The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-08-26
Paris Dimes By Candlelight On Meager Stocks Of Food
By RosETTE I1ARGROvE NEA Staff Correspondent

SoMEWHERE IN FRANCE. Aug 26.-Liberatior of Paris not onll means freedom for the beleaguerec city. but also food for a population on the verge of starvation.
 Since even before D Day, tho city has been living on whatevel meager stoks it has been able tC accumulate. and these have reach. cd the point of exhaustion. Nov supplies of butter. cheese and meat stockpiled in Normandy and Britt tany. are being rushed to the hun gry populace.
 I have talked to many people from Paris. The situation there has been tense for months. There was practically no electricity. Gas for cooking was turned on only one hour at night. Cafes and restau- dantS were closed two whole days a week and two days at five o'clock. The few people who frequented res- taurants dined by candlelight or with no lights at all. The majority, however, stayed at home because more and more subway stations were being closed and there were no other means of transport. Cinemas twere open one day a week only, and that in the afternoon.
 In Normandy. 600 tons of but- ter were set aside for Paris. enough to allow for a ration of l2S grammes { ounces) per person per week for 1 5days. Cheesemakers concentrated on cooked cheeses-which keep inc definitely instead of on the manu- facture of Camenbert for which this region is especially renowned because the later can only ge kept a cer- tain time.
 CONTROL SLAUGHTERING
 Lack of storage space and re- frigerating facilities did not allow for great quantities of meat to be held. but a new order was issued controlling the slaughter of cattle until such time as means of trans portation would be available. Live cattle will be sent to Paris to be killed there.
 The authorities in Normandy have also arranged with the mili- tary authorities to exchange fresh vegetables such as string beans and cauliflowers, fresh milk, butter and cheese against their canned equiya- lents.
 For at least two months before D Day no transports had been available for the shipment of food parcels to Paris and other cities.
 Mfr. Andre le Troquer. who was appointed Commissioner of Lib- erated Territories by General de Gaulle and arrived in France re- gently to study the problem of feed- ing Paris, told me that 1t would take 100000 kilos Of food per day D. 100000 lhs) to take care Of the pop- ulation.
 That represents a lot Of food" he commented, but the Allies have promised me their help in supplying certain foodstuffs such as -four and canned milk. as well as the trucks for transport. of which We need something like 2000," He went on to say that according to latest re- ports to reach him from the capital. even tile bFhNhpoTb ot toouhtuAhS " canal and rivers which had latterly provided the only means of access to the eity) had stopped. The bomb- ing Of bridges had isolated the city. The last railroad line opep-whieh vent from Paris to Orieans-had ceased to function.
 Once supplies reach Paris. there viii be no difIlculty regarding dis- trlbution said Mir. Le Tr0quer. Foodstuffs will be allocated by dls- tricts and the municipalities have the necessary mechanism to ensure swift distribution. Tn any ease. if extra help Is needed. there will be scores of people wh0 gill ke only too glad to volunteer their services wherever needed.