Evening star., 1940-12-29

German sentry. For the time being
I had forgotten about the whole
mess and I had the feeling that
after all, Paris was my town and
that I had been taxpayer there
for 20 years. Feldgrau uniforms
everywhere and SwaStika flags on
the principal buildings remind us
that we have nothing to say any
more and only to submit.
Police Salute Nazi Officers.
The French police have orders to
salute all German officers, and at
first there was considerable re-
Sistance until several were dismissed
and others imprisoned. The gen.
darmes have been issued white
gauntlets for traffic control and
taught to extend both arms hori-
zontally in the German fashion to
indicate the direction instead OF
waving their batons aimlessly. Just
to be sure that they do it right a
German stands on the curb behind
them.
This isn't such a bad idea. Cars
used to jam up, as every one drove
all over the street in an effort to
get there first. Pedestrians are
forced now to cross at the busy
corners between the stripes, and if
they cut across outside, a fine OF
100 francs is clapped on. All OF
us who drive car hope that this
idea will bite in.
The physical aspect of Paris is
not much changed. The city was
bombed only once, early in May
and except for damage to the
Citroen automobile factory, the
Ministry of Air and several houses
in Auteuill, there are no scars to re-
mind one of the war. There are
police and army DEGREES in both
French and German posted on bill
boards and walls and shelters dug
in open spaces.
About tWo-thirds of the shops
are closed, with signs in the win
dows such as "Ferme pour cause de
mobilization" CLOSED by mobiIiza-
tom or La merchandise manque'
Cno merchandise. The sale of meat
is prohibited for three days each
week, as is that of candy. Conse-
ouently, both the butcher and con-
fcct1oner close their shutters and 20
to the country. Many shopkeepers
are still prisoners and others feel
that 1t is not worthwhile to reopen
on account of the scarcity of stock,
so Paris seems to be perpetually as
IN the August vacation.
Restaurants Garry On.
In general, restaurants are open
and carrying on as best they can.
Some businesses open only for part
OF the day, as they would rather
hang on to their stocks than take
In paper money which deprecated
in value each day. This became so
serious that recently a decree was
issued forcing certain categories of
business to remain open at least
eight hours daily.
The lack of movement and noise
IN the streets is the most striking
change. A very few days after the
! Germans marched in a notice was
/ posted requiring every one who pos
seSsed any sort of motor vehicle or a
horse to declare it to the police.
Many cars were Immediately requis-
itioned. All gasoline stocks were
seized.
The remaining cars were allowed
to circulate only when a special
paper called an S. P. (service pub
hc) was granted by the prefecture
OF the Seine. This was issued only
to those who could prove that they
needed their cars to get to factories
producing essential merchandise, to
doctors, to public officials and par
t1cularly to those who were trans
| porting food. Holders of S. P. cars
were required to garage them in a
central garage for each district
Gasoline at the official price of 5
francs a liter was then issued ac-
cording to the horsepower of the
car, and then only so much each
week
This weekly ration was not issued
all at once but only about every
three days, and each time you had
| to call at the police station and
line up to get a ticket and then
line up in a file of cars to wait
for the gasoline at the official pump
Beginning in August, very often the
| pump received no gasoline for two
or three days, and by the end of
the month the allowance for the
whole 18th. ACCOMPLISHMENT was
only 1000 liters a day. Around Au-
gust Is all S. P.'s were taken away
from cars of more than IA horse
power.
More Cars RequiSitiOned.
There were several more requisi-
tions of cars. The policemen brought
| by hand to car owners orders
to present their cars on a Ger
tain day at either the Vincennes
or Longchamps race tracks. The
day went about 100 out of 600 cars
were taken, mostly those of stand
ard makes not over two years old
and with not more than $4,000 miles
on the gauge. A price was put on
each car and paper given for it.
Up until the end of November no
one seems to have been paid.
OF course, the $4,000 taxis that
run normally in the city were taken
off the streets as well as the auto
buses. AL tramcars we're suppressed
some years ago, and so Parisians run
around on bicycles or take the sub
way. Bicycles cost about three times
what they used to, and it is prac-
tically impossible to find one or a
new bicycle tire.
Some bikes are most elaborate