The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-15
MUCH LLITERACY In FRANCE
UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY MADE
AMONG ARMY RECRUITS.
The Taurlng Caub's Goo work Recognized
Liberal Jews Open . Synagogue In
~pnris-Rrsnch wsuncn Nov = q Club
n0Dse for Thelr own Use aG tho Capital.

fANtr, DoC. D.-Nt 3nOutu Oc OF huoresg
to a~utOmObilists and others in the United
States Interested in out Of door piAgrimages
to know that tho Touring Club OF France
has been recognized by the Government AZ
an Institution OF public usefulness. Many
Americans. not only autOmObilists and
cyclists but casual travellers ~ well, who
In their Journeys through France have
made side excursions have had reason
10 know tho name Of this organization
InCe its guide posts hAvs given them timely
services al over tho country
The Touring Club believes. in common
with most Frenchmen. that France Ia
tbs most beautiful country on the wide
and fruitful earth. and IL has sought to In
duce foreigners 70 share that view by maxi
ing Il easy to find their way 10 the most
beauti4ul and interesting points and slso
by working for greater facilities among the
hotels. The club has succeeded in efeCting
a~melioratiOn in the passage Of the various
Octrois and the passage OF the frontiers.
IL has multiplied the posts where aid
may be secured. Lastly. and this is only
an incomplete enumeration OF some OF the
clubs activities. IL took advantage OF the
rsUsnt inundstlons in the Midi to further
It's campaign for 4 ~striCter and wiser system
al FORESTRY to prevent the ruin which these
foods entail.
by Q decree dated November 80 Presi-
dent FalliSres and M. Barthou. Minister
OF Public Works. have recognized the club
a. an 'StAblissemsnt d'utilite publique." tho
decree being read at q large meeting az the
SorbOnne. The club now has a member
ship OF 1924 and can count for 1908 on an
annual budget Of 10000.
The opening Of a now synagogue Of
liberal Jews last sunday q evoked some
comment in the Paris press. The organizers.
who call themselves Liberals, a. do thoso
Of similar views In Tho United States, arc
called also by the French MOdernists. Their
nswa ynagogOs 10 In the Rus COpernic.
They are 90 mOds--. hat the reading Of
parts Of the ritual and prayers IL 70 be In
French. Tho men will not wear hats dur
ing the services, any more than 10 the men
in some OF tho Liberal s~ynagoguoa in
America. The congregation in their eX-
position OF tenets give this reason for the
change a. to hats:
We desire they say. that n attend
uncovered Rt our synagOgue, for this
custom is more respectful, and we find that
the contrary usage. which had its motive
In ancisnt times in the wearing Of the
turban, Is without reason for being nova
days with the modern hats"
The announcement says on the substitu-
ton Of French for Hebrew in a part Of the
services: The substitution appears to us
to impose itself through this fact. namely:
People know very little Hebrew; indeed,
less and less; 10 IL not natural that our
prayers be said in a language understood
Of al?"
The attendance on the first Sunday
numbered approximately two hundred,
among the wOrshippers being NJ. Solomon
Relnach.
The homo OF the congregation calls
attention 10 the chan GEES which Overtake
the character Of buildings here a. elsewhere.
One OF the most successful Of the smaller
thsatrsA over on MOntmaTtre, formerly a
church, was a studio only a few years ago
before being turned into a theatre. Tho
Liberal synagogue OF the Rue Copernic has
just been ~remOdelled from q studio.
Those concerned in public education have
discovered a state Of things that would
hardly have been expected in France.
namely. a higher percentage Of ihiteracy
than in several other countries Of Europe.
And. touching the Psrisians on the raw. the
DISCOVERY has also been made that PARIS
shares In this national humiliation.
1t 10 tho statistical returns Of the last re-
oruitment OF conscripts which has given
the Deputies the information. France has
had hsr compulsory education law on the
statute books for twenty-five years. where
fore IL 10 argued that every boy nov arriving
at the service age, or the estate OF man.
ought surely to know row o read and
write.
The October reports show that this is not
the fact. OF $4,000 cOnsoripts summoned
in the seine contingent that month sixty
seven could neither read nor write. ninety
two could read only. and there were nv who
could scarcely be said TO know how to read
and write. This in the section which in
cbldes Paris.
Pefore the PRONUNCIATION OF the Ferry law
for compulsory education 10 per cent. Of
Frsuchmau and n per cent. OF French
wOmen were chased az iliterste. At the
present time the percentage IL 4 for the men
and Q Cor the women. taking the nation at
large.
France in this respect stands behind Ger
many, which has only our ilMteratcs to
each thousand Of population: behind Swe-
den. Switzerland. Denmark. Holland and
Finland, whose illiterates range from s to
% to the Thousand inhabitants.
Notwithstanding the fact that Paris In
q great place for the discussion Of all the
various manifestations OF feminism and
q place where feminism has many vowed
champions among men. there are relatively
few organizations OF women here. Never
theiess Paris has followed the example Of
Berlin in che establishment OF a Lyceum
club, An Outgrowth OF IYondon's famous
Lycsum.
The Paris LyOeum. not setting out to
work Tor equal rights or to accomplish the
submersiOn OF man. Is said by it's friends
TO have n Howery way before It in that
les object. 20 provide an agreeable rendez-
Vous and mutual aid for it's members, will
meet with hearty sympathy and support.
The Paris Lyceum owes It's establishment
in large part to an English woman, Miss
Alice Williams.
A clubhouse has been opened in the Rue
de In Bienfaisance. where there Is an as
sembiy hall. a large dining room. tea rooms,
reading rooms and the usual social rooms
"a A- IL --