New-York tribune., 1903-02-08

professor of mathematics for written 'heses ih
conformity with new regulations nav
taken hold of by the opposition press anu WIZ h''
for all they are worth in frantic eher's 10 PEI
suade the public that the french army N'
being undermined with insubordination by the
War Minister General Andre whom MS ehelhies
represent as a Free Mason, sacrificing the army
TO socialists and Masonic fanaticisnl-these three
incidents which lust now monopollze pupiie
attention are due not to any general spirit ol
INSTRUMENTATION, as the Nationalist and ultra
Catholic press assert, but to that unfortunate
conflict between Roman Catholic elerieaiism anu
caste the one hand and liberal, humahi'aiiaH
thought and democracy the other hand, when
have been seeking TO exterminate each o'ieF
ever since the French Revolution.
The army and the church remain to-day the
only two careers open to youths of famiiles oi
the old regime who still remain true 10 hereui-
tary doctrines of privilege and birth.
General Andre is the first War Minister of the
Third Republic who has stood forth as an uiI-
comprising opponent of the clerical ana anu
republican creeds and sympathies common 10 d
large proportion of the officers. especially among
the higher grades OF the army, in the general
staff and in the elite cayalra regiments 10
General Andre belongs the credit. or the crihle'
according as his attions regarded through
republican or clerical spectacles, OF attacking
anti-republican anism in its last place Oh refuge, '
the higher ranks of the army. This he Is aoiiis
with an iron hand his ambition being TO eE-
purgate caste and privilege and TO weld inc
national army in one purely democratic mould
Just as Cromwell did with the British army
and all professional critics, from Lord Wolse-
lev down. declare that the British army never
attained greater efficiency than after croIllNeh
had thus transformed it into genuine repubh-
don tic
dous task General Andre has set himself TO
accomplish. His work of Decentralization ana
experimentation continues resolutely i'll tlS
face of the violent resistance Of the NatlonallslS
and of the Catholic Royaiist reaction.
AS an outward symbol of the democratic
movement in the army 1t is noted that the spe-
cal commission appointed by the Minister OF
War 10 select d more modern uniform has
adopted in principle that of the United States
Army, the felt hat, buttons of horn instead OF
metal blush drab color for tunic and trousers.
no epauiets and no white gloves, Many years,
however, may elapse before this new uniform is
actually issued to the troops, an enormous
stock of the present type of uniform is III hand.
Nictorien Sardeu WIG in the last three weeks
has been taken 50 violently to task throughout
Italy for what Florentine critic calls his pre-
sumptuous sacrilege" in making Dante the sub
ject of a play in which the divine poet is TO hc
personified by Sir Henry irving, has replied to
this premature eutburst of Italian indignation
in the 'Corritra della Sera" by stating that he
has not. alleged, put Dante irreverently on
the stage as d hero of commonplace political III
trigue and of meretrcious love adventures,
has he attempted TO make historical drama,
but that he and his literary collaboration, Emile
Moreau were attracted by the superb humani-
tartan figure of Dante which is treated with
that in his play the three most important per-
sonages with whom he has surrounded Dante
are Count UgeIin, Francesca da Rimini and Pa
de Tolomei.
sardeu, becoming impassiened with the sub
ject, drew his hand through his long black hair
and assured his Italian interviewer that the
suffering, anger and bitter remorse experienced
by Dante i'll real life, together with his visions
OF purity and justice, treated with sacred
Difference, as is also his mourning for Beatrice,
whose death is symbolic of the ruin of Dantes
hopes and Illusions. Sardou puts the spirit of
Virgil en- the stage, ana whole act is devoted
to Dante's journey with Virgil through the
rea Inns of Hades. In the last act Sardou has
put Dante face to face with Clement V in the
Papal palace in Avignen.
SardeJ complains that the Italians have in
yariably attacked his plays whenever the sub
iects were drawn from their history. and says:
The italians have pitched into me right and
left about La Haine,' and La Tosca' was hailed
with a storm of vituperation, and now the ltal-
iaps are 50 pleased with La Tosca that they
have put it into music
sardou says that his conception Of Dante is
much the same as Caryle's conception of the
divine poet and that Dante belongs not only
to Italy but to the world" Sardou declares that
his dramatization of his hero has evoked per
sonaI enthusiasm to A pitch not hitherto at
tanned. The Italian critics, who at first re-
garded the French dramatists handling of
Dante as a PROCLAMATION, something like that
elected from ultra Catholics by Remains "Ecee
Homo seem now Teassured SaTdou is so
worked up with his subject that his Foltalrean
features have already assumed an expression
and severity of line recalling those of Dante
himself
Clear sunshine and blue skies prevail in Paris.
The Riviera season AT Cannes is now at It's best,
the social event of the week being the opening
of the Cannes Ladies Club, when ninety-fogr
guests sat down TO dinner at the little tables.
bea utifuily decorated with flowers That of Mr..
Won Hoffman, and his daughter, the Marauise
de Mores, was adorned with peach blossoms and
roses. At their table we're Mr., and Mrs, c.
Gordon Clark and Messrs. Harold and Gerald
Winthrop. At Mr. and Mrs Meredith How
lands table were Mr. and Mrs Irving Grinnell,
Mrs. Breoknaan, Miss Fellowes and Mr.. and Mrs.
Vanneck At the daEce which closed the even
ing over one hundred and fifty persons took
part.
On Tuesday James Gordon Bennett sailed from
yillefranche for a cruise TO the West Indies i'll
his yacht the Lysistrata, his guests being the
Prince and Princess Eugene Murat, the Due de
Sasso Ruffo of Naples. and MIR. Benefits faith
fu Achates Comte de Gauville, Mr., Bennett