The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-17
LEVEL OF RIVER
 SEINE IS RISING Chinese Women Claim Mi
 raculous Cures FORGED TO ABDICATE Sculptor Roden May Be Forced to Abandon Hotel Biron, Where
 Government Anticipates
 Housing Ministry
FORCED TO ABDICATE
By GEORGE DUFREsNE

Paris December 16.-tSpecial. )--The level Of the Seine is rising and sec tion of Parisians are again living in
 fear of floods. The measures taken by
 the authorities to prevent repetition
 of the floods are oply temporary. They chiefly consist in raising the level of the parapets on the embankments. But,
 as M Andrien Oudin, municipal councillor, points out, in the Petit Pa- risian," this measure alone can be of little help. It will be necessary to raise the level of the streets in the neighborhood, otherwise the water in the event of a serious rise will reach them through the sewers. This was the case in Auteuil two years ago,
 when the RuesFelicien-D David was in- undated before the water overflowed
 the parapet.
 The committee on inundations,e ap
 pointed by the government recommend
 ed the widening of the left arm of the
 Seine to the right of the Cite (to cost
 y4, 000 000), the deepening of the bed of
 the Seine between Suresnes and Bou-
 gival (S6,000,000) and the deviation of
 the Marne from Anvel to Epiny, via
 C1aye ($24,000,0OO).
 Two Chinese women recently arrived
 in Lisbon claiming to make miracu- lous cures. Their fame soon spread throughout Portugal and hundreds of
 diseased persons flocked to Lisbon. The government, at the instigation of the medical association, declared
 that it would prohibit the Chinese women practicing their arts. This raised
 great protest on the part of the pop u1ation. Deputations were sent to par @oh .xr ministers was specially convened. In order to avoid serious public dem onstrations it was decided that the mirac- ulous Chinese operators should be cleared out of the country. Ati4 o'clock one morn- ing strong force of police surrounded
 the hotel where the women were staying, and, entering the building, insisted on the frightened and crying women leaving l their beds. They were placed on a mo- | tor car and conveyed to the Spanish from | tier.
 When their removal was known the | fury of the many sufferers knew no ] bounds. Hundreds of these indignant men 1 and women, accompanied by thousands If l supporters, made a great denEnstration, at which there were cries of Down with the republic.'' Cheers were also given | for liberty. A huge procession was | formed and marched through the chief
 streets toward the rotunda where tho l revolutionary forces proclaimed the re- l public, and where it intended to hold | a meeting. The government, fearing that | the manifestation would take serious | turn sent the military, and the demon-
 strators were forcibly dispersed Several | conflicts occurred.
 i Robin, the famous sculptor, will | have to leave the Hotel Biron after all | Some time ago it was Stated that the | builders had designs on the site of the | hotel, their idea being to put up new | houses. Rodin, who did not want to leave the place where he had labored | so long and amassed a wonderful col | lection of art curios, which, it was un-
 derstood would ultimately fall to | Paris, set to work with the hope of | saving it from the builders. He enlist ed the sympathy of Clemenceau, ;Briand | Leon Bourgeois and Paul Dourner and | succeeded in getting a number of de- sirable tenants, including some famous
 people. It was thought that he, would
 be allowed to remain in the historic building undisturbed.
 | Now, however the sculptor's dream of l resttulness has been rudely distuIbed. He l has received notice to quit. The historic l Hotel Biron Is wanted for the ministry | Of justice, which is at present housed in | the Place Vendome. Its quarters are 10 | become the property of a financial com | pary, who have offered a price which the state does not see it's. way to refuse since | it is case of making money. The com | fort of Rodin and his art treasures are | not to be considered.
 | What is to become of these wonderful l things when Roden leaves the Hotel
 Biron? It has been suggested that spe- l cial building, to be called the Rodin Museum. should be prepared for them. We are likely to hear more of this sugges- tiQn ip the future.