El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-12

The Former Mexican Ruler
Meets French Generals
Who Fought in Mexico.
NOVELIST DECLINES
RANK OF COMMANDER

Paris France, Aug 1Z--tormer
president Diaz of Mexico. who has
returned to France after visit to
Germany, continues to receive honors
from the French government After
being officially welcomed at the Mu-
scum of the Invalides, general Diaz
was received by the city Of Paris at
the city hall
Diaz Visits N apoIeon's Tomb.
General Diaz met at the Invalides
general Lanas and general Fanny, both
of whom fought with him in the war
at Mexico. The Mexican is great
admirer of Napoleon, and often during
the visit he stopped to declare that
Napoleon's career was not only
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 Austerlitz- Diaz
pressed his lips to the historic weapon
again and again The former president
had the honor also of opening him
self the door of the crypt looking
into the last resting place Of the great
d emperor.
Mosque In Paris
Paris has a Greek church and Eng
1ish. American, Scotch, Dutch and 9TH
er Protestant churches. and there is
now talk of the erection of a mosque
for the accommodation of the 10000
Mohammedan residents 1t will not,
however be the first. Napoleon III,
wishing the African army to be repre-
scented in Paris, quartered a battalion
of riflemen and a squadron of Spahis
in the old Bonaparte barracks. upon
the site of which the Orleans Rail
roads Quay d'Orsay terminus now
stands.
Turkish baths, Moorish cafe and a
mosque were established for the Al
gerians, who were accompanied from
Algiers by a Ulema in guise of chap
lain After the war of 1870, the bar
racks were occupied by a battalion Of
the municipal guard. The baths and
the cafe joined together, became a
carteen. 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-
Housing Problem Acute.
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 become
acute There is little place in Paris
for the man of small means and a large
family An illustrative case Is the
following A working man, earning
- nd
seven children. wandered over the city,
looking for a lodging. He was able to
pay $50 a year. but proprietors Of
houses of that price refused to receive
him when they saw the children Apart
from the question Of children, it is
extremely difficult for a working man
to find accommodation in Paris at the
present time, however Inadequate
Rents have steadily increased in the
past 10 years. BY reason Of the in
creased wages and shorter work hours
in the building trades, the cost of con-
structing a 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 working man. 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.
Declined Honor.
Anatole France. the celebrated
French novelist, has created something
of sensation in circles in literature
by declining a promotion, 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 it would
| be i'll fitting for him to accept decor
| alton greater than those accorded to
/ moro diSfi0 al anfhOrS