Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-05
ATHEISTS
THREATEN REPUBLIC
CONDITIONS DURING EASTER
TIDE IN PARIS
Distinguished Citizen Believes That
Every Institution in the coun-
try Is Menaced-Thea-
ters Debauched
sneoia1 Cable to The Herald.

Special Cable to The Herald
| LONDON, May 4.-The following
communication to the London Saturday
Review on "Eastertide in Paris, 1907, F."
gives an excellent insight into the con-
ditions nov existing in France:
To the Editor of the Saturday Review.
"Sir-That the great mass or the
French nation is composed of attractive
and excellent elements; that the Frencn
as a whole are an intelligent, gltteu'
industrious and artistic people, is true.
But what is the present state OF m
| ternal affairs in France? By what
manner of men Is she governed? Has
she an effective army and a re1aple
navy? Is her financial condition sound,
| her trade prospering and her laporlnS
classes quiescent and contented?
"Those really acquainted with the po-
litical crisis through which France is
passing at the present moment, ana
who can examine with unbiased judg-
ment the composition not only of M.
Clemenceau's ministry, but also that of
those which Immediately preceded 1t,
who know the fell influence of the
Bourse de Travail upon the 1ndustrlal
population, who are aware of the f1erce
persecution which the atheistical party
who now hold the reins of political
power-have been and are infiict1ng
UPON the CdInOllC CnulCll, anu W1SNii
with anxious terror for the development
of collectivism and the possibility of
a national bankruptcy in the immediate
future, cannot look upon the So-called
entente cordiale between our country
and France as likely to be of any real
advantage to the former Indeed, 1t
might be step in the direction of our
national ruin.
"I passed six days in Paris at Easter,
II, lou
nesday, April 8. A description of the
observations I was able to make dur
ing that period give me a true picture
of the unrest, uncertainty and general
disorganization now prevailing in that
metropolis, although to the casual OBJ
server all appears calm and tranquil.
81 arrived late on the Thursday night.
On the following morning 1 proceeded
to Notre Dame, where the Good FRI
day mass of the prae-sanctified was
celebrated at 10 o'clock. Notre Dame,
being a cathedral and not parish
church, is not, as a rule, well attended
as most Partisan churches, but on this
Good Friday it was completely filled.
The proportion of men was quite two
fifths of the congregation The long
service was reverently followed and
crowds went up to kiss the crucifix.
All day long in all the Partisan
churches never ending crowds passed
through to adore the cross and give a
small aims. Thousands and tens of
thousands must have passed through
the doors. Not a sign of irreverence,
of lightness of conduct was visible.
"In the evening 1 went to the Odeon
theater, which was, through the in
strumentality of NJ BRAND when min
lister of public instruction, turned into
national theater on the same lines
as the Theatre Francais (With a large
government subsidy, for the ostensible
purpose Of producing plays that would
elevate and instruct the people. The
theater was packed from floor to CELL
ing, and the audience included a very
considerable number of children.
"The advertised performance was an
ancient and very beautiful mystery of
the fifteenth century, describing the
Passion Of Our Lord Jesus Christ But
before playing the mystery a drama
entitled Joseph of Arimathaea' was
produced. This drama, in three acts,
admirably staged and admirably acted,
was nothing more or less than an elab-
crate denial Of the resurrection, giving
as an explanation that Joseph of Arim-
athaea, fearing that the Jewish leaders
might profane the body of Christ, stole
it away from the tomb on the Sabbath
day following the crucifixion and buried
it in his own secret cellar. The holy
women and the apostles finding the
tomb empty believe their Lord has
risen, Joseph of Arimathaea leaves
them in this pious delusion, and so the
Christian faith and the legend of the
resurrection is started. Follies of wo-
men, ignorance of peasants is Joseph
of Arimathaea's judgment on the sub
ject
Following this blasphemous produc-
tion came the mystery also played to
perfection, but played with the inten-
tion to show that the religious history
therein described was purely a myth,
founded upon the incidents given in
the previous play. The audience never
murmured at any of the sentiments
conveyed in either play, and applauded
the sacred character and his disciples
alike.
Il do not believe in any other coun-
try in Europe or America such a per-
formance would have been tolerated
for moment, and 1 think the actors
would have been roughly handled
TALK WITH0IIT WlRES