The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-05-29

ahead all the same. Every time h
coSsuits his own convenience to the in
convenience Of others, he says "a thou
sand pardons.r but he does it neverthe
less. The manners of the four leadin,
nations Of the world may be observed
at railroad eating house. where ther.
Is but a single dish of some coveted
deiicacy. An American. would dexter
4 ously seize it and divide it with hi.
friend or neighbor, an E,nglishmar
would make arrangements in advance
Il to have ne reserved for him, a German
/ would appropriate it all without ar
apology and a Frenchman would de
4 the same thing with a bow and smile
4 The disposition of the Frenchnnan to
glorify France at the expense of every
thing and everybody else. is almost
Iudicrously apparent. Among the great
historical paintings at Versailles, Is one
! purporting to represent the battle OF
yorktown Rochambeau is the central
figure, and Washington is represented
| in the background, apparently acting
4 as aide to the French General. The
/ painting bears the following inscrip-
ton. Rochanbeau and Washington.
directing the attack at Yorktown
The same spirit of national vanity
viii one day make trouble for Emperor
| William. When, at the close of the
Frances German war, it was proposed
to exact eight 1rilIiards of francs (six-
teen hundred millions of dollars) froEa
France, as an indemnity, it was urged
that such a sum could not be paid
without impoverislling France, de-
bauening Germany, and unsettling the
money markets of the world, and even
the amount finally agreed upon, five
niliiards Tone thousand millions OF
doIlars), 1t was believed by German
statesmen would So exhaust France
as to make any augmentation of her
army or Increase of her fortresses inn
possible for many years. The contrary.
however, seems to have been the case.
The five nlilliards were paid in four
yeas.s--largely by loan it is true-with-
out apparently affecting the prosperity
of France, and wfkhstanding this
vast disbursement, the French Repub-
lie Improved and increased its army
until in efficiency and numbers It now
SURPRISES It's own organization at any
time during the rule OF the last Napo-
leon. At the present rate OF increase.
France win IN few years have
force larger By one-fourtn than that OF
all Germany combined. That this
qt44C Atft4itl4ttL
the French people can doubt I think
it is a great mistake, and a great out
rage to withdraw so many thousands
Of able bodied, vigorous young men
from the Industrial pursuits OF life,
and convert them into worthless idle,
immoral. drunken. consuming, wand
ering 1oslfersbus then. alass am
not at present at the head Of the
French N.epublic, and if were doubt
II coaala change the nature Of the
animal. Inaperfa1ists end R0yaliase,
Republicans and Communists, slilxe
secretly nurture tile hDre nzld the par,-
nose or one day returning with inter-
est the slOH which kaiser William In
hicied upon France. II the future ahssn (
produce man who shall march the
grand ar1nee through The streafs Of
captured Berlin. thar man may be
President. or Dictator, or Emperor. If
he will. The day Of retaliation will be
reached IN time. Francesis the modern
Anteus. ard the exnbrance of adversely
has refreshed and re5uvenated her.
The corrupt example Of Napoleon.s |
court IN some degree impoverished the |
people who followed 1t. OF yigor and |
manhood the republic is simpler of |
life and purer of practice and it is |
not much OF a republic after all. 1t /
would puzzle Frenchman to explain
the difference between the Empire and |
the Republic. so far as his personal
liberty. or habits. or rights are con-
cerned. Whether under Louis PHILIPPE
or Louis Napoleon, or Theirs or Mac
hahon, or Grevy, or Loubet. the gov
eminent has been Instituted and per-
on the paternal plan. In adj
dftion to the usual functions Of coin
ing money and carrying the mail, the
Is a government institution.
Government is also engaged in vari-
,us branches of manufactures. Crock
sryware and gunpowder, tapestry and
firearms, matches and glass, are all
made at it's factories. It does not
salt, but it requires that
Ill the salt made in France or import
ID therein shall be sold to it alone, at !
4 price fixed by its authorities. 1t {
regulates to some extent the manage !
nent of railroads, and it grants heavy
annual subsidies to the leading thea {
res and operas of Parks. Conceive, il I
rou can, of a republic which peddles 5
matches, and passes in cabinet council {
lpon the merits of a government tenor t
IT basso profundo. Perhaps with a c
cal republic once definitely establish I
ID, France might grow out of the t
isages of monarchy and imperialism.
nut thus far her government has been T
republic in name only. 1t is republic
which began without written chart, T
Without fundamental law, without ac- 7
urate definition Of the terms or func- t
ions of its officers. and without re- I
friction upon the power of its Legis- I
,trre, or Irritation of the official life a
f its legislators. AS for Bonapartism 6
r boss government, it died with the a
,st emperor. and his son who perish
4 in South Africa. was never his heir t
'erhaps another Bonaparte may one a
ay seize the helm of France, but If so, L
will be because of the power of the Il
IAN and not merely the power of the e
anne. n
tank, after all. that our American Ii
-s+ar,, of immortality is better than e