The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-06
DESERTED
 BY AMERICANS Frightened Away By Cholera Scare and Strike Disorders BUT SOCIETY IS GAY Labor Troubles Do Not Disturb the Gaiety-Americnn Potato VIII Re
 Permitted to Land fin the
 French Ports
BY GEORGE DUFREsNE

risians who probably more than any other people in the world love Iris son." a shudder, and who delight to hirt with revolution from time to time, are beginning to realize that a con- stant succession of crimes may be very thrilling, but cannot help injuring a city like Paris. which. to a large extent, must rely on a constant influx of for eign tourists to provide the coin we all love
 Victim of disastrous floods in the spring. followed by a wretched summer and finally shaken by a prospect of bloody social war, Paris has become a city that tourists shun as If 1t were af- | fiicted by the evil eye.
 At this time of the year Paris is usually the rendezvous of hundreds of rich Americans. who spend their money | lavishly, but this year you will look l in vain for Americans; they have been | effectually scared away from this quarter of the globe by the cholera in Italy and the strike disorders in i Paris.
 The recent strange doings in the labor ! world, however, did not seem to af- feet the general gaiety of Paris.
 At the height of the strike when the press was talking of black famine, of being fed by boats on the river and motor cars from the country, the monde and the "demimonde" were enjoying themselves in their ordinary way. Brilliant creatures in expensive gowns and amazing hats crunch ed crumpets and slipped tea at Rumpel- meyers at the Ritz, at Colombins and Champagne soyeux" and golden cook tails glided down delicate and indif- ferent threats at Armenonville and the Cascades. Society will not budge an inch. short of general earthquake, which throws down mansions as well as novels.
 The motor car Is partly responsible. 1 What matters it if the trains do not | run when one has a chauffeur and a 60 horsepower Panhard? It is a little fresh excitement. with dash of adven- ture and something of the delight of the impromptu.
 The proud and independent chauffeur did a roaring trade. A hundred francs to Amiens and all sorts of fantastic prices, but the hotei-keepers complained. The telegraph cancelled orders by the score, people did not like to come for fear of difficulties and for fear of having to pay.
 Yet" said a charming American to me, If had to be shut up I had rather 1t should be Paris than any town on earth.''
 Yes" I answered. fin spite of all her faults we love her still"
 And now that the thrill of the excite ment has worn off, when we are figuring out the cost we sadly miss ous usual crowd of American visitors, for they are the great money spenders in the Indus thies de luxe.' and the losses to trade have been immense. We are feeling rather like chastized children just now we really want to be good. but the truth is the spirit of unrest has not been killed. it has only been temporarily smothered. The old labor troubles are sure to reassert themselves at the first opportunity-next month next year. Who knows?
 One thing is sure, however no labor uprising has any chance of success in France, no revolution Is possible as long as the army is loyal and the army vii remain loyal because 1t is bourgeoise The great mass of the young soldiers is drawn from the land and the landowner is by nature conservative.
 The peasant, brought into contact witf the townsman, sides with authority every time, knowing that he has nothing to ex. pect from the artisan in office. The peas ant, indeed, can get no more in France he has all there is to give-the very soi of the country. Therefore. a reyolu- ton can only be a temporary affair con fined to the large towns; but that does not prevent it from creating vast amount of mischief. moral and material All the social mischief in France is really caused by the irresponsible dema- gogue, for left to himself the French workingman is a respectable member o1 society, but he listens to the voice of the charmer and that is his undoing. ! l Because of the high prices of food in France the government Is going to throw open the ports for the importation of American potatoes; And beasts from Mo roccoi Nobody really wants to laugh, but the temptation Is great. Strict precau- | tions are to be taken that the potato is | to be eaten and not planted in the back | garden. The safest way would be to boil it before 1t is permitted to land. It has been stopped at the frontier for some years, lest it should communicate dis | ease to the French potato. If I am not mistaken this American potato, taken in small doses with the Moroccan bull will help to restore Paris to it's ancient gaiety. l Unless the great conspiracy that Is being talked of with bated breath materi- alizes the monument of the recent abor- tive strike will be read in the menu dis played at the doors of the working class restaurants:
 PLAT DU YOUR.
 Boeuf du Moroc aux, pommes dc terre H Amerioaines
 Avis: On est prie de manager toufes les pommes de terre.
 The rapidly increasing diplomatic infiri- ence of the Kaiser in Turkey is becoming a source of great uneasiness to French statesmen, who see in it a danger to the peace of Europe. have just had an in terview with Admiral Besson. one of the most brilliant younger admirals in the French navy, who takes a rather gloomy view of the present situation and who did not hesitate to state the reason why. Tt is quite evident" he said, that the rejuvenation of the Turkish empire, while in many ways a cause for rejoicing is also great danger to peace, as 1t may easily become the forerunner of a great struggle between Christians and Mussul- men, which, If 1t comes, is bound to break out in the French African possessions Already perhaps, Mussulman ennis sartes are going among the Mussulmen o1 Algeria and Tunis as well as Egypt Fri | poll and Morocco. announcing to all that the great day is about to dawn wher thanks to their friend, Germany, the in | 1dels of France and England will be driven into the sea- that from the Nile | to the Straits of Gibraltar Islamism re- newed will triumph over the Cross The Kaiser is also, according to Admiral Besson's view. interested In the creation of strong Turkish fleet, the rapid in crease of Austrian and Italian fleets, and the admiral is convinced that this ac- tivity is the preliminary of formidable attack directed against the Tripoli en- tente with a view to wrestling Algeria