The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-29
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 Paris. Nov. 2s.--M. Picard. who. in | spite of M Clemenceau's violent st- ! tacks upon him when the Prime Min- ister was a journalist and the new Minister of Marine was Commissioner General of the 1900 exhibition. has been entrusted with the task nf re- organizing the French navy has eeen hard and silently at work ever sir ce his appointment. He is a plodder. snd has terrified the Admiralty. which tn- clines to taking things easily. by turning up at [ o'clock every morning and keeping at it till dinner time with barely two hours interval for lunt h. He has always led almost an anchor ite's life in the quietest of flats in the Latin Quarter. which he has not dreamed of exchanging for the polit- ical quarters Of the Rue Royale. and where he resides alone with his sis- ter, receiving absolutely no one. By this time, and by dint of doEged labor, he has mastered all the amazing mass of intricate details af the admiaistra- tion of the French navy. which IS the most copiously administered and most wound round with red tape of any l" the world.
 NJ Picard's scheme of resfEani .ation Is not yet complete. but if !s reported that he will ask Parliam 4nt for an sp- propriation of $500, 100000 for an 1VSRS 0A 1 program. An administrative genius is what the French navy wants. Nine tenths of the talk about laxity of dis cipline among the crews and revoiu- tionism among dockyard hands Is mere political capital It Is neither want of military spirit nor disaffection that paralyzes the French navy. but mai- administration. The business machin- cry of the Admiralty is clogged with mass of useless wheels within wheels and in the offices of the Rue Royaie the simplest order for a consignment of ships cables becomes by dint of complications an almost superhuman undertaking in execution. M. Picard will naturally see to the maintenance of naval discipline. and will keep in hand the backyard trade unions. But his main task will be to weed out the accumulated growth of red-tape which chokes the Admiralty headquarters administration.
 Capital punishment was the subject at long academic discussion in the Chamber of Deputies the other day. special morning and afternoon sitting being held. The debate had stood ad- journed from last June. The usaaI arguments were brought out for and against the death penalty. Opponents read statistics to show that crimse punishable by death under the Napol. eonic Code had not increased in coun- tries where capital punishment has been abolished. Supporters read oth- CT statistics to prove that in countries where the death penalty is still en- forced murders have not at all di- minished. The conclusion was that abolitionists and non oh-aboiitionists re- mained of the same opinion as before. The Minister of Justice, M. Briand, Is an opponent Of the capital penalty, q motion for the abolition of which has already before been carried by the Chamber. He pointed out that a con. fusion among different classes of crimes Of violence was made by sever- al speakers. Supposing 1t were grant, ed that what French law calls ''meurtre." as distinguished from ''as- sassinat." Is proved to be on the in- crease, the admission would. in the present state of the law, furnish no argument in favor of the retention of the death penalty. for the good reason that the latter, under the Code Na- poleon. is applicable only to assassin at," that is to say. murder aggravated by reconciliation, conspiracy, or cer- tain circumstances. and not extenuat- ed on any plea. that of passion, for example. "Meurtre" Is punishable only by hard labor, and the term covers