New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-24
ENGLISH AND FRENCH.
TWO CORRESPONDENTS AND TWO WAYS
/. OF HANDLING INTERNATIONAL CUES
TIONS-M. VILLARS AND THE
"FIGARO."
London, June II.


will be interesting to trace the effect OF the
change alike on the newspaper and on the cor
respondent. Hitherto NJ Villars has represent
cd the journal des Debats' in London ana
what is a little odd is that he continues to repre-
sent II after Joining the staff Of the Figaro.
There IS not much competition between the TWO
papers. and the two services need not cIash
though both performed by the same hand' NJ
yillars has long been known in London ana wei
known. He succeeds a colleague who was also
known, but in "a different way.
NJ Johnson. for all his English name. was
Frenchman and a Frenchman who. atter twenty
years residence in London. knew neither hhshS"
nor the English people The language was pc
yond him. The people were unsympatheuc' ne
kent TO the old traditions the traditions of 30
Aemia; Bohemia perhaps OF the peter hi""'
but still Bohemia His life seemed to lie among
chose classes which contribute to the amusement
of the town. He wrote of opera and theatres or
sensational trials Of social scandals. with occa-
sional but l think infrequent excursions INTO
more sedate regions. That is what the readers
of the journal to which he so long contributed
were supposed TO like. lie wrote upon art also
and had the run of certain studios as he had OF
certain "cOulisses.
Once he seems to have come near creating an
international difficulty; upon the production oil
Gilbert and Sullivan opera-l forget which-in
which a staggering BrtOn makes fun OF the
"darned mounseer'; and still more or himself
The whole point of the offending sonG was me
cowardice Of the Briton; the jest was altogether
at his EXPENSE But it was a specimen of that
peculiar quality known as humor; a thlhs uiiap-
lnreciabe by the French mind. and because the
facts were not stated with logical precision 1t
seemed to NJ. Johnson an outrage upon the
,1rrench nation He denounced il as SUCH Other
i1erench papers took 1t up; articles were written
a correspondence in THE Times" grew out OF H.
Mr. Gilbert explained his joke. with Illuminating
'elabora ton, and offered the most ample assu'
lances to NJ. Johnson and to his thin-sNihheo
'coun.r,men on the other side Of the straits All
would not do. NJ. Johnson remained 10 MS dying
'day convinced that Mr.. Gilbert had INTENDED 70
insult the French nation, and that ne, NJ Johh-
son. had exposed the outrage and drawn from
the British bard those apologies without WHICH
war would have been necessary to aVehge lhe
blighted honor of France. 1t is an incident from
witch Won NAV Judge fairly enough what his
capacity was for dealing with matters OF serious
snnort. and to what extent he understood the
characteristics OF the people among whom ne
a,ved 1t may be seen. also, how much mischief
NAV be done by a Journalist who has both ability
and good intentions, yet who does not appre-
ciate the conditions OF life which lie about him.
NJ Villars. Frenchman though he Is. with the
French passion Of patriotism aflame Ia MS pfeas''
will make no such mistake as this 90 not
know how many years ne mas ac'ed ior ''0
"Journal des Debats." but certainly LOT many
and a connection with that paper IS soou ap-
premiership to journalism of a high KIM. VI
corrsa Il has long been the habit to speak OF that
paper as old-fashioned. and perhaps II IS OF
was But there are certain other oid-iash'o"eN
things such as sincerity. high aims "iue Fie"S
of the function of journalism, honorable purpose
:. firm faith in the closeness OF the connecuo" De-
tween Journalism and nteratur-these ana many
other things all Of which were written Id se
across the columns Of the "Debats." 1t is pa
oer which has a great history behind IT, ana
list OF contributors such as perhaps no other pa
ner in the world could boast Of; were 1t IN the
bab,t NJ boasting. No man could write for II
without proNting by the influence Of It's editor
and of his colleagues. No man would gam ac-
cess 10 its columns who had not sense or style
and q sense Of honor. with an intelligent interest
IN serious matters. beginning with those hlgh
notifies which, in some respects. take broader
range IN the best journalism Of France than IN
any other.
NJ Villars had all that. He had in addition
the Gift. rare among his compatriots' OF seeing
what was best and most essential In Engish NE
and In English affairs. lie wrote wei ana se-
rously without adopting English views ne gave
a fair account OF them. 1t is doubtful "he'ncf
A. be possible to interpret the Enghsh milu a~e
ouately and completely 70 the trehch Hhhi'
sympathy is essential to complete inteTpre'a-
ton or a complete understanding. ana between
1--oncb and English there is. in truth. no great
degree Of sympathy. If NJ. Villars has IT, as
think he has. in an unusual degree. his readers
,ba4 bc~i IN 'l)fDatR'
caro-" Indeed, the former journal has OF ia'c
Years been one Of the most ant-English IN all
the Paris press. Ii has taken Egypt as It's spe-
clalty and in season and out or season NJ
Charmes has acclaimed I'm these sober columns
against the iniquity Of England in Egypt IL
took a hardly less strong line on slam, ana taxes
a. third which might be called violent on the
Anglo-Belgian Convention.
This last is a subject respecting which the first
sane and moderate word has yet 70 be written IN
Paris or spoken In the French Chamber IL IS
precisely on such a question. when passions are
reused when accurate knowledge Is scarce WHeh
patrio,ism assumes It's most explosive form, when
,ha atmosphere of Paris is at fever heat. that a
writer in NJ. Villars's position may do the most
serv,ce TO his own country. He may tell the
truth or some part Of the truth lie may say
al some risk no doubt what is thought End felt
an England At some risk because when men
are excited or angry there is nothing they resent
mora strongly than the statement Of a fact
which though fact and though highly I'M
portant to their own understanding or the mat
ter in hand is inconsistent with their own the
cries or inconvenient for their purposes But
that is a risk which a conscientious journalist
will accept He knows II is his duty to put the
facts before his own people; unpaiatable though
they be- The French are in such matters eX-
tremely susceptible; more susceptible. perhaps,
than the Americans: more impatient Of such
truth as makes for the view which IL not theirs;
even more inclined to impose on the individual
.he tyranny OF the multitude. There is probably
no intolerance equal TO the intolerance OF the