The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-19
TRANCE SCATTERS
 NAVAL SQUADRON Interesting Gossip from the
 French Capital TRIALS OF THE ARTISTS How Provincial Resident Was Put in Jail Because He Thought Paris
 Infested By Thieves
 and Robbers.
TRIALS OF THE ARTISTS
BY PAUL VILLIERS,

D PAUL VILEIERS.
 Paris, September 1S.-(Special )-From october l next encouragement will be made of the French naval forces. In the future the Mediterranean and northern squadrons will not remain as completely distinct and Independent or as vigorously confined to their respective waters as heretofore, and more frequent concentra- tions of the whole force will be effected.
 The strength of the two souadrons will moreover, be equalized. Six battleships or an earlier class will pass from Toulon to Brest, the Mediterranean souadron re- tainins only the six newest battleshins
 Each squadron will comprise six battle ships and four first-class cruisers.
 some naval critics are up In arms against this distribution and eoualiza-
 ton of the naval forces in the Channel
 and the Mediterranean Their argument IS that, as the British fleet commands the Channel, France, owing to her friendship
 with England, should, on the contrary. concentrate in the Mediterranean.
 It is pointed out that, as a matter of
 tact' one of the reasons why England has massed her largest fighting force in the Channel Is because France centered hers in the Mediterranean. She has at present 12 battleships at Toulon whereas, after October 1 she will have only six there
 where they would be most necessary. and six at Brest, where they will be compara lively superfuous
 The same critics argue that to talk of concentrating two squadrons, one at Tou- Ion and the other at Brest, on the out
 break of war is absurd, and they point to the present naval policy of the British admiralty as having exploded such an- cient tactics of disseminated forces, which which would require to be gathered on a declaration of hostilities
 Evidently provincial, a mid-looling gentleman took taxcab and drove to Chartres. On the way back he stopped the car, got out and ran. The chauffeur rushed after him and collared him, clam bring for his fare. Here, take s10O.r shrieked the gentleman, handing him a pocketbook. land give me back the rest or If you prefer, keep 1t all. but let me go." The chauffeur opened the wallet and found 5000 in 1t in bills. He chung to his man, called the police and gave him in charge. At the police station the man refused to say who he was or whence
 he came. or how he had obtained the 5000, and he was accordingly kept in jail. Next day he spoke, and gave his name and address, near Bordeaux, and said that
 the 5000 were the proceeds of sale of : land, which he had drawn from his law yers in Paris.
 Inquiries proved his statements to be
 correct ''Then, why on earth all this
 trouble?' asked the police confmissary.
 ''T was afraid In the provinces we hear
 so much about ths robberies and the mur- | ders in Paris that we are accustomed to | look upon Paris as a den of cutthroats. thought the chauffeur meant to murder | me-"
 The provincial gentleman was naturally released, and now perhaps will believe that Paris is not quite as dangerous as it is thought in his village to be-
 The fun Is that the Paris paper which tells this story says "mea cuba" after it.
 'Why do we always tell such horrid tales of Paris-of apaches, murderers and thieves? Country cousins take all we say for gospel. and what is the result? All France believes Paris to be a den of cut throats. Let us curb our bloodthirsty im- aginations."
 The confession Is as native almost as the funk of the country cousin. When, year in, year out, some i've or six thousand pictures are hung in three Paris salons, the independents show not being counted, the question must per- turb an inquiring mind, What becomes of them all? The walls of several cities would not suffice to harbor them perma- nently.
 A newspaper has put the searching and rather painful question to artists, of all people in the world, but has put 1t deli cately: "Dear sir, what becomes of salon pictures? Of course, we know what hap pens to yours, but what is the fate of other artists pictures?"
 @ft rxl% but some of them are reassuring to the public such as that of M. de la Gandara: Each canvas is Ngiven good coat of white paint then one begins again, and so on ad libitum."
 M Lucien Simon says that. judging by l himself, most of the pictures exhibited are destroyed "Sometimes we cut out bits that are less bad than the rest. Painting over again is dangerous. At a removal lately I left behind quantity of rolled canvases which represented years of labor I suppose most painters have done the same.'
 M. Wilette wonders. if he had not drawn posters for patent medicines, where he would be now. AS for pictures. "to ask what in these days. when everybody daubs, becomes of pictures shown in salons is as silly as 1t would be to worry oneself about the fate of all old um- brellas and good resolutions in the world" MI. Pierre Carr1er-b beileuSS tuihhS tHht the usual practice Is to paint the same canvas over and over again. eff canvases could talk they would surprise us by the experiences they have l gone through. Some have in turn repre- l sented Samsons and Delilahs. bull fights. horses drinking, sunsets in the sea, cattle l at pasture, models at rest, babys hrst l tooth, and so on.'
 | Gaston is the Christian name of lucky l ex-prisoner who has been let out by mis- 1 take Hector, bearing the same surname,
 had been in jail some time on a charge l of pilfering
 i The examining magistrate, not having | discovered any valid evidence against the l poor man, signed an order for his re- 1 lease Gaston was in prison on an ex- 1 ceedingly well substantiated charge, nav | ing robbed a goldsmith of ingots. But | clerk mixed up Gaston and Hector, and | a warden brought the former the pleasant 1 news that he was free, and he was dis | charged without a stain on his character. | Gaston was surprised to hear 1t. but | concealed his astonishment and did not | stand upon the order of his going before | or after Hector but went. He went straight home, hit his wife on the head,
 broke her furniture, took what money she | had and departed. | She asked the police for protection, and 1 they were surprised, thinking that she l was sufficiently well protected by her | husband being locked up and likely to re- | main so "Oh, no. he Is not, as Know | to my cost" she replied.