The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-04-28
MERCHANTS MUM
Paris Dealers Will Not Give Name Of
Purchasers

faflS. April 2S.-With every steamer
bringing hundreds of Americans to
Paris and with every sign of a pros.
porous summer intensified this year
through reports to the incredible sums
the Americans mean to spend in Paris
the coming season, the Partisan As
socfation of Merchants wants 1t dis
tinctly understood that the statements
published in American newspapers to
the effect that the merchants here
have promised to keep the United
States authorities informed as to the
purchases made by overseas visitors
are entirely false and preposterous.
Diamond and jewelry dealers leagued
together on the one hand and famous
dressmaking firms on the other have
published widely in the newspapers
OH this side reputation of the re-
ports cabled from the American side.
Scores United States Treasury.
Some firms have circulated a spe-
cial private communication, a COPY
of which was sent to the Daily News
correspondent. Indignantly asking how
the American public could be led to
believe that any self-respecting
French business house could take up
on any inducement such low
minded" procedure as informing upon
it's customers. They want no doubt to
exist in the minds of travelling Ameri-
cans that all their relations with their
customers are strictly confidential. In
short. the document boils over with
evident disapproval. to use a mild
term. of the United States treasury,
between which and the Rue de la Paix
there is no truce. The cououriers say
they are "all on the side of personal
human liberty" and cannot understand
why the United States government
should descend to such pettiness as
ill-bred interest in and meddling with
the personal wardrobe of citizens of
either sex.
"All this agitation has done US irre-
mediable harm," said the head of an
illustrious firm of goldsmiths, which
is one of the oldest in that trade in
Europe to a correspondent, "and no
matter what reassurances now are
made thousands of visitors, who other
wise would have been purchasers,
will be frightened, and therefore will
spend their money in other ways.
Visitors Timid This Year.
1T is astonishing how each summer
different but generally spread set
of conditions Is found among the
thousands of Americans who come
here. One summer the mysterious
conviction prevails that the United
States customs authorities are unusu-
ally slack and that anything can be
got through. Another season It is
commonly understood that everybody
must be more careful than ever. This
year already we see signs of timidity
to degree hitherto unequaled, and
SO we are sending private letters to
every visitor of note to inform him
that he has nothing to fear and that
so far as we are concerned we know
how to hold our tongues"
Tradesmen in other lines do not
seem to be apprehensive. AS for the
hotels. though four new and luxurious
ones have just been finished for
American patronage. they are filled
up already, and even now it is proving
hard for the wealthier class of visitors
to find the desired accommodations.
What the jewelers. and dressmakers
lose the hotels and expensive resorts
of the capital expect to gain.