New-York tribune., 1902-10-26
AT THE FRENCH CAPITAL.
NEED or THOROUGH REFORM N THE
SECRET POLICE SYSTEM
DE-1sIoS n SAMOAN CASE WILL Not BE
ACCEPTED A. FRECEDEST-FF-E-
c-ESCE or -RA&CAR
ACCIDENTS


Pz--s. Oct c5-Pu6Ic opinion Insists upon the
thorough ove-haUling Of The French secret po-
Ice Tie extraordinary escape q n Boulaine,
tbs Pa-zE-an banker, whose smbezZleE9snts
zere On 4 scale q millions; the failure q the
authorities 70 catch Canon Rosenberg. vicar
general q Cyrus xho founded the bogus char
IL convent q Ia LZr:e-e Eternelle - R1eL
saying hs did 50 that he Wished % 90 fo- The
France q The Third Republic what Nine dc
Isiatenoa did for The France OF LOUIS XIV. and
whose colossal clerical sEindling involves the
historic names of some q the most illustrious
great ladies q France; the utter inability of the
government detectives % discover the fsintest
clew 70 Nne, Hum5ert, whose gigantic opera
tions realized over 10000 90 francs. have
aroused public indignation 10 fever heat
Petitions have been submitted 20 Prime Min
lister Comb=s recoUnting all the criminals that
have elUded arrest or who have escaped from
custody Z the last two years Among tie
recent crimes there srs twelve sensational ones,
committed within the last three months, without
the police getting any trace OF the culprits
Among these are the assassinatiors of four pro-
fessionaI beauties q three thrifty old women.
o two men found cur in pieces and slowed
away II travelling bags. and The murder of a
dentists assistant in The fashionable Champs
ElyEe-s quarter y Paris.
This is, cs crimes committed Il The heart Of
Paris. and often in broad daylight, with al
soute immunity is appalling. hut Il is the great
star sHirdle-s who have eiU6=d tire rneshes %
;h= secret police rhzt hare a. .asJ 50 aroused
the public community that thorough sweeping
- the detective service has become imperative
Hurnbe-t. Rosenberg and Boulaine. each in a
vay r1ote-nized iupersonation % '3Iercadet,"
form = grand trilogy ot scientific swindling. ez-
oeedi1z anything imagined b. Balzac or Dunas
ard all three have completely hafaed The CON-
Iliczte5 machinery OF French justice. TO the
Partisan mind reform ~ the secret police ;s
rhe great question of the ds.-uors important
than strikes or the budget Or the religious
Eocisron laws. The Ministry has been forced 70
sct and Prime Minister Cornbes and y. Lepine.
Pre.ec- II Police. have wisely decided 70 ,ske
th- initiative in thA reform.
The escape of Boulaiae. which IS nov thor
. c1g-lv inyestigs shows that this easy going
fashiors be boulevardisr banker leaving the
court q The Palace % Justice On Tuesday per
suadei The detectives that the Judge. who had
. reen ve-y polite 20 him rad announced that he
vas 70 - released Il ne could find caution
: money ~ 10000 francs After taking bis
-aIlers n cab - q fashionable restaurant,
where al three diusd on oysters roast par
. trt6gss champagne and chaubertin. they drove
about making calls upon II Boulaine's affusnt
friends until during % these visits IN
. house a. No - Rue tes Mathur.ns. which has a
double exit. fhe sd-oit hnancier disappeared.
1 No trace q him has since besn obtained. The
+ banker presumably stepped into club eoup4
awaiting him g. the second exit and drove or
+ smoking choice cigar.
! ~ Boulaine's escape continues 70 be a topic
of the day, and supplies the sub3ec; matter for
+ ponderous editorials in the Temps" the De
bats the .Lfoerte" the Figaro" the ''Caulois"
and th@ "8Iatin." y BouIains's portraits are
published The front pages OF ell the daily
papers, anecdotes, sketches. skits and Jokes
Z laJing 70 him abound In the public press. and
/ his photos hang in The chop windows.
The missing banker Is by al ODDS the most
. prominent personality q the hour The cool,
well bred assurance with which he effected his
. escape proved 70 Be the straw which seems
'ikely 70 break the back of the present defective
( police system.
! The French Government, not being party 20
I the Samoan dispute submitted 70 the s-bi.ra-
/ ton q King Oscar, has. q course. direct tn
+ terest II the decision adverse 20 the United
States and England. which. upon the authority
OF the Washington correspondent - The Trib-
. uns. has been csbled 70 the French press and
appeared prominently in all the Paris and
/ provincial pspers
Unofficial information received IN Diplomatic
circles here fully confirms the accuracy Of the
statement cab.ed from Washington OF the judg-
ment received from the King OF Sweden, and has
called forth various comments. y is natural
that In The present frame Of the French mind.
Jus, sfter the jubi!ant ceebra ton in London OF
the anniversary Of Lord Nelson's victory over
Admiral E;'leneuve a. Trafalgar. that decision
unfavorabie 70 England would be soothing syrup
for Gallo sensibilites From this point Of view
the Nationalist ana reactionary press such as
the "Autoritt," the "Patris' and the "Liberte."
record the decision of King Oscar with uncon-
cealed delight
Not 50, however. in tthe highest diplomatic
circles. where The principle involved by King
Oscars Judgment that a nation Is not justified
II ceses q absolute necessity in olsen barking
military force in unciviIized country 10 pro-
tecL the lives and property OF its own citizens
would never be accepted as a precedent OF inter
national law BY The French Government In
deed the mere enunciaton Of such a principle
is highly uHpaiatable here and completely at
variance with French traditions
IL Is pointed out that the Samoan arbitration
submitted 20 the King Of Sweden is likely 10 be
the last instance Of International dispute being
left 10 a single arbitrator now that the Interna-
tonal Hague Tribunal is in fun working order
! and "here its maiden case. that between the
United states and Mexico. was disposed Of salts
faetoriiy and supported by legal learning Of un-
/ questionable soundness and authority
! Premier CoTnoes secured and consolidated his
| ample working majority In the French Chamber.
90 votes against l64, by promising 10 follow the
| example offered by President Roosevelt and tab
ing the initiative in bringing the French strt...
10 settlement by arbitration II is slgnincan,
70 note that It was the SoclaIis, leader lear
Jsures. who concluded his tribute 10 the sound
Judgment shown by President Roosevelt by urg
ing the government TO adopt a course similar
to that taken by the American Pres,dan, NJ