THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 2, 1940.
NEW HOMES
FROM RUINS
PARISIANS GO SHORT WHILE OF THE OLD THE NAZIS FEED
A VIVID PICTURE OF Paris under German do- mination is painted by Mr. Seatree, an American partner in the famous British firm of Price, Water- house and Company,
Mr. Seatree was in charge of the firm's business in Paris, He has recently arrived at Lisbon as a refugee on his way to New
York,
-When the French collapse came. Mr. Seatree was in an emergency office in the provinces, but return- ed to Paris with his wife,
by
at his
trying, usually in vain, to obtain milk for their children;
The propaganda against Britain in the Paris newspapers is viru- lent; but appears to convince few Frenchmen, though people forbidden to listen to foreign broadcasts under penalty.
are
be
From the debris of bombed homes new ones will be built. The survey- or's departments of Lon- don boroughs--and else where are showing great skill in using all kinds of salvaged mater ial.
When the demolition squad hes done its job: workmen cart away the debris to sort it over for usable. material.
Whole bricks and tiles; in- damaged window frames, laths and rafters anything that had escaped whole from the wreck- age is put on one side, to be used in building new houses.or repairing others not too badly damaged,
The Gestapo, accompanied
Many Shops Shut an armed guard, arrived
Though shops are said to have office, and informed him that they done a roaring trade after the oc- knew all about him, his firm, and fcupation, stocks cannot be replac his clients.
"We use as much as we can." a They said: "It willed, and many shops have to be better for you if you answer closed down for want of goods.
surveyor of a London borough told all questions correctly."
a reporter. "Building materials are They Mr. Seatree's whole picture of scarce these days and thousands of went to the filing room, and after Paris under Nazi rule is one of the bricks go back into service to re- going through the files, a bundle darkness of humiliation and pri- pair damaged houses. It is amaz- of them was set aside.
vation. The people, he says, arcing how much can be used again Mr. Seatree tried to obtain a list depressed both mentally and phy--even in the erection of new pro- of the files, but he was told, sically.
perty. "There is no object in doing so. as you will never see them again." Securities Confiscated
The firm's bank accounts were confiscated, all cash in the safe was looted, and he was refused a receipt. The Gestapo also took an envelope, deposited by an em- ployee, containing his savings of rash and bearer securities amounting to about 60,000 francs. They seized everything and for- bade Mr. Seatree to remove single document from the offer.
а
He states that there is a severe food shortage in Paris, and Lea Halles, the great market, is open to the French only after the Germans have been supplied. Milk and butter are extremely short, and eggs have not been obtainable for two months.
But it is a common sight to see German soldiers plentifully sup- plied with all these goods in the cafes. Half-bottles of champagne seem to be their usual beverage at lunch-time.
Mrs. Seatree said that it was heart-breaking to see mothers
HER LIFE SAVED BY A TABLE
A kitchen table saved the life of Mrs. R. Goody when her South-West London home collapsed under a bomb explosion.
"She was asleep under the table when the house was completely destroyed by blast," Mrs. Goody's daughter-in-law said.
"The table acted as a shelter and supported the whole weight of the wreckage so that she wasn't even injured,
Made A Tunnel
"A neighbour helped her fo burrow her way out. He pulled the rafters away from the top wälle she pushed from below. Between them they made a sort of tunnel through which she crawled to safety."·
The bomb-a. heavy one--killed two people, injured others, and, severely damaged acnumber, of houses,
Mr. and Mrs. Sharp were bomb- ed: out of their home into which they had moved only a few hours before.
Pinned To Bed
Salvage squads dug out people burled among wreckage.
Seventeen-year-old Eric Evans was pinned to his bed by fallen rafters and buried under two feet ef dust and debris,
"He was unconscious when we got him out," said one of the re-.. scuers, but we managed to revive him, and he is all-right.".
PAID £5,200 FOR A DIAMOND
An unmounted blue-white dia- mond was sold at Christie's for
£5,200 toʻn 'Miss Roso.
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