The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-31
NEGRO SOLDIERS IN FRENCH COLONIES Matter Is Being Seriously Con
 sidered At Paris THE. DECADENCE OF ART M. Brieux Expresses Disappointment Over the Lack of Seriousness in
 Art and Literature Students
 of Young Generation.
THE. DECADENCE OF ART
BY GEORGE puEREsNE.


 Paris. October So.-(Special.)-A good deal Is being said just now in France as to the utility of forming black regiments to increase the military forces of the country.
 The first suggestion was to employ them in French towns and on the eastern frontier, and the Chauviniste hailed with delight the idea of fighting the Germans with colored soldiers. The good sense of French opinion, however, saw the offense to European civilization such a course would provoke, apart from the further consideration that a black army in France might make itself the master of the country.
 Lieutenant-Colonel Mangin, whose ca- reer has been passed in commanding Sem egal troops. writes in the Revue de Paris that there would be no difficulty in keep ing up an army of 10000 natives. all of them seasoned warriors. Algeria and Tunis would be well secured with pro- tecting force of 4O,000 Singalese.
 And then," as M Ernest Judet says, in the Eclair, "who knows if the Egyp- tian question, unsettled at Fashoda, might not be resumed efficaciously by the natu- ral progression of native races of whom France has the direction and the confi- dence.'
 Sadness and Encouragement are the signs seen in budding authors nowadays, Is the experience of M. Brieux of False Gods" fame The distinguished Academi- elan will not altogether admit decadence in French literature and art, but the young men of today, such as he encoun- ters, lack the faith and tile simplicity necessary and indispensable for move ments of enthusiasm.
 There is too much critical nervosity; too many things are learnt, and the knowledge thus acquired, If more ex- tensive, is superficial. Yet with all these discouragements, and despite the tempta- tion to employ the pen meroenarily, there were many young people who worked at art for the love of art
 In the last century there were two se- rious artistic manifestatlons-Roma cism and Naturalism, and the object of the former was to struggle against the classics, and, later on, the object of the latter was to combat the Romantiques. At present there was nothing left to de- molish, hence the absence of any new school.
 Seldom a day elapses without a spy being arrested. The latest case of es- pionage is reported from Toulon. At Por- querolles, where a new shell is being test ed against the Jena. the comings and goings of a mysterious individual attract ed the attention of the detectives who were sent to watch the tests.
 The man was questioned and as maps documents and other papers were found in his possession, the detectives at once came to the conclusion that the man was spy, who wanted to know the results of the firing tests, and he was arrested in spite of his protests.
 He was taken to Toulon prison. and re- fuses to reply to the questions put to him.
 It appears that the detectives had been on the track of German spy for some days, but they cannot say with certainty whSSaer the person under arrest is the man.
 When the curtain rises on "Chanti- c1eer," M. Rostand himself hopes we are to be,
 Surprised and delighted by the exact ness of the scene. My play Is not an ex- travaganza. I want the spectators to imagine for moment that they have real birds and beasts before them.
 Little by little, afterwards, the char acters develop, and the human side of the play appears. It Is not an easy thing to realize, know. and that is why we shall have to work hard, with some anxiety on my part"
 The real danger. however, seems to be too much preliminary talking about "Chantlcleer'' the first night of which is announced for the middle of December
 In the meantime, having heard that a music-hall here is giving a village com edy played entirely by real dogs, and im- ported, by the way, from Vienna, M Rostand rushed off to see 1t, and was overJoyed. The dramatis personae of "Chanticleer" include blufr and burley watchdog, to be acted by M. Jean Coque- lin.
 The financial outlook for the future Is decidedly not alluring, and deputies and senators are agreed that desperate things will have to be done to raise money for the costly legislation to which the coun- try is committed.
 The budget now before the country indicates that the people who have will be called upon to pay pretty stiffly for the people who haven't. Money will have to be found somehow for the workman's pensions, and 1t is inevitable that new charges will be imposed upon the tax payers.
 The latter are growing already. They are alarmed at the increasing rate of national expenditure. and they are ask ing if it cannot be met without putting fresh burdens upon them.
 M. Beaupin, the senator of the Nievre, believes he has found way of raising money to meet the great expense in volved in the application of the work mems pensions law. He suggests that the state should take unto itself another monopoly--the monopoly of gambling-and has prepared bill on the subject.
 The senator dissents from the notion that he desires to render official a vice the suppression of which is illusory. Nor Is 1t his wish to do the tenants of gam bling houses. the managers of clubs and