The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-02

sigps Of the remarkable Commercial 'up.
Hft' after the war. We extract the fol.
lowing: 'The loss Of ..Alsa0e-Lorraine' de.
prived the country Of q portion OF it,
mineral wealth; and yet tho output which
In 1860, including these provinces. was
worth i6e, 900. 900 francs, rose In value
within FIVE years to 10000, 900. Proper.
tionate augmentations appeared both IN
the pig iron and the wrought metal in.
dustries. Within ten years OF the wal the
oountry's railways were extended by more
than 5000 kiiometers; in navigation the
tonnage showed a addition OF nearly a
million tons, and the trade Of the various
ports more than doubled, passing from
about 100000 to 100000 tons. Par.
allel to these rises vas that In the reoeipy
Of the savings banks, which passed within
q few years from III 900, 900 francs to over
loo. OO0, 900. The contrast IL just as
striking II the last budget OF Napoleon
Ills reign 10 compared with the, budget
OF 1880. The receipts Of the former vers
about 1900. 100000 francs, and the expen.
diture about the same; the receipts and
expenditure 10 1880 were each about
s,sOO,ooe. oOo." These figures must bs
considered with the German bill Of En-
penses In mind, and far worse than that.
the utterly ruined state Of commerce and
industry with which the period began.
The old fabric of trade being destroyed
the French determined TO build . better
and larger fabric. and succeeded, and while
doing this they became, with the conniv.
moe of the "Zeitgeist." oommercialized a.
they had never been before. MIR. Lavtop
observes that Aall through the Septenntt
THAT il, Marshal MaoMahon's Presidency
the lesson Of these statistics was being
marked and inwardly' digested by the
people; and the conclusions drawn WE'RE
seen in the d~windling number of the A.
sembly's reactionary members and the
consequent gain Of the several Republican
parties That epitomizes the essential
part of French politics up to the end OF
the century. '''.
The inevitable symptoms Of CONNER
o~ialization o began to appear, and the
external aspects Of French1ife have doubt
less suffered somewhat thereby. In
deed the neglect Of fruitless shows and
the striving for renunerative facts have
betrayed themselves In all departments
Of the national life. Contrast, for instance.
the frivolity and art for arts sike' OF
the newspapers Of the Empire With the
contemporary busineaslIke, and alas! %
much lass graceful newspapers Of to-day.
The social life Of France has undoub.ejly
4nn I1.t-. - AZ ~.unon<tp ~,,alfk. 49,,
as we run yer old memories Of the some
what unsubstantial shows OF her politics
since 1871 We may be emboldened to S.
sert that In this political field at least.
however unreal It has been, the romantic
has held its own.
Mr.. Lawton names several Of his chap
ters after the reigning Presidents, and
We are reminded Of the fact that the
French Republic has hitherto preferred
distinctly mediocre men in the chief of5cs.
The first President, Theirs, was perhaps
the only exception. The others have bean
usually respectable functionAries. but
scarcely more, and not always that.
Jules Grevy was little less than q dis
grace In the position. or him Mr.. Law
ton says truly, che regarded his ofaos
much as an Investment, hid himself
from the people, saved money out Of his
income and Ut the close al
lowed himself to be ~entangied tn the
Of a movement directed against
the existence Of tho Republic On the
other hand, the Ministers Of the Republic
have often been mon of the highest abil-
ity not only in politics but in literature
.-l -s ~~" ill., . n~rkk<l1k s. Az
Hanotsux the historian. 'Bour-
Eeois the publicist and Clemenceau the
journalist and ~dramatist.
Mr.. Lawton's general thAme b
Of democracy. He thinks and
tries to show that France under the Re-
has hold her own in the vanguard
Of tho peoples both by the boldness OF Dor
conceptions and the ingenuity, Of. her In
ventions,' He p~ooh-poohs alleged symp-
toms OF decadenoe. such as the much
discussed 1depopulation" OF France. in
he says 'this falling OF the birth
rate is not a danger to the nations future.
II will not 60 beyond tho limit at which
can provide for their offspring
comfort. MOI is it a menace to the na-
TONS military security. For purposes Of
against b forcibie intrusion OF a
more populous neighbor. such a. Germany,
The present average of nearly 40,o0o,oo,
which, judioioua III can render
constant. will amply suffice II the army
hey furnish be maintained in u condition
u efficiency. France is rather TO be con-
Eratulated than pitied on her. reaction
against natures brute law; she Offers the
IN opportunity. Of suppress
ng pauperism and of thus increasing ths
yieor OF the corporate body From his
conclusion that though the goal
has not yet been attained sufficient has
oeen done by tho Republic TO prove that
France ID great In peace AZ she has been
n war We see no eason TO dissent,
Il the late Lord Salisbury wore speaking
,o-day he would certainly have no
OF England's nearest neishbor
When alluding to dying nations what
,ver fantasies beset him ut the time.
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