The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-24
BANK OF FRANCE
GATHERING GOLD
Fact Arouses Interest in Diplo-
matte Circles
THEATRICAL WAR rs ON
Excessive Use of Opium Gives Fresh
Alarm TO the Officials Mt Paris.
Naval Officers Are Said
to BE Involved
THEATRICAL WAR rs ON

france Is arousing interest In diplomatic
circles and the question is being asked
If France Is preparing for a general Eu-
ropean war. While there is at the pres
ent moment no indication of war In the
near future which can possibly involve
France, there are danger spots both in the
near and far east which may develop so
that war will come quickly. Austria and
Russia appear to have come to our agree
nent in regard to the Balkans and to
have put a curb on the ambitions of Fer
dinand of Bulgaria. while the tension be-
tween Japan and the United States has
been lightened, but IN high diplomatic
circles 1t is recognized that there are
elements of danger at both Of these
points.
That this is the secret OF the accumula-
ton of gold by the Bank of France is
regarded as not at all unlikely. There
certainly seems to be no economic rea-
son for It.
Under the law, the Bank of France
cannot issue more than $11e0.oOo,0oo of
notes. At the beginning of the year the
actual Issue of notes was approximately
| 81, 900, 900 900, against which the bank had
in its vaults coin to the value of $780,,
oO0ooO of this, s142 900 was in gold, the
greatest accumulation of gold by far
ever held by any bank in the world
And still the accumulation of gold goes
on. 1t is not unnatural, therefore, for
diplomats to ask If France is quietly pre-
pairing for trouble.
Whether great world-war is the pros
pect in the near future or not, there is
no doubt that very bitter and virulent
civil war is in progress in Frances great
national theatrical enterprise, the Come
die Franchise. M. Claretie, administra-
tor of the theatre, and NJ. LIE Bargy,
full societaire and member of the COM
mittee. are leaders of the two factions,
and the language exchanged makes the
recent complimentary passage-at-words,
to coin a phrase, between Mr. Oscar Ham
merstein and Miss Mary Garden, appear
like a conversation at o'clock tea
at a young ladies' seminary.
Old Francois subscribers throw up their
hands. The end of the world seems at
hand when, in the one theatre in the
world. where everybody had always hith-
erto been polite. where there is never
any fuss or hustle in the carpeted pass
ages and green-rooms like salons. and
| where the callboy is an elderly, noiseless
| servant like an old family retainer, the
| names.
What has M Claretie's management
consisted of? asks M. lie Bargy; and he
replies, Five and twenty years of in
competence" What has NJ lie Bargys
career been? twenty-five years OF
treachery." retorts NJ. Claretie, in so
many words
1t is to be hoped that the row will not
be wiped out in blood on the duelling
ground. NJ. Claretie armed with his
acadedician's sword, and M. Claretie
armed with his rapier of Saverny in
Marion Dolorme."
Having sent In his resignation, which,
to become final must by the famous de-
cree Of MOSCOW, be renewed six months
hence. M. lie Bargy has explained why
he did 30. Having accepted the resigna-
ton, M. Claretie has also explained why
no did so. But neither explanation has
been parliamentary. NJ. Claretle says in
substance:
m LIE Bargy's career has been Is years
of treachery. Gustave Larroument said
You have at the Francois a man who
betrays you, a serpent which beslavers
the saison and you with its venom
have thus known NJ. LIE Bargy of DID, :"
M. Claretie goes on to say that M. LIE
Bargy never acts, but draws his salary
delays plays by refusing to rehearse, and
Is always acting outside the Coincide.
These be fierce words; but M. LIE Bargy
is quite capable of hitting back. M
Claretie" he declares, has, since the
reading committee of actors was abol-
ished, accepted nothing but bad plays al
their expense"
M. Ciaretie persistently stultifles and
paralyzses the managing committee of
actors, which votes resolutions year after
year that are never carried out.
The quarrel, which they themselves de-
scribe as a quarter of a century of in
competence versus a quarter of a CEN
tury of treachery, does not seem a very
good advertisement for the Coincide. Nor
have matters been improved by NJ. Mou-
net-Sully, the oldest member of the COM
pany, who enters the lists and declares:
"Alas. All NJ. LIE Barry says is only too
true"
7 have before called attention to the
alarming growth of the opium habit
among French naval officers Now
comes another case from Brest. DR.. Be-
chon was called to the rooms OF a wom-
an named Suzanne ROLAND, aged %, who
was suffering terrible pains. She was
barely able to speak. but managed to
convey to the doctor that she had passed
portion OF the previous night in COM
pany with a friend and some naval off,
GERS, and that she had swallowed six
opium pills. DR.. Bechon ordered the wom-
ain taken to the hospital, where she died
an hour later in fearful agony.
The project has instructed the police to
make inquiries with a view to ascertain
ing the names Of the officers who had
spent the evening with the woman Rol-
land Coming after so many other opium
scandals, which are still the subject of
judicial inquiry, this new affair has
caused great sensation.
past week were Mrs. C. C. Smith. Miss
g. Smith and Miss Laura B. Darden of
Portland, Ore, Misses Belle A. and C.
Hamburger, Ethel b. and Anna B. Full
Ter and Mrs Alice B. Fuller of Los An
geles, and DR.. Charles v. Grenoway of
Spokane Wash.
NJ Clemenceau, who is shortly to EN-
bark upon lecturing tour in South
America. is a great lover of animals
generally taking a special delight in
birds His country seat boasts quite
menagerie, and among it's most In
mates are several peacocks and a pair
of storks. In his premier days this col
lection was housed at his official rest
dence. There were times when the pre-
mier, engaged in a political discussion
with his cabinet. arrived at point
where the temporary absence of one or
two of them was desirable
To these he would turn and say,
Would you like to go and see my
forks and peacocks? You would find
hem delightful, am sure" And the
use never failed =
An amusing story of the gullibility
the public has Just come to light
that by inserting three advertisements
~ three liues in papers in the courae