Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-13
CIVIL CODE
Germany's Laws May Be
Model for Great Britain.
petroleum AS A PERFUME
Chemists Product a Substitute for
Altar Of Roses.
CEMETERY FOR PLAYGROUND
Such Use Is Denied by Legal De-
cision in Ireland-Queen
an Art Collector.
CEMETERY FOR PLAYGROUND

Special Cabicgram to The Star.
LONDON, January 13.-Onc of the next
efforts Of the present government it is
learned from very trustworthy source
will be the introduction Of bill to re-
form the civil code Of England, which, it
is generally agreed, is sadly In need OF
reform, being proba bly, more out Of date
than anything else in this, the most con-
sentative Of all countries
While it is, Of course, impossible to say
just what kinds of reforms the govern
men will recommend. it il proba bic the
civil code OF Germany, which the late
Prof. Maitland justly described as 1.-The
most carefully considered statement of
a nations laws that the world has ever
seem" will he followed on many points,
just as the German labor insurance law
has formed the basis of Lloyd Georges
much discussed measure. 4 translation
of the German code into English already
exists and, strange to say, It Is the work
Of a Chinaman, Chung Hui Wang
That code represents twenty-five years
of exhaustive study by the most emil
nent German jurists. There are. thrown
into the crucible as diverse n mass of ma
terial as even this cOuntrv's laws could
produce. There were the Gemeines recht
(Roman law. the Prussian codem, the
code Of Napoleon, the Badishes landrecht
(Baden). the burgerliches Gesetzbuch
(Saxony), some Danish law obtaining in
Observation-Disclosures. and some peculiar
legislation having effect in Bavaria.
Confusion Was Hopeless.
The combina ton of statutes. customs
and decisions was couched in Ave or six
different languages, and needless to say
the confusion was hopeless. From this
has been evolved a system which will
probably serve as a model for all future
efforts at codification.
Mr. Chung In his Introductory chapter
to tho English translation, shows the
steps by which the popular discomfort in
Germany was met, how the labors Of the
theoretical jurist were overhauled by the
practical persons who would have to adj
minister the law: by the politicians, who
were quick to allege all sorts OF attacks
upon their own pet pretudices. and by
the representatives of the commercial
and industrial classes, who had to obey
the proposed regulations.
In fact, the cOdification OF the German
law was q really difficult undertaking.
There was great deal Of public fee
ing against it. The codification of Brit
ish law would be perfectly simple, and
there is no fee ing against il. except
among the lawyers. But the lawyers rule
the Legislature.
Perfume From Petroleum.
Peter NJ. Short. an English chemist
has made an invention which ought to
gladden. the heart OF John D. Rookie
fe,ler. for he has succeeded in manufac-
turing from evil-snoeiiing petroleum an
essence which Is said to be a perfect SUBJ
stitute for the most precious of al per-
fumes. altar Of roses. the wholesale
value of which Is about cents a drop
Mr. Short admits that he made his dis
covery quite accidentally.
He has for several years past been car
rying out experiments with liquid air.
One of these experiments was 10 produce
candle from para11n by freezing It. No
known natural. tcmpcratnrc-even those