The Washington herald., 1906-12-13

Paris. Dee 12.-To-night is really
the eve of what may be a battle Of
violence which will shake France to
its foundations. but in spite of what
ever may have been sent abroad inUi-
eating that there was excitement either
in Paris or the provinces. it is fact
that, uD 10 this time, there has been
nothing anywhere in the nature Of
agitation except in the newspapers.
That the government and church au-
thorities are highly exercised in them
selves is only matter of course, while
each are fighting for their lives. But
the whole controversy this week, since
the Popes Saturdays instructions
changed the aspect of the situation.
has been purely polemic.
Tomorrow war in fact may begin,
or it may turn out that the purely con-
structive war may continue Although
the letter Of the separation law fixed
December Il for it's date of operation.
il is the custom in France 10 delay the
execution OF any law a full day, and
sometimes longer. This postponement
has been referred to by some writers
as an armistice proclaimed by Prime
Minister Clemenceau- This is a mis-
! take, but tomorrow, according 20 the
governments orders, police agents will
be In the churches, and when mass is
said to take names and make out
verbal processes.
No Force Contemplated.
F1,.y 60 s--.-.r-f.4 - ....-1
authorities. but should any number OF
Catholics resent the presence of the
governments agents, or should enc
mics Of the church attend and provoke
disturbances. then violence might crop
out anywhere.
/ 1t is held in some quarters that the po-
lice instructions, which technically pro-
vide that anybody is free to enter the
/ churches and act therein under the law.
tacitly open the way for free-thinking
distUrbeTs 10 upset worship unmOlested by
the police. This is categOTically denied by
the prefecture 1t has been limited that
II this could be done under the connivance
Of the government, clear way would be
opened for the government 10 step IN
with repressive measures. under the guise
of preserving the public peace The au-
thorities refute these aspersions.
VIII Say Mass To-day.
On the other hand. the representatives
OF the church announce that masses viii
begin at $50 o'clock Thursday morning.
ard that they expect that prosecution and
/ persecution Will begin simultaneously.
Able Gardey. the venerable cure Of ST.
CIouIde, one Of the leading churches OF
Paris. who is highly regarded, said this
evening:
Tomorrow I say high mass at the
altar. II the act Of praying to God in
churches constitutes crime ! will be
prosecuted. That is all"
And afterward?" he was asked
He replied. "Afterward I Will begin
again"
Should the parishioners Of such a cure
turn out in a belliCose mood. that battle
will be on whose first cannon shot Prime
Minister Clemenceau yesterday said had
been fired. Otherwise. the battle may
still prove controversial only.
Charges Police with Completely.
Another cure Able Bodin. Of Notre
Dame de Travail. takes the view that the
police arrangements purposely open the
way for trouble The government. he
says. viii permit services If there are no
disturbances The police instructions
permit free thinkers to make demonstra-
tiOns. Then the government will fOrcibly
close the churches. He adds:
1T is easy tactics. and there are
'gogos' who will benevolently believe
that the church provoked the scandal
'1mpasse." and says that the govern
ments whole course is followed only to
keep the Clemenceau ministry in power
To this. it adds has a grand country been
reduced. For this viii be the crisis and
the religious war will be prolonged.
Would Apply Law of 1905.
The Temps, under the heading of The
True Remedy" says that the law Of
1881 should not be invoked by the govern
meut, which ought to apply the law Of
1895. It should see 10 it that meetings
which might be held under that law were
not manipulated purely in antagonism to
the state.
Up to late hour tonight the following
is the only incident resembling a conflict
that had been reported
Bishop Turinaz. of Nancy, left his pal
ace at / o'clock to-day for a house in Rue
Source, where he is going to reside a
thousand persons, mostly women. escorted
him. shouting: 'Vive Monseigneurr'
/ "Vive iibCrtei" On entering Rue Source.
the police forced the crowd back. The
bishop. approaching Meyer, who was
inquiring the name and address Of a wom-
an among the crowd. took him by the
coat and struck him.
Some priests then restrained the bishop.
against whom the police commissioners
entered an action for violently interfering
with an agent while the latter was exer-
cising his duties. Some arrests were made.
but nobody was held.
Bordeaux Churches Open To-day.
Operations i'm the churches at Bordeaux
will begin tomorrow. Special commits
sioners will be appointed where the may
ors refuse to act. Neither Catholic circles
nor the administration authorities expect
serious incidents. The altar ornaments in
most churches have been reduced to the
simplest forms. Chapels that were for
merly finely decorated by ladies now have
only six candles and an altar cloth
The editor of an anarchist rag and a
street hawker called to-day on the pre-,
1 lecture Of police and made the necessary
churches. The police consider such
/ the Temps points cut that they are use
less, as particular meeting place must
! be given, because the declarers are theo-