Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-25
French Turmoil.

. 1t is to be hoped that the recent reports
that have come from Paris regarding the
political and social conditions. which are
described as bordering upon a revolution
are more gloomy than the facts actually
warrant. If all that is said of the situa-
ton is true. the French government has for
some time been playing with the elements
of discord and disruption. for the sake of
preserving prestige with two classes, the
militant churchmen on the hand and
the militant labor unions on the other. 1t
is true that the ordinary news dispatches
that have come forth have shown but little
sign of such a state of affairs as that de-
scribed at length in recent communications,
but this may be due to the censorship,
which. 1t is charged, the government has
undertaken to maintain.
AS the first of May approaches the appre7-
tensions of those who observe foreign af-
fairs necessarily rise to higher pitch That
day is almost Invariably marked with dis
orders. 1t is the annual occasion of ebulli-
ton on the part of the working classes, the
discontented especially. 1t is the day of the
periodic walk-outs and strikes. In France,
however. this occasion has been anticipated
by the precipitation of numerous strikes,
notably that of the coal miners, who were
FASTENED in their program by their resent
ment of the manner in which the mine
owners managed affairs after the great
disaster at Lens. 1t may be that this pre-
cipitancy Is a factor for the security of the
government. which has thus been enabled
to measure the force of the revolutionary
tendency and to prepare for the emer-
gencies which may arise week hence.
1t must always be remembered that there
&c nioll " in ;,,I n "
in Paris. a distinctly revolutionary move
ment. It's managers are well known to the
authorities. Their aims are thoroughly I'M
derstood. Their plots and schemes are usu-
ally disclosed Immediately to the police
through the most elaborate system of spies
to be found anywhere in the world, save
possibly in Russia. These revolutionists
are regarded as comparatively harmless.
They congregate in the lower cafes and
sing their songs OF anarchism and talk elo-
quently of the righting of wrongs and full
inmate on the evils of government, knowing
full well that they are being kept closely
under the official eye and that transcripts
of their songs and speeches are filed each
morning with the project of the police and
through him with the minister for the In
terror. 1t is a merry game and seldom is
anybody hurt. The revolution Is an in
stitution, recognized as such by both the
people and the government, and thoroughly
discounted.
1t now remains to be seen whether the
revolution" will advance from its aca-
demic and cafe chantant stages to the plane
of actual endeavor If the propagandists
OF the great overturn who have been
preaching and singing for years have actu-
ally Joined hands with the labor unions and
have formed distinct and working organi-
cation, and have set a program which is
more than merely electoral in its character,
France may indeed be on the verge of
crisis. But much allowance must be made
for the Gallo temperament. And much
more must be made for the fact that France
IS just at present in the process of choos-
ing members of the national chambers. We
have had similar symptoms in this coun-
try in the past when the ballot box has
cast it's shadow before.