New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-05-05
TO MAKE FRANCE SANE.
GENERAL GALLIFFETS ATTEMPT is IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION AND THE
RIGHT PLACE.

movement against insanity has a. last been
started in France. they know who read the COL
unns Of The Tribune carefully yesterday. The
amount OF insanity in that country IL enor-
No statistics OF recent years are at
hand at the moment, but twenty years ago two
and one-half persons out OF every thousand in
France were insane That is TO say. and a
half out of every thousand insane that the
rest of the people recognized that they were so.
1t does not mean that two were insane and one
half insane. There have never been any sta
tistcs of the Frenchmen who were half insane It
is only average.
The present movement against insanity starts IN
the right place. 1t does not temporize where the
small and few attack the weak and
the incoaspcuous. II begins with the army. An
example should be made Of the editors next Only
form of insanity is menaced yet the form
which the French. in their picturesque tongue call
1.-The foolishness alcoholic General Galliffet makes
the attack in the form OF order prohibiting the
sale Of spirits. absinthe and vermoUth in camps
and barracks Nor ts there any report that the
soldiers are to have any such compensation as was
the with the American man-o'-war's man, on
the famous occasion when they raised his pay five
day and stopped his grog forever
Soldiers. like other people In France. It seems,
these liquors appetizers, but there is no sug
gestion that the General hopes by prohibiting them
10 rations. well as TO prevent insanity
Hereafter they have wine. beer and cider out
no spirits and no such brain-tearng decoctions as
absinthe
No doubt the prohibition IS for the good OF
France internally we'll as for that or the SOL
diers also internally. And when the command Is
extended TO editors It will be for the GOOD OF
France In its relations with other nations II ls
these ''absiut he-minded beggars," as the English
papers call them, who make all the world believe
that the fair face OF France is twisted into one
comprehensive sheer at all foreign nations; II IS
not the Government the people.
These men take their doses Of absinthe oelore
dinner then go and write articles on the unspeek-
able wickedness Of ell who do not believe that the
French army is organization OF leglons OF
angels and the French courts thrones or dVlhe
Justice and then they go and sit on the sidewalk ana
dilute a single glass of absinthe with PARIS water
for the rest OF the night They do this I'LL they
have 70 be carried off and added 70 the number
IN every thousand who are insane and TO the per-
ceutage Of the insane who have the rooIshhess
alcoholic" ,
Absinthe is used a little in this country A oash
NJ II Is sometimes put IN cocktail, and man
who wants TO get its medicinal erect sometimes
+aLas mora hut there are few who take II con-
stsntIv and in large quantities, as they 90 IN
France The cocktail habit itself Is pad enough d
there is no need OF wasting the present space u
nrove hut II is not Ike the absinthe haoiI Inc
experiment which General Gautfet Is trying IS
most important one for II the French army can De
r,ada sane there IS no reason why anybody III tne
world should despair