The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-14
REFORMS IN HE
 FRENCH POSTAL May Soon Write Messages on
 Post Cards NOVEL POINT IN MORALS Court Holds Scene on Stage Is Proper While It's Reproduction on Pos ter Is Highly Improper to
 Public Welfare.
BY GEORGES pUFREsNE.

01 GEOn0EO DOT
 Paris, November 1s.-(Special)-Ou new postmaster-general. M. Mllerand, who was once socialist. is revolutionizing the postoffice From January 1, next the time required for obtaining a money or der will be reduced from an average Of 46 minutes to perhaps less than half that time. Moreover, one may now send with halfpenny stamp, a picture postcard containing actually five words, and in those five words you may say anything you like, barring, of course, libel; where as. until M Millerand came. the face words had to be merely complimentary.
 Finally. the postoffice cheque system is to be introduced. The cautious French mind has never taken easily to cheques, but government cheques, at any rate, will be above suspicion. At any post office customers will be able to open banking account on the usual lines. Money orders will thus be done away with in the case of all persons having such accounts.
 The judicial mind has It's mysteries. which 1t is not the layman's task to pen citrate. Proceedings were begun against music-hall manager for publishing an alleged improper advertisement of show. It represented a bevy of ladies, whom the public prosecutor considered to have been portrayed in an insufficient ly clothed state. The case came on. and the prosecution proved its argument It was enough to look at the discriminating poster.
 So far the defendant had held his tongue, but his counsel now got up and trfumphantly rebutted the charge He proved conclusively that the alleged im- proper poster was an exact photograph of a scene played nightly in his clients hall. The prosecution acknowledged this to be a fact The scene in question had been permitted by the police. and every one could so and see 1t that very evening for shilling. An exact photograph of scene, which the police had not deemed improper. could not be called improper. The argument seemed unanswerable, and counsel sat down and awaited his clients acquittal.
 The court answered 1t very decisively, however, and amazed the defendant by convicting him and fining him s60. The principle and precedent laid down were, that scene played by flesh and blood supers on the stage may be proper, while its exact reproduction by photograph may be detrimental to good morals
 A telegram from Montpelier gives par ticulars of a strange ruse which a sol- dier, named Giron. employed in order to secure his discharge. When he arrived , at Beliers, he declared that he was suf- fering from sleeping sickness. He was placed unuder observation, and kept with out food or drink for 4s hours. Neither injections nor baths were effective in arousing the soldier from his lethargy.
 It was decided to discharge him. Then the schemer, filled with joy at the pros l4- wrote letter to his parents boasting of the trick" he had played on the majors. The letter was seized. and Giron, now completely awake. was transferred from the hospital to a cell
 Morocco is, we are told by experts, teemng with mineral riches. An immedi- ate result of the act of Algeciras was the creation of a select committee represent ing England, France, Spain and Ger many, to draft a scheme of Moroccan mining legislation.
 Muley Hafd had all along been opposed to granting concessions to would-be ex- ploiters, and now, we are told by the Marquise de SegonZac, recognized au- thority in Moroccan matters, that the Sultan, by special firman, has conceded to four German brothers named Names mann the working of mineral deposits in no fewer than 800 places. covering the whole territory of Morocco, the Riff in cluded.
 On a score that friend in need Is a |! friend in deed, the Manesmann's had lent Muley Hafid lot of money at a critical moment, until the total amount of the Sultans indebtedness reached two million marks.
 On the surface the French are making light of the whole matter, but in reality they are very much disturbed, more es- | TqDahlaff a there Is something in it. The point to learn Is, when did Muley give his firman Was it before the Franco-German ac- cord of last February or after? If before, then the attitude of the German govern rnent will be the same. If after, then it is quite possible, considering the import ance of the material interests concerned, ] that there may be complications.
 can find no real authority for the statement published abroad that the French are about to build four Dread thoughts of 2o. 900 tons each. Four out of the six Dantons are yet unfinished and are likely to be for another 18 months. There are two new armour plated cruisers in the game condition. Most of the cred its for shipbiulding for next year will be spent in torpedoes and destroyers.
 The fact is anything in fhe shape or 2 naval nroorarme must be the subject ot | a special law It is the new rule and | will not be departed from. It should also be remembered that henceforth the plans | Of new ships must be prepared in then entirety before the project of the law is srh-oitted Half of the scandals com p1ained of in the French navy were the results of a fra gmentsry, disjunctive and consequent plan making.
 I am aware that the minister or ma rine and the prime minister are puttlnP their heads together to devise something Pit there is no scheme to the front; nr | great movement of opinion urging naval construction: no government promises II could scarcely be otherwise. seeing the | difficulty of meeting the normal annual , expenditure of the country.
 Tn Parisian aristocratic circle the apdi' cation of Kino ceorve of Greece Is iookef upon as a settled thing. What Is more. II is reearded as certain that he will takt LID his residence in La Vile Lumiere IF is already Parisian to his finger IDS ane for years has annually sojourned In Paris where he enjoys every moment or nls visit He generally stays at the Hote Bristol and occupies the same grand suite which is always served TOT Tier pont Morgan.
 LEGAL NOTICES