The Washington times., 1906-07-01
=" INSANITY WEEK"
GRIP ON FRANCE
Frenchmen in Throes of
Usual Yearly National
Excitement.
NO ACT IS TOO FOOLHARDY
Duchess de la Rochefoueauld One of
Feminine Society Pearls in Paris
American Colony.

PARIS, June 3O.-Paris has at the
present moment not only the Moroccan
question, the Panama question. the
Japanese question, etc, but also. and
above all. she Is confronted with The
cookery question 1t Is the Nineteenth
Century that has raised this question.
According to that publication Paris Is
threatened with The crash of cookery.
Protests are heard against this state
ment- If, because some Chicago canned
meats are putrid, and some preserve
factories on the outskirts of Paris I'll
their jars with mixtures of rags dipped
IN currant syrup, IT does not follow that
the ''pot-au-feu or the roast chicken
which are TO be found in all the restau-
rants and inns of France. great and
small. are any the less we'll cooked
French cooking remains the supreme
type of culinary excellence.
Statement an Absurdity.
The whole world proclaims II such.
and it would suffice for the ciitor OF
the Nineteenth Century to see with
what delight English and Americans
taste the dishes in the Partisan restau
rants, for him to be convipced of the
absurdity Of his statement There is
not a sovereign, not great lord. not a
millionaire, not a restaurant keeper
whether he be in London. Berlin or
New York, who does not Intrust the
management OF his kitchen to master
cook educated according to the pre-
cepts Of the old school OF cookery in
France
Since Vatel was cook 10 the Prince Of
Conde, and D.clere was chef of the
Cafe Anglais under the Second Emnire
to now, when the chefs of the Grand
Hotel and OF the Pavilion d'Armenon-
Vile are Frenchmen, not once has the
tradition of the supremacy OF French
cooking been departed from. II NAV
not be a glorious thing to eat well. but
IT is a pleasant one. and we can GER
tainly boast that this is the case In
France
As to "Under Side" Politics.
The under side OF ministerial politics
IN France is not always a pretty one.
Monsieur BRAND, socialist minister and
great propounder of the collective doc
trine. has just given proof OF the above.
II would be natural to suppose that a
preacher OF such a doctrine would not
depart from it in practice and show per
sonal favoritism. Yet NJ. BRAND, who is
a great admirer OF pretty faces. has with
a stroke OF his pen raised Antoine 10
the directorsh.p Of the state subsidized
theater. the Odeon. in order 10 leave an
opening IN tho boulevard theater for the
husband OF the charming actress whom
he. the minister, favors with his admir-
alton.
This is mere gossip, II you will, and
there arc those who. hearing it. laugh.
and others shrug their shoulders. but
the philosopher sees that the puritanIcal
regime which has been so much talked
about is not upon us yet. and that there
is not much difference between the way
the world wags now and its wav IN the
days Of the improper Kings Of former
times. One cannot help wondering what
was the use Of all the revolutions
through which France have passed.
Typical American Woman.
The Duchess de la RochefoucauId (nee
MITCHELL. who was few years ago and
still is one of the pearls among the
women Of the American colony In Paris.
each day assists her husband IN keeping
up the traditions Of philanthropy which
originated, with the dukes grandfather.
There is no more enthusiastic or esteem
ed Lady Charity IN Paris than this
American woman, who came directly
from the States to take her place among
the formost ranks of French aristo-
cracy.
This is the great week during which |
every ITrenchman who has any self-re-
Spect finds himself compelled to perform
some trick in view OF the multitude.
There are scheduled musical competI- |
tons. balloon competitions. automobile |
races, horse shows, polo games, golf |
etc. etc. All of these COM
petitions go on before the same public. |
Upon these occasions the widest betting /
takes place, and the maddest and most
dangerous feats are performed to the !
great joy Of the delirious crowd.
Annual Insanity Week.
The crowd knows the week of annual
insanity is upon Paris and halls 1t with 4
A few days ago NJ. Balson I
went up IN balloon to a height of 5000 /
meters; after that az army officer jump |
ed his horse over a fixed bar 80 in |
height. and so on. etc, while an enthu- !
siastic audience looked on and cheered |
wildly these utterly useless and fool |
hardy performances.
A famous brain specialist says that |
nations even more than individuals need |
occasional excitement. and that far from 4
proving them to be crazy, It shows the 4
perfection OF their intellectual develop
ment
All the peoples OF the world need at |
some time to be shut up in a mad /
house. Just now 1t is Paris turn.
Copyright. 1906. by ". r. Hearst)