The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-24
PARIS AUTOMOBILE OUTLAWS ACTIVE French Police Sympathize With New Workers MIR. CLEMENCEAU ILL One of Frances Political Giants-Re- markable Picture of Dante's h.
 ferno-Hobble Skirt Out
 of Fashion
MIR. CLEMENCEAU ILL
By PAUL yILLIERs


 bile. There has been series of tho
 most daring robberies perpetrated by
 outlaws in automobiles which culmin-
 ated recently in the shooting down of
 a gendarme who attempted to stop Iprivate car.
 One feature of the Paris epidemic
 which makes the task of the police ex- traordinarily difficult is the fact thaat
 the brigands steal private cars in
 which to do their work. coo1ly aban-
 doning the car when -he job is done. | Owners of motor cars feel very un-
 comfortable, and many of them have
 had extra locks and potts put on their
 garages. They expect their sheds to be
 broken into every night, and to find
 their cars gone in the morning. One of
 the papers says:
 l. We must go back 70 the fourteenth
 century to find a parallel to such dar- | ing brigandage. Even then brigands l and pirates had to hide in caves and l forests. Modern science has placed such instruments at their disposal that they
 can with impunity operate in the heart
 an immense city" Another paper traces Iall the brigandage back to the evils of city life, the want of good moral edu- 1 cation of youth, the sentimentaity of modern communities, and of laws which
 are too lenient with criminals. People
 are forgetting the elementary principles | of civilized society, which are to pro- | tect life and property. Criminals take | advantage of all this weakness, and
 threaten us in our streets and in our homes. It is needless to say that much | of this Is true, while a good deal Is also exaggerated, and 1t shows the hys- | terical state to which some people are | driven at the idea of the impunity of 1 the criminals.
 M. Lepine, without partakfng in the general excitement, has shown that the police also feel that something drastic must be done. In a circular he informs all his subordinates, the policemen and inspectors in Paris, that when a chauf- feur fails to obey them at the first
 sign and drives on when told to stop, they must not hesitate to cut his tires
 with their swords. Al last we find a use for the sword which most police men wear in France. M. Lepine has dis covered 1t.
 The illness of M. Clemenceau calls at tention to one of the strongest and most influential men in France. It is not without reason that M. Clemenceau is called the "wrecker of ministries" Any government in France today would find it difficult to hold office against his active opposition.
 Yet it is only comparatively recently that he consented to take office himself | But all along the line ne has been a
 born leader. well as a most effective speaker. When a medical student in Paris he headed highly popular dem onstration of the youths of his class against the government censure of l Ernest Renan. He arserward divided | his attention between Frances political
 maladies and the physical ailments of | his patients In those days his con sulting room at the Montmartre was all ways full of people waiting to see him, for whom he prescribed at a strictly
 nominal fee. He never sent in his bills, and his patients never came to ask for them. His political influence even then was enormous.
 One of M. Clemenceau's closest friends
 was King Edward, who was greatly amused by the Frenchmans clever stories.
 A marvellous cinematograph repre- while in the senate was that of making
 notes on his cuffs At first his laundress
 was much puzzled by these hiero- glyphics, but as time went on she be- came able to read them, and apparent | ly derived much profit therefrom. One | day Clemenceau received with his new | ly cleansed garments a slip oJ paper on which was written: "rour last washing
 was very interesting, but we should be
 glad if you could give us more news and less notes for speeches"
 A marvellous cinema tograph repre- sentation of Dantes Inferno. is given at the Cinema de Paris.
 Th producers havo evidently gone to GustaXe Dores illustrations of Dante's visions of he'll for their inspiration, with | the result that there is presented a sue. cession of unforgettable pictures, show | ing the damned writhing in flames ana | tortured by smoke spouting fiends. De- spite the agonizng realism, the differ ent scenes are artissically presented. Ithe rugged scenery and beautiful light effects being particularly effective. Each picture is preceded by appropriate stan
 gas from the "Inferno," cast on the streen.
 | The production cost over s100.000 and | Is by an Italian company.
 According to the most eminent of the | Parisian "couturiers," ,ne coming fash
 ion in ladies dresses will unite the spirit of Greek draperY with the ele-
 gance and distinction of the robes of 1 the second empire" Harsh materials
 will be replaced by soft, clinging stuffs;
 instead of rigid hues. the figure will be Isuggested without eXaggeration. Ex-
 tremes will be avoided. The skirt will | be as far removed on the one hand, | from the mob pie 1ded as, on the other, from the balloon" idea. The curve of
 the hips will be soriened by lace "volants." The skirt will fit close enough for artistic grace. and be ann
 pie enough to allow its wearer to walk without stumbling and enter carriage | without lifting her dress to the knees. Instead of being imprisoned in a sheath,
 women will again wes.- lingerie. How
 much of womans charm Is in her | lingerie,
 l A small crowd outside one of the To-
 cal mairies in Paris was first terrified I and then immensely amused by an ex- ! citing incident which took place just as a newly married couple was crossing the pavement to drive away to the we'd 1 ding breakfast. woman standing
 near the door lifted her apron. gripped
 a jug and hurled its contents at the | bridegroom. Here was case of vitriol | throwing, it was thought. but to every /, ones amazement it was seen that the | bridegroom's face was covered with blood He staggered and almost fell whilst everyone wondered what was the new substance that caused sucn fearful injury. The wuman who had II thrown the liquid solved the myste however. before vengeful hands could be laid upon her. Yes, I am his tilted sweetheart" she said. but it is only