few months.
France is a country OF good COOK
ing. Food has always been plenti-
fuI. Luncheon or dinner is more
of s. social occasion than in America.
Business closes at II o'clock and
starts in again at 2. Frenchmen go
home to lunch unless they have a
client 10 entertain at a restaurant.
The French spend their time around
at the club after work. Consequently,
one thing is certain: The French
man suffers from the same ration
which satisfies a German who has
been deprived for the last few years.
At the end of August, 1899, gen.
eral mobilization was declared IN
France. The Germans were still
busy in Poland and when the
Maginot Line was manned, suffici-
ent men were sent back to get in
the bumper crops. I remember a
campaign in the press to give the
Army Marennes, which are the best
French oysters. Extra wine ratlons
were issued as there was a surplus
Tightening in February.
About the end of February. 1910,
things started to tighten up. 1t was
difficult to get coal. because of the
needs for war production and scar
city of freight cars. We were asked
TO fill out forms at the Marie and
warned to expect food cards shortly.
For some time. cafes had been for
hidden to serve aperitifs and
alcohols three days week.
Certain Colonial products such
as salad oil. rice, tea and coffee,
chocolate, etc. were often lacking
on certain days in the stores, and
the shops refused to sell more than
a limited quantity to each customer.
There was not such wide choice
of fish at the markets as many
trawlers mad been taken over by the
navy and submarine activity, and
cunning from the air interfered
with the fishing boats. Restaurants
were not allowed to serve more than
ons principal dish to each client.
During the invasion of Holland
ana Belgium in May, hordes of ref
ugees swept across the country.
France fed them as best she could.
Existing stocks of food disappeared
in their path. The army had to be
supplied and it was impossible to
bring up supplies against this wave
of fleeing people.
Crops Bad for 1910.
Livestock was wandering all over
the countryside, including COWS that
had not been MIXED for several
days. Then the army started to re-
treat. My guess is that at least three
quarters of all the cows, pigs, chick
ems, rabbits and horses have been
consumed or requisitioned by the
Germans.
The two principal crops of France,
wheat and beet sugar, are unsatls-
factory for 1910. The winter wheat
was almost a dead loss. Cold
weather came very early without
the usual fall rains, and labor was
unavailable for the planting due to
mobilization. The sugar beet plants
were not hoed last summer as every
body was away in the army, and
the result is that the ripened beets
are about one-fourth of their nor
NAL size and most of the farmers
decided to plow them under for fer
tilizer
The grape vines have also been
neglected and wine will be short as
we'll Butter and cheese are lack
ing owing to the decrease of cows
and also to the fact that the Ger
man artillery horses were grazing
in the best Norman pastures and
cropping the grass SC close that the
remaining cows couldn't get enough
to eat To make matters worse,
there has been wave of "flevre
aptheuse" this year. and while the
animals are sick they give no milk.
Transportation Difficulties.
Poor distribution and tranSporta-
ton have added to the difficulty of
feeding the people. Nearly all the
railroad bridges in the invasion area
we're blown up by the retreating
French Army. A large part of the
rolling stock was appropriated by
the Germans. Little gasoline is
available for motor trucks.
| A serious effort is being made to