The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-06
PRESIDENTS SON
 ACCUSED OF THEFT Young Man Violates the Law
 of Colombia IS CHARGED WITH FRAUD A Company Was Formed In Paris For Trimming EmeraIds In Colombia and the Law of That Coun-
 try Was Overlooked.
By PAUL VlELiERS.

Paris, December 5.--(Special )-The son of a former French president stands accused of theft and fraud by the Colombian government. The law of Colombia sets forth that a person, foreigner or native who finds an emer- aid in Colombian soil cannot dispose of it as he chooses. He is required to turn over the gem to the government who pays him about one-ffth Of its value. The Colombian government re- serves to itself the right of cutting the stones and selling them for it's own profit.
 A few years ago a company was formed in Paris with the son of the ex-president as managing director, but it neglected to post itself in regard to Colombian law. The company bought and sold emeralds, and on two occa- sions in 1906 and 1908 sent a special mission to the American republic.
 It's operations were so successful that the Colombian government stepped in and lodged a complaint against the ex- plorers, alleging that the company had obtained emeralds by fraud.
 A judge is now looking into the af- fair and two members of the mission have been examined. They declared that they acted In good faith, since they had obtained an official passport signed by the secretary of the mining syndicate of Muso. They added that they had bought emeralds from the Chibckos who possess large number of the precious stones and appeared D trade in them habitually. In spite of this explanation the charge of theft and conspiracy to defraud the government is maintained against the members of the mission.
 All the gourmets of Paris are think ing and saying unpleasant things of King Alfonso of Spain, who has just carried off Marechal, the famous chef of the Jockey club, and installed him as master of the royal kitchen at Madrid.
 The Jockey club was 10th to let him go, but courtesy to a young gourmet of monarch prevented the kitchen commit tee from entering into competition with him.
 As a matter of fact the club has coolly got it's own back off another club, the equally aristocratic, but tri1e less sporty Union DeplomatiQue, on the other side of the boulevard almost opposite. Having lost Marochal the Jockey club has bought over the Unions chef
 This is the second time the Union has suffered indirectly through royalty. Some time ago King Leopold of Belgium hav- ing enjoyed a "canard aux navets'' at the Jockey CluD, lHSldHtiy SSCureu lhc services of the author of the masterpiece, who was Marechaps deputy.
 The Jockey club bowed, and went across the street. where 1t bribed one of the Unions cooks as substitute. Now that the great Marechal himself has been cap tured bysroyalty and once more the Union club, which never seems to mind and ap- parently possesses an inexhaustible sup ply of cooks, has furnished successor. Indeed, Marechal himself had originally come from the Union. He is said to be unrivaied in the preparation of carp and grouse, and he says himself that he has no real rivals in anything. He acknowl- edges that King Edwards chef is a bril- liant artist, but ''there is just ever so lit- tie of romantic touch about his man. ner."
 Now Marechal does not find fault with romance and poetry in the cuisine. But. after all is not true classicism the real