OCR PARIS LETTER

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 8, 10 July 1923, Page 4

OCR PARIS LETTER

POLICY OF THE RUHR

NO HOSTILITY IN FRANCE

OT.OH OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, 30th May

It would be a mistake on the part uf Germany and of England to imagine that there is a. growth of hostility in Franco to the policy of the Ruhr. I do not think there is any weakening of French determination in that respect. He would be a bold writer, particularly if he were a- foreigner, who. would claim to have a clear understanding of the complications of French aprese guerre politics, but from detailed . information, which I have obtained through two of tho foremost French. Senators, I cun give explanations of the crisis, which I personally believe to be sound. First, the.minor one. A majority of tho Senate, quite -independently of political colour, dislikes the task bf acUu«in a judicial capacity, unless it is on a matter of supreme -national importance liko the Caillaux treason trial. And •oven that case would have been considered a distasteful task had it not occurred during a Very dangerous period of tho war, when there was need of an effective example. Secondly, the one that creates more passion, namely, party politics. It has to -bo appreciated that the majority in the Senate is more Radical than that of the Chamber of Depu-

This leads toa- desiro to help the Radi- ' cals to success in the. next elections, which are due to bo held in. a few months Up to a few month's ago , the Kadicals had every reason to be confident that they would win the nest elections, and overthrow the Conservative .Mock Aatioiul, which, to their chagrin almost obliterated them at the last election, thanks to the war record of M Uemenceau. Until recently, they had not regarded 11. Pbincaro as.'an obstacle, because it was well known that hs intended to retire, ouce success had been achieved by the policy of coercion in the Ruhr. But during the- last few weeks the Badic.il majority had become convinced that the Premier had his plans, and intended to hold office, if possible until the date of polling! That would mean that, in the French phrase, lie would "make" the elections. "PASTEUR'S' DAY." The great Pasteur was honoured by J. ansians yesterday in practical and permanent fashion. They put their hand m then- pockets or their handbags and dropped a coin in the collecting-box extended beseechingly .by a winsome little gn-1, irresistible bigger, girls mobilised I,L ™rOlSi -EPUS^ aild 'b»Sln-faced bo\s. The chink of jetoue filling tho boxes was hsard in the streets from early morning till evening, and in theatres .and kinemas after that. Buttonho es and corsages were ornamented with paper discs beaming reproductions of appropriate designs by Poulbot,-Maur-ice Denis, Abel Fatvre, and other prominent trench artists. For a few francs you could adorn yom-self with a whole picture gallery, and the- money was well well spent in a good cause. Rolnblf day- while.'the,*«*««* of the Republic was paying- his visit to tho modest house of Dole, where Pasteur 5 born the international delegates in I aris, who have come to attend the celebrations in his honour, went in the Rue d Ulm where the great scientist began, his he of work, and .they looked W ?cT Si On the entrance where the boy of fifteen was set down on an October day m 1838, after 3 long-a nd disagreeable journey in a- mail «ach, huddled beneath an oilcloth covering: In the afternoon a, reception in honour, of Uio delegates was given at tho Hotel do Ville, where they- signed tho Live dOr and admired the gorgeous hall, where tha. Prefect ot the Seine, with a number pf personalities and officials of X mumcipahty, were awaiting the r arrival

HUSH FOR. NEW STAMP. vEI 6 Z as >a msh to the Post- offices IMterdfly to obtain first copies o f the new stamps with the pasteur head} but not many obtained satisfaction. l n the cafes the public Were'informed that Uio new stamps would not reach tho depots before to-day but for regular clients niadame amiably offered to reserve the number required as eooli as they come to' i. oi- ere ls "° hurry/ 6a id the lost Oftce employee, " it has come to stay, you know," and lie handed out two or three of each. The French Republic does not often change its stamp lne bemeuse first appeared twenty years ago, -following different emblems used by the Third Republic—the Bieht of Man, for oiie. and a serene head of . -Marianne ' for another, -and earlier effigy: The graceful Semense is not destined to disappear now, but only to be supplanted on three categories of postal packets and on postcards. STATUES MYSTERY. '. Two statues in the Louvre are to-day preseritinjj something of a mystery. They are those of two kings, which, coming from the 11th century church of Notre JJanie do la Cculdre at Partheuay (Deux Sevres), were presented to the Louvre iv 1914. They have been highly valued as early" examples of the sculptor's art. Kxperts, however, "are, now raising the question as to Whether the statues are redly the original-.works. Old engravings, it is stated, have been discovered in which the statues are shown, bereft of their_ heads and certain limbs. The statues in the Louvre, however, arc inhappy possession of whole bodies. M. Camille Enlart. the director of the Trocaciero Museum.'and a noted archaeologist, finds many discrepancies in the statues. Their majesties, for instance, aro presented bare-footed. White saints anil apostles to the sculptural work of the period wore shown with bare feet ; kings he sa-VEj never were. Other features of a similar nature threw doubt upon the authenticity of the. statues, and they are (tivinjr the experts a pretty problem to fiettlo between" them. PLOT THAT .FAILED. An anonymous letter,' denouncing in indignant terms a new novel, which was j described as outrageously indecent, and deserving of immediate aotiou by ihe police' was received the other day by the I'"'ieiicli Public Prosecutor. An official -was .told off to procure a copy of 'the book and read it.' Tho task docs not appear 1o liiivo damaged his morals, v;- 1. he found that tho book; obviously the vrork Of a 'prentice hand, was simply commonplace, ;H-'d in no Way calculated to excitfe the imagination to fever lical. 'Discreet inquiries -lod to the conclusion that the anonymous letter was written by tho author of tho novel, in the hope that the police would ooi-ifiscale nil the copies u!\ sul'f, and thus provide him willi iiu excellent free utlverliEcniehl. BRIDGIv.S JiLIND 3L\tt. Emilo, thei. blind man. who for manyyours ootupj.cd n privileged position on the Pout /.lea Art's, has dojiartct!' this life. In hit* early dnyis a camliivcr, ho lost his sight as the result, of v j-t'reot accident, and having, no.doubt, some influential protector, he was allowed to establish himself on the bridge forming one o£ the chief channels of circulation between the right aud left bunks of the Seine. In course Of time, hp acquired i> rc£uW clientele, which included many nicnlbevs of the Academy, and it is-said 'hat he could recognise .Ibcsp distinguished p^i'fionges by their wav of dropping, small coins into his bowl. If we

may believe the "Liberte," his income was between 20CX; francs and 20K5 francs a month, and he was such a "warm" man, m spite of the exposed place in which he sat at custom, that his son and daughter were able to make excellent marriages. The appointment of his successor will call for great tact, not to say diplomacy. Clearly no real Parisian could endure the spectacle of the Pont dcs Arts without a blind man. but it would be a dreadful thing if the selected candidate turned out to be undignified or un-academic. .