Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-26
THE REAL, PARIS.
Dissertation of the Boulevards by De-
grading Art and Literature.

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Paris Correspondence, Pail Mall Gazette.
In his weekly 'causerie appearing in to-
nights Temps. NJ. Jules Claretie, who has
all the grace of his nation in saying a grave
thing without affectation and without la
boring the point. raises a voice against the
dissertation of the boaievards by the dis
play of vulgar and Objectionable illustrated
publications and postcards He says he re-
Gently conversed with two distinguished
strangers In ParE-tfseo one scientist of
a worldwide reputation and the other a
man holding high public office in his coun-
try-and they both put their finger on the
same plague spot-the exhibition Of de-
graded art and literature In the ktosks
Now the question is. Is this mass Of OBJ
jectionable matter French? M. Claretle
says and proves that it is not. The greater
part of it comes from Germany: Most OF
them have been "postkarters' before be-
coming 'cartes postales." And the quality
of the humor, such as 1t is. Is Teutonic
rather than Gallo. The fact is that these
odious caricatures are entirely Wltiess ana
are generally bad art; they are simply dis
reputable. In France audacity In either art
or literature and straining at the bonds
that are usually acknowledged in polite so
ciety are. as a rule, compensated 1or by
genuine wit. 1t is the laugh that kills the
harmful microcosm. But when the Teu-
tonic mind runs counter to our ordinary
decencies there are no compensations-sim-
ply disgraceful and ungraceful etalage
1t is this corruption of art and GOOD
morals that authority should Stay with a
few salutary measures. Unfortunately
that Is easier said than done In this city.
where license has always been permitted TO
the wielder Of pen and pencil by the govern
ments which feared the mordant wit of the
repressed satirist or the outbursts of a
censored press. However, there Is no ne
cessity for Paris to adopt the pictorial and
literary sins OF Berlin and other foreign
capitals, and coup de balaf' would not
only be good for morals but good for pa
triotism. The many charming French pub
locations sparkling with humor and radiant
with beauty feminine and otherwise) need
no German framework of bad taste and
doubtful talent 1T Is this admixture OF
good and bad on the street stalls that has
called for the criticism of the indiscrim-
mating stranger within the gate.
1.-The real Paris is the Paris you do not
see," says M. Claretie. and he complains
that more books and more writer's concern
themselves with the Moulin Rouge or the
Cabaret des Arts than the College de
France or the Ecole Normale. True, very
true. Without, however, insisting too much,
let us suggest that Paris artificial Is Paris
obvious. and that the other kind OF Paris
is, WELL not on the bOulevards, not IN the
track of the tourist but somewhere on that
distinguished Left Bank-reminiscent in its
calm dignity of the days when there was
. the city and there was the university
somewhere in that region dominated by the
Sorbonne. That is a world of culture, OF
intense literary and Intellectual labor, of
rigorous rule and cast iron sobriety that Is
forever shut to casual inspection. One must
live the life and know its Inhabitants to
have the sesame to the cave of knowledge.
But the other Paris-laughing. frivolous.
enhancing Paris. Pickering with the shafts
of sunslight across the boulevard trees
should be real Gallo Paris, and not a
German edition of it. That Is all M. Clare
tie asks. and the dpresent writer begs to
support the proposition