The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-16
FRENCH NATION ON
EVE OF NEW ERA
Prophecy That Before Long
France Will Cease to Be a
Republic.
PEOPLE ARE 0IsGUSTED
Unless Conditions Change, Hor-
rors of Anarchy Are
Threatening.
by GEORGE puFREsNE.

| \
farls' July 16.-The more closely one
studies the signs of the times the more
firmly convinced one becomes that
France Is on the eve of a new err
The change that prophecy is that be-
lore long France will have ceased tn
De republic. The people all over
france are thoroughly disgusted with
the muddle the various republican gov
ernments, following one another In
rapid succession. have made of the
country's affairs
we are cursed with greater
a!hount or official red tape than any
other country in the world Russia No.
even excepted. The authorities arc
unable to command the respect of. the
people, and one community after tho
other practically revolts against tba
government The laws of the ren,h1
nc are no longer respected Young mon
oy the thousand refuse to serve in tho
anu are not punished for their
"isooeolence, and during the last fau
months fashion has grown IN ,n,on.
oiscontented communities to orrnnize
S'rihes with a view to paralyzinp the
machinery of administrative govern
nent' The wine growers in the Auhs
refused to carry on local government
and dared the tax collectors to annna,
Ciotat. near Marseilles. have take,
rear out OF the book of the Aubois Tbr
men employed by the Messararta,
maritime came out on strike. Tho
shopkeepers closed their establish.
ments In sympathy with them. ana
the streets 'ouSn
Three thousand people marched
through the little town. Az s,,,,es
signal all the demand papers distrihut.
Gu pE the tax collectors during the las,
/ rev days were collected. placed -
meaP and burnt. This was the strikers,
maS OF showing their defiance of all
with h,,. authority Not content
WIN burning the tax papers, thew cor
celVed the idea OF stopping ali ali
road traffic. al ran
me strikers. with their wives and
.niioren. bivouacked on the railroad
their Idea being to prevent train
rom starting. The police commissarv
"a. 'ac'Iui man, finally prevailed upon
Wiz TO allow the train to move
| Nniie making this concession the
strikers do not intend to give un tho
struggle. They mean to fight 10 ~
! last ditch. ~ '"'
! II things of this kind are allowed
10 go on unpublished. nothing in the
Ola can save France from the hor-
rT's or absolute anarchy: and, since
|
thelr nerve and grip, the way seems
| open for Prince Victor Napoleon who.
| though he may have none of the great
| gifts OF his great ancestor, at least
| is nan who is generally respected
| a man whose patriotism is undoubted
and who possessed enough money to
push his plans forward with consider
| able energy.
1t is known that Princess Clemen-
| tine, or Princess Napoleon, as she Ia
now. is engaged in active propagation
| OF her husbands interests, and that
| she Is receiving great encoura cement
from number of very influential Re-
| publicans. II is limited that NJ. BRAND
! and his political friends are favorlng
a movement that will place un homme
| de valeur at the head of government
coup d'etat OF a peaceful kind. I
have reason TO believe, is In contem-
! rlation. but what form it will take is
| al present impossible to guess
The continuous rise in the price of
| meat has opened the eyes of Parisians
| to the inevitable consequences of the
protectionist regime. Since the coming
| into force of the tariff law OF 1902
the price of beef in Paris has increased
| 1875 per cent, that of veal 40 per cent
and that of mutton Al per cent. These
| figures were given at a great meeting
| held the other day by the Paris retail
| butchers.
The president of the butchers syn
| dictate, NJ. Lefevre. declared that tho
| principal cause of the rise in prices
| is protectionist legislation. In the
first place. eXorbitant tariffs have been
set up on imported cattle and meat
| and as though 1t were not enough
a number of restrictions have been
| placed on the importation of cattle
ostenslbly for sanitary reasons. but
really with view to insuring to tho
/ home breeders the monopoly OF the
| French meat market.
| these measures" said NJ. Levevre,
were voted in 1902. and their aim was
| the protection of the French breeder
| against foreign competition. The re-
suit however. has been that our
nocks and herds. instead of increas-
ing. have. during the last few years,
| decreased. 1t is. therefore. necessary
to abrogate the protectionist tariffs
| which do not enrich the state The
meat trade is being ruined. and the
| working classes In the towns have to
| go without an essential article OF
! food"
It was pointed out that the duties
imposed by the tariff of 1902 amount
| to about one-third OF the value in the
| case of live stock The duty on meat
amounts to cents per pound. When
| the carriage and octroi duty are added
to this-I am citing NJ. Lefevre's fig
| ures-beef or mutton imported from
abroad pays approximately cents
per pound-a prohibitive sum. 1t Is
not surprising that the meeting passed
resolution in favor of the abroga-
tion OF the ultra protectionist tariff
established In 1902. and of the total
exemption from duty of live stock i'm
ported from French colonies.
So many monuments have been
erected in Paris during the last few
Years that the authorities now con-
| slider the time has arrived to impose
restrictions. Instead of raising so
| many statues Il Is contended that