The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-08
LOVE OF LUXURY
GIVEN AS CAUSE
1t Is Suggested as to Blame
for High Cost OF
Living.
ALL DEMAND THE BEST
AS Result, Country Now Faces
Serious Dear Food
Agitation.
ALL DEMAND THE BEST
ny GEORGE DurREsNE.

Especial Gable TO The Times Dispatch
Paris. October Tn spleHdielS
written article in Paris paper. Nj.
Jules Claretie gives his idea of the
causes underlying the dear food aSita-
ton which has brought police and
gcndarmcs into the Parts markets as N
protection to satcswomcn The work
man thinks II quite natural says the
litterateur. that his wages should be
Increased and his hours shortened; but
he rcsents it when the peasant raises
the prices of his dairy produce and
charges more for his eggs and butter
because the sun has burnt up his pas
lures and rendered cow-keepinG diff
cult. The workman resolves the eco
nomic question by making an omclette
of the eggs with his feet.
The real secret Is the desire to raise
the standard OF life which has pcrme-
atcd the masses in France The auto
mobile has given an appetite for lux
ury to all the world Every one must
have his annual vacation by the sea or
in the mountains. and these things
have to be paid for. Excursions were
formerly tho exception; now they are
the rule. An important Paris butcher
remarks that no one will now accept
portions of meat of the second or third
quality, though formerly the poor were
content with them. Every one de-
mands the best: he must have fillet
II wonder how persons OF limited
means manage to make ends meet"
declares the tradesmen.
This is the difficulty: they do not
make them meet: hence the riots and
the discomfort. 1T Is astonishing now
little man requires 20 live" remark
cd Napoleon. in eating a crust Of
bread after the battle. But that bat
.
limit his requirements. and again he
could reflect on his past experiments
He had had his good time But the
French peasant no longer resigns him
self to the crust of bread and bunch
of grapes; the placing of meat on the
table is no longer gastronomic So
lcmnity. but daily occurrence.
little incident which happened In
Paris side street the other day shows
how utterly mistaken are the German
and English papers. that have spread
the idea that party strife and socialism
have killed patriotism In France. a
mob oil disorisrly persons mad tried to
invade a provision and fruit market
and a strong body of cuirassiers were
busy applying cold steel to hot heads.
suddenly camelot selling newspapers.
cried something like Germans insult
the tricolor. Sensational story" I'm
media tely the mob raised the cry:
Down with Germany, To the from
tier" and cheered the soldiers they
had Just been fighting with stones and
bottles.
Unconsciously Herr Won Kiderlen-
Waechter has performed an immense
service to France. II in the midst
OF an angry demonstration the people
can think of tho national honor you
may be sure that In their calmer mo-
ments they are intently resolved on
upholding French rights against Ger
man pretentions.
Never of recent years has France
given such an example Of union as at
the present moment From north
south. east and west comes the same
note of sturdy patriotism. The refusal
to bow the knee to the German Baal
The common danger and the provoca-
tive attitude or the hypothetical enc
my have awakened the national senti-
ment as nothing else could do. Nor
is there A breath of antimilitarism
even In the most advanced quarters
Perhaps the danger Is Chauvinism
France may be tempted to commit
some indiscretion which would give
the Eastern neishbor the chance he
apparently seekG.
The governments panacea for get
ting rid of the agitation against the