El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-14
FRANCE FEARS
STEALING Of
MONUMENTS
To Take Inventory of Tri-
umphal Arches, Chateaux
and Obelisk.
HAS NEW PLAN FOR
LAUNCHING WARSHIPS

Paris. France, Dec. 14-Profiting by
the lesson taught in the mysterious
theft Of the famous painting. Ia
Joconde," from the Louvre Art museum,
the fine arts officials have determined
to take no chances with the great his
toric French monuments. They do not
exactly fear that any one will carry off
the monuments. but it has been thought
advisable to take an inventory of them
along with other French treasures, and
to list all with the approximate values
IL permanent catalOg.
It has been foETd difficult to make a
great chateau at Versailles. but the ap-
praisers have finally put it down t
s144,o00,00 This includes the Trianon
One worth ssOO,OOO.
Dhe famous column in the Place Ven
dome, which has been admired by so
many Americans, is appraised It $780,
600. The Arch Of Triumph in the Place
de IEtoile Is held to be worth $4,000
600. The Egyptian obelisk in the Place
de Ia Concorde is estimated at $4,000.
and the Louvre itself at s5S.200, 600.
New Scheme For Launching.
To the regret of many who enjoyed
the spectacular sight, ". Delcasse, min
lister of marine, has decreed that in the
future French Warships shall not be
launched in the old-fashiOned way with
a plunge into the waters They viii be
built in dry docks and there await the
waters that viii float them out.
This decision is due to the mishap
which attended the launching of the
''Danton" in 1910. The battleship re-
fused TO move down the ways though
the most powerful jaclzscrews were
used 1t was necessary to delay the
ceremony for two months, when the
spring tide came to the help of the
builders.
NJ Delcasse has ordered the construc-
q 67Er6 a.
and the other at lOrient. capable OF
accommodating vessels Of the dread
nought type. The idea is not altogeth-
er new. as the Japanese have con-
structed ships in drydock
Speculation in Coins.
Speculation in Belgian five franc
pieces, which are current in France, has
become so lively that the Bank of Bel
GUM has mentioned the matter in its
official reports, and French financial
neWspa pers have offered suggest ons
for resisting the practice
Because of Be1gium's unfavOrable
trade balance. that is because she i'm
ports more than she exports, rates of
exchange are against her IN the money
market The long continuation of such
a discrimination has led professional
money changers to buy checks on Bel
gian banks or Belgian bank notes IN
Paris and to collect OF change them,
through agents in Belgium, into such
Belgian coins as are current in France,
particularly five franc nieces, which
are shipped back to Paris
The rate of profit is never high, but
capital employed in such an undertake
ing can be turned so quickly because Of
the shortness of the distance between
the two capitals that within a year an
exceedingly large income may be had
on funds thus employed The result Is
that the Belgium government simply
coins five franc pieces for the profit OF
Trench money changers and for the
uses Of French circulation. The advan-
tages of having its coins current in
France are so great that Belgium can
not afford to sacrifice that convenience
in order to destroy the money changers.
In 1911 the Bank OF Belgium was
obliged to obtain and bring back into
thei country 129.006.0OO francs from
France in order TO restore her circula-
ticn, process which cost the bank
about 100000 francs French bank
ers resent the necessity for such a drain
as much as do the Belgians, since much
of it comes out of the Bank Of France