The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-31
. CRIMINALS 60 IN FRENCH ARMY War Department Officials Are
 Disturbed. CoNTEST OVER THE SCHOOLS Chmch and State Sill Waning
 Over lssue.
 Vsa.ee's LaSer rrsusles are By Ne Means ovsr--Parss csmes Forward l,F win Mere speetseuiar crimes
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nals are incorpofated in the ranks of the regular army. Recent events, not ably the theft and sale of documents and var secrets to foreign powers. ap- pear to justify the anxiety. and there is . general feeling that something should bs done to remedy this stateaof afairs. e
 The Echo de Paris gives. the follow fne statistics: In 1907 11,2s3 con- scripts had been condemned under common law, and of these only L1ss were sent to serve their crimes in the s'battalions d.Afrique." In 1908 the number reached Ii,so4. of which 1.422 were sent to Africa. while this year fti is known to exceed 11.oo0. and not more than 1000 will serve their time in Africa.
 Certain precautions have been taken. The Minister of War has just given tn- strucfions that no conscript whose rec cord is known to the police Is to be enrolled in the artillery regiments or in the section of Stan Secretaries and they are not to be drafted into any regiment quartered in town in which they served . term of Imprisonment. The Echo d'Paris. however, urges that these measures are inadequate. "our regiments are not reformatories for criminals" 1t says. ~and fathers of famiIles do not entrust their sons to the nation in order that they may be- come the bed-fellows of jaii-birds of every kind.'
 The attitude lately adopted by the French clergy. towards the French State schools has been the signal for a revival of vigilance on the part of the ..Education League." This assocf- stion. which was founded before the Franco German war, has done more than any other French organization to adavnce the cause of gratuitous and universal primary instruction in this country. The initiative of the Archs bishops and Bishops has had the inev. itabie consequence of reviving the bel. licose instincts of the League. Only the other day, in speech at Mai seiiles, the Minister of Education, M. Dourmergue, announced his intention of pushing forward the discussion of the bills which the President of the League, M. Dessoye, who Is also re- porter of the Education Committee of the Chamber Of Deputies. has drawn up with view to thwarting the efforts of tho @clergy on behalf ef-ths sEeelesl
 Organisns the Parents. 5a
 But the Education League is not sat- fsfied with this promise. and 1t has be- gun to organize the French Communes' Association of Parents. the aim of which is to defend the State schools against the attacks of the Catholic as- sociations which exist already. or which may subsequently be form ed in obedience to the clergy. The League has at the same time appointed Q committee of legal advisers in order to defend the interests of the school teachers. who may be made. the object of legal proceedings by the families of their pupils. During the forthcom- ing Parliamentary session 1t is proba- ble that an important debate will take place on this grave question of primary school instruction.
 All the pictures in the main rooms Of the Louvre have now been placed under glass. and 1t is to be hoped that the Curators will no longer have to take precautions against such injury to the canvasses by insane vis- itors to the gallery as has more than once disquieted the French public. M. Dujardin- Beaumentz, the Under Sec- retary of State for Fine Arts. Is the initiator of this reform. for which grants amounting to 5000 were re- cenly voted by the Chamber of Depu- ties.
 The leaders of French Syndicaiism have since the fasco of the general strike been too much occupied in en- deavoring to restore the credit of the General Federation of Labor and in quarelling among themselves to under take the organization of any wide- spread campaign against the "bour- geotse' and capital, indeed, experience has shown that they cannot rely on their followers in concerted move- ment. None the less. the navvier known as "the Old Guard" of syndi- ca1ism have conducted a guerilla war. fare based on the old policy. If a con- tractor has succeeded in replacing strikers, their syndicate publishes a little notice in the .Humanite," an. nouncing that the "chasse aux renards' (blackiegs are known as "renards') is open.7 and shortly afterwards. unless a will be violent fight. in the works. ending in a few broken heads and a considerable material damage.
 The state of feeling among the work men is well illustrated by a case which came up the other day for trial Two workmen were engaged on one of the works of the Metropolitan Rail- way. One named Theyregool suddenly turned on his companion with the ex- clamation. You are doing too much work" and to emphasize his words knocked him down. He explained his action by saying that he had "un movement de vivacito," 8 moment of excitement. which cost him a months inprisonent.
 Electoral Reform.
 It is officially announced that the question of electoral reform will he discussed at the Cabinet Council. which is to be held Immediately before the reopening of Parliament In political circles there is a disposition to be- lieve that the Government, will de- aiare itself to be in favor of propor- tional representation in principle. but will not attempt to apply 1t at the forth hcoming elections. At most 1t iE
 thought that 8 bill may be bought in tending to equalize the size of constit- uencies. 5E .., --=a, A man who seems to be a motoring l maniac drove a car into Epernay the other day at over sixty miles an hour. The main street was crowded with workmen going home from the cham pagne vaults, but he dashed into them | without slackening speed. The police signalized him. but he took no no- 1 Mce. A workman was caught by the ear, and by an extraordinary piece of tuck was thrown upwards on to the | bonnet, where he was carried along | <or a hundred yards. While he was | slinging here the car. tearing along l knocked down two sisters, aged 15 and | IS years. killing one outright and fa- | tally wounding the other, who died a | few moments later. The motoring ma | niac. instead of stopping. increased his | speed. At last a dozen plucky men formed in a body across the road fin front of the car. The driver was l