The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-06
PARIS IS IN IN UPROAR
NATIONALIsFs WILL UTILIZE ELEC-
TIONS TO Make A FIGHT ON
THE GOVERNMENT
TRUCE Is TO BE BROKEN
Had Been Practically Agreed That
There Would Be No Attempt at
Political Warfare During
Exposition.

COpSIISHIeu ny the ASSOCldI6Q GTSSS-
PARIS, May 5.-Foreign visitors to
Paris this week find the dead walls COW
cred with huge colored posters setting
forth the electoral manifestoes of the
candidates at the municipal elections
which are to be held tomorrow Sunday
throughout France. The results are
awaited with particular interest, owing
to the announced intention of the ma
tionalists to utilize the election as
field Of battle to test the feeling of the
country on the governments policy, es-
pecially in domestic matters.
This Introduction of general politics into
municipal elections by the nationalists
is a breach of the truce tacitly entered
into between the various parties during
the period of the exposition. The re-
cent accidents at the exposition have
served them as a weapon of attack upon
the ministry, and this explains their in
cessant attempts to cast responsibility
upon NJ, Milerand.
This campaign is intended largely for
the electorate of Paris, where the nation
alists will make their most determined
assault They have eighty candidates,
and their success or failure constitutes
a barometer showing the state of the
present atmosphere. At the present mo-
ment, however, there is no sign Of Sc
rious present effervescence or grave dis
content with the government This is
shown by the tranquil manner in which
Labor day passed in France At one
time the celebrations on the 1st of May
almost convuIsed the country This year
the day fell into complete abeyance,
work proceeded as usual nearly every
where, and meetings Of labor committees,
which formerly were a feature Of the
day, were few and far between
ABDUCTION SENSATION.
The Champs EIeysees is the last place
in the world one would think would be
chosen for an attempt at child abduc-
ton in broad daylight. This, however,
happened this week, to the amazement of
all Paris. The fashionable avenue was
thronged, as is usual in the afternoon,
with stream Of equipages and prom
enaders, when. almost in front of the i'm
posing entrance Of the exposition, q man
rushed into the roadway and seized by
the head a horse drawing a tacre, in
which were seated an elderly lady and
gentleman, in whose arms was little
boy about four years old. At the same
moment a woman sprang to the side Of
the carriage, clutched the child and at
tempted to draw him from the vehicle.
The child cried, and crowd soon sur
rounded the struggling group. The new
conner explained that the boy was her
child, whom the old people refused to
sides with the mother, and the old lady,
bursting into tears, relinqushed her hold.
1t was then found that the child was
girdled with an iron chain, which was
padlOcked to the two occupants of the
tiacre. This discovery excited the
wrath of the spectators, who prepared
to handle the old people roughly.
At this junctule the police arrived and
took the whole party to the station
house, where it was explained that the
mother had been granted a divorce and
awarded the custody of the children but
during an illness she had had him tenn
pOrarily given into the care of the moth
er-in-law, the Baroness Won Veldegg.
The latter, upon the mothers recovery,
refused to return the child, and the moth
er tracked them until she met them on
the Champs Elysees The baroness, learn
ing that the mother intended to secure
the child forcibly, if necessary, had the
iron chain forged, and never left her
house except in a carriage and accom-
panied by the old Prussian officer, who
held one end of the chain, the baroness
holding the other.
At the station house the mother-in-law
refused to unfasten the paddock, and the
cOmmissary Of police was obliged to have
the chain filed in two. The child was
then restored to his mother, despite the
protests and sobs Of the baroness
The scene of excitement provoked by
the dramatic incident on the Champs
Elysees can well be imagined.
NEW WAR DEVICE.
An innovation has been introduced in
the French artillery service by the de-
cisiOn to furnish the guns with a smoke
shell. Hitherto the cannon had been
provided with Melinite and shrapnel shell
only. This new shell is intended to be
launched at an opponents artillery
which, on bursting, 1t will envelope in
dense cloud of smoke, thus hampering
the return fire. The new shell is the out
come of the Introduction of smokeless
powder. Formerly, with the old powder.
the result now aimed at was brought
about by the guns themselves, the firing
Of which produced a smoke which blind
ed their own gunners. Experiments show
that this invention creates sort of veil
before the enemy's artillery. Both the
army and navy will be supplied with
these shells.
The date of the Inauguration of the
American national pavilion in the expo
sition is now definitely fixed for next
Saturday, two days later than originally
planned. The ceremony will be very
simple. Charles A. Coolidge, the archi-
tect of the structure, will hand over the
building to United States Commissioner
General Peck who in tirn will trapSfa,.