Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1911-08-12
IN CAY PAREE
Declines Prors otion--Former Presi.
dent DIANA Mohammedan
Mosquc-Increased Cost
of Livi~q.
by Associated Press.I

81
celebrated French novelist, has Gre
ated something of sensation in cir
cles of literature by declining a pro-
motion in the Legion of Honor to the
rank of commander.
France declares that Victor Hugo
at the time of his death was only an
officer in the Legion OF Honor, while
Lamartine was only a chevalier. As
France does not rank himself with
either one of these great French lit
erary lights, he decides that 1t would
be limiting for him to accept deco
ration greater than those accorded to
more distinguished authors.
Former President Diaz of Mexico,
who has returned to France after a
visit to Germany, continues to receive
honors from the French government.
After being officially welcomed at the
Museum of the lnvalides, General Diaz
was received by the city of Paris at
the city hall.
General Diaz met at the lnvalides
General Lanas and General Fanny,
both of whom fought with him in the
war in Mexico. The Mexican is a
during the visit he stopped to declare
that Napoleon's career was not only
a glory for France, but for all human
ity. The party visited the chapel, the
mortuary room, where Is conserved
the mask OF the emperor. and finally
the crypt. General Diaz knelt before
the sarcophagus of Napoleon and
when In the reliquary General NioX
placed in his hand the sword OF Aus
terlitz, Daz pressed his lips to the
historic weapon again and again. The
former president had the honor also
of opening himself the door of the
crypt looking into the last resting
place of the great emperor.
Paris has a Greek church and Eng
fish. American, Scotch, Dutch and
other Protestant churches, and there
Is now talk of the erection OF a
mosque for the accommodation of the
10000 Mohammedan residents. It will
not, however, be the first. Napoleon
Ill wishing the African army to be
represented In Paris, quartered bat
talon of Rihemen and a squadron of
Spahis in the old Bonaparte barracks,
upon the site of which the Orleans
railroads Quay d'0rsay terminus now
stands.
Turkish baths, Moorish cafe and
mosque were established for the
Algerians. who We're accompanied
from Algiers by a Ulema in guise OF
chaplain. After the war of 1870 the
barracks were occupied by battalion
of the Municipal Guard. The baths
and the cafe, Joined together, became
a canteen. and the mosque was trans
formed into clothing storehouse
Even in 1897, when the building was
demolished TO make way for the new
terminus, the arabesque decorations
and verses celebrating the glory of
Allah and his prophet were clearly
distinguishable under the successive
coats of paint and whitewash.
Increased cost OF living in America,
as shown by the report of the bureau
OF labor is being paralleled In France,
where the housing problem has be
come acute. There Is little place in
Paris for the man OF small means and
a large family. An illustrative case is
the following: A workingman, earning
about $l.20 a day, and his wife and
seven children wandered over the
city looking for a lodging. He was
able to pay $50 year, but proprletors
of houses Of that price refused to re-
ceive him when they saw the chill
dren. Apart from the question OF
children, II Is extremely difficult for
a workingman to find accommodation
in Paris at the present time, however
inadequate Rents have steadily in.
creased in the past ten years. BY rea-
son of the increased wages and
shorter work hours in the building
trades, the cost Of constructing
house has gone up 40 per cent.
Formerly the poorer classes lived in
the more remote parts of the city, but
the increased lines of subway bring
these districts within easier reach of
the center, and the small two-story
house is being rapidly demolished to
make room for siX-story modern struc-
lures, where the rental is often beyond
the means Of the workingman. The
workman, therefore, is being forced
to the suburbs. Here, however he is
finding some difficulty in installing
himself, as the suburbs OF Paris are
most always very attractive and COM
mand a fairly enough rental.