New-York tribune., 1901-10-13

Milton Henry, who rode three outside mounts
to the winning post. The success OF American
jockeys continued without a break during the
numerous summer meetings at Deauville, Caen,
Deppe and elsewhere, and attained its climax
with John Reiff's superb riding of Mr.. W. c.
Whitney's colt Kilmarnoek II last Sunday, when
American Jockeys rode winners in five out of six
events, and Rigby. repeating his feat of the
day before. rode two winners. All this has
caused something like a revolution in French
fiat racing. Discussing the matter yesterday a
prominent member Of the Jockey Club remarked:
There seems to be no doubt that the poorest
american jockey over here is better than the
best French jockey. To put it in a practical
way, consider that the advantage to a horse
ridden by an American jockey is equivalent to a
diminution of eight pounds weight in the saddle.
When interrogated further on the subject. my
informant. who enjoys the reputation of being
one of the most competent judges in France in
all pertaining to the turf, said:
You see that, besides the unquestioned su-
periorfty of the American forward seat and
methods, American jockeys are trained to ride
by the ehronometer-in other words, to get alb
solutely the highest speed for given distance
that their mounts capable of, and this with
comparative disregard for what others in the
held may be doing. This alone has completely
changed the character of French racing, be-
cause before the advent of Americans the whole
field would sometimes slow up almost to a
American methods have completely done away
with this. and it will be found that in conse-
quence the average speed of French fiat racing
has this season been increased nearly 10 per
cent.
1t is somewhat singular to note that. in spite
OF the acknowledged excellence of American
| Jockeys, they are by no means popular in
France, and only after great reluctance do
| French owners and trainers employ them.
| Those in the best position to know the real
causes for this say that it is owing to the ag-
gressvely free and easy ways which American
| jockeys adopt toward owners, and also to the
numerous trainers professional sharpers and
welchers by whom American jockeys are
| rounded. The language Of American jockeys
| far exceeds the bluest limits of profanity and
obscenity hitherto attained by their British or
French colleagues. These however are, after
ALL merely trivial details for all admit that the
American jockey once in the saddle. is ire
proachabe. The best proof Of this is that
French owners are paying higher prices for
American Jockeys than any hitherto heard of on
the French turf 1t is not uncommon for sala-
res for first and second mounts, entirely ex-
elusive of all other earnings. to exceed $4,000.
In theatridcal circles something approaching
a revolution has been produced by the decision
of the Minister OF Public Instruction and Fine
Arts to suppress the famous reading COM
mittee." composed of five actors of the Coincide
Francase whose business 1t is to read accept
and reject plays submitted to the Theatre Fran
gals. The decision of the Minister will annul
an article OF the famous Decree of Moscow, in
which Napoleon in 1912 reorganized the Thea
tre Francas, and is regarded as radical step,
soon to be followed by others leading to a COM
plete transformation of the Theatre Francais,
which. like the French Academy, the Sorbonne
and the College Of France. is of the most
revered national institutions Of the land. In
deed. there has been such outcry against the
Coincide Francaise since Voltaire described il
''tripot comique" Among those in favor of
the suppression of the reading committee, of
which NJ LIE Bargy is chairman the ground
that it no longer comes up to modern require
ments, are Ludovic Halevy. Sardou. Maurice
Donnay and Georges Larroumet Those op-
posed are Mounet-Suy. the senior actor of the
Francais; Coquelin cadet. Andre Antoine and
Paul Hervieu. The Figaro" has undertaken a
spirited campaign to abolish the Moscow de-
cree, and the public is inclined to indorse this
movement, for it is notorious that for a long
time the reading committee has made grave
blunders and accepted scores of plays that
proved failures, and rejected numerous works
by Lavedan, De Curel and Alfred Capus, which
at boulevard theatres turned out to be highly
successful. The present coup d'etat was pro-
voked by the experience OF CASTOR Shefer, IL
brarian of the Arsenal Library, whose play in
five acts. entitled "Esclave." was accepted some
years ago by the reading committee, subject
to change of title and of ending French dra-
matte authors. the whole sympathize with
Shefer, and declare it humiliatng for them to
be compelled by a committee Of actors TO
write their works Shefer's play emerged from
the ordeal with only three acts and entitled
"Roi" instead Of "Esclave." This play which
in its amended form, was produced this even
ing at the Coincide Francaise, contains excel
lent first and second acts. but the melodramatlc
and rather commonplace ending Of the third
act caused it to be rather coldly received. The
scene is laid in of the Balkan kingdoms
where an Austrian archduke is about to wed
princess whose mother, the Queen. formerly
his mistress revolution brings about the
Kings abdication, and the King kills the arch
duke in a duel Paul Mounet the king
scored a success. and Mile. Marie Lecomte was
was most beautifully staged.
This week the manuscripts Of the correspond
ence of Jules and Edmond de Goncourt, covering
| the period from 1851 to 1896 were delivered by
National Library where, according to the terms
of the will, they to remain unopened until
1916. These letters are said to contain extraor-
| binary revelations and personal gossip, and are
expected to become sort of Pepys's diary of
events in France during the latter half OF the
| nineteenth century. 1t is interesting to note
that among the other manuscripts deposited in
+ha I xraic he al