Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-08-11
DKEIfUS UASE AGAlN
Resigned His Commission Because Of
Alleged Discrimination.
OTHERS PUSHED AHEAD OF HIM
Socialists Take Up Matter and May
Get Into Parliament.
GEN. PICoUART REFUSES TO ACT
Says the Major and His Friends Can
Afford to Wait.
GEN. P1CoUART REFUSES TO AC,
DIVORCES IN FRANCE NcREAs.
Records show Incompatibilfty oi
Temper Exists I'm Majority of
Cases--women Gain
Point.

PARIS. Aug. 1o-(special)-A letter writ
ten by NJ. dc Pressense. socialist deputy
for Lyons, few days ago and other in
dcatiors show the reason of Major Drey-
fus for resigning his commission is dissat-
isfaction at his not having been promoted
to the rank of Lieutenant colonel. When
he was reinstated in the army, just twelve
months ago, he was raised to the rank
Of major, and was created a knight Of
the Legion OF Honor, because this was
regarded as the exact position that he
would hold IL his name had been retained
all of the time on the active list. II
now transpires. however, that his principal
subject for discomfort lies in the fact
that several officers in the artillery who
were Junior to him are lieutenant colonels,
and that all of the efforts which have
been made to induce General Picquart,
minister Of war. to grant him similar pro-
motion have fallen through.
Dreyfus addressed letter upon the sub
sect that certain officers who were junior
to him are now his superiors when but
for the trouble he might have retained
his seniority to them. General Ptcqu8rt
at first paid no attention to the Dreyftis
appeal, but finally declined to entertain
tne pTOpOblAlOn. AIteT Inls hdJOT lJTcyIuS
sent In his resignation. His friends, most
OF whom now. by the way. belong to the
socialist party. put out by the refusal,
intervened to get General Picquart to
grant the request OF Major Dreyfus and
one of them. not long ago, had an inter-
view with the minister of war. in the
course of which he insisted upon the
validity of the Dreyfus claim. According
TO one account he even went so far as
TO tell General Picquart that he himself
had got much more out of the "Dreyfus
AFFAIR" than had Major Dreyfus, but the
minister OF war was still not convinced.
His attitude in this respect Is described
as being rather hostile than otherwise
Socialists Greatly Offended.
\ According to all accounts. the deputy in
4.estion, who represents an important So
tialist district. was not to be daunted by
this rebuff, so he returned to the charge,
whereupon General PicQuart told him
fatty that he would never take the in
itiative In giving this satisfaction to
Major Dreyfus. The minister OF war
said quite frankly that he considered that
quite enough had been done for Major
Dreyfus, who could well AFFORD to remain
quiet, and he declared that to give him
a promotion to which he did not think him
entitled would simply add one moro tn
the many difficulties with which the gov
ernment was beset This opposition which
was entirely unexpected, has offended the
socialist politicians. who worked so hard
with General Picquart for the quashing of
the judgments of the Rennes and Paria
courts-martial, and it is believed that the
entire incident may yet be dragged before
Parliament.
Increase in Divorces.
Some interesting statistics on the sub
ject of divorces in France have been made
public. These statistics fully confirm the
opinion previously entertained that the evil
has been going up steadily in an ascending
scale since it's revival In this country by
q special law In 1884, In that year the
total number of divorces amounted 10 1879.
In 1904 just twenty years afterwards, the
number had risen TO 1852. Nineteen hum
dred and four is the last year OF which
q record has been obtainable at the Minis
try of Justice. but the average has been
Eteadily gaining ever since. II is, however.
noteworthy that by far the greater proper
=, ton OF divorces has been granted on the
score OF cruelty and the like. Thus, those
divorces amounted In 1884 TO 1,4n, and in
1904 to 1881 In the last named year the
divorces granted on the application OF
husbands for breach OF the seventh COM
mandment were 2So4. those on the petition
OF wives being 1907 In 1884 they had been
245 and 81, respectively. Then, whereas
in 1854 divorces owing to the condemnation
OF one of the parties 70 IAN infamous pen
atty" numbered sixty. in 1904 they had
risen 10 2S4 Incompatibiity of temper
seems TO be the cause OF most of the di-
vorces. But besides these cases, there are
NJ
the Catholic church does not sanction di-
vorce so that numbers OF people when
matrimonial jars occur, refrain from APP
plying to the law eours for divorce, con-
teutins themselves with separation.
RiShs ef " aGarried Woman.
The woman sufTraEa advocates OF France
are jubilant over new conquest The
government has just promulgated the law
recently voted by ths chsmber recognising
the right OF a married woman to dispose
OF her own eErIi-gs Independently OF heI
husband. The law ~ france concerning
the privileges of ne husband as hitherto
In vogue dated back to the Roman period
and made the wife in many instances prac.
tically the slave. A drunkard or an idleI
backed by the -iaw was able to compel the
Wife to hand over every penny she earned
The new law has abolished the most OBJ
Jectionable OF these features. It is said
that the passage OF the act was due In
4 a large measure 10 the untiring energies
y OF Nine. Jeanne Schmahl and the DowageI
Duchess d'UEes, who. for many years. have
been urging home upon the legislators the
need OF this reform. The recent bill voted
before the adjournment Of the chambers
was introduced thirteen years ago. That
reforms move slowly in France, as in other
countries. is pretty we'll demonstrated by
the fact that II has required all OF that
time to wing about the passage OF the
bill.
WOuld Suppress characterization.
NJ Thomson. minister Of marine. has sent
circular to the port admirals which ia
OF considerable significance. 1t is drawn
up with view to suppressing insubordi-
nation In the fleet. Mention IL specially
made OF men whose example is bad for
the crews, and whose conduct may be a
danger to the security OF their ships. Such