Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-10-12
What Paris
Talks About
ny HERBERT COREY.

1
French press in much the same spirit
that one goes through strange cellar
without a lantern. Thanks to rigid
censorship. the Paris editor is often
compelled to hide 4 burning thought
in a bush of verbiage. One learns that
200 deputies wish to amend the consti-
tuition. Defects have been discovered
under pressure of war. That conceals
a story.
| The president of the republic has
far greater power. theoretically. than
has the Presidentlof the United States.
In matters of foreign politics he names
| ministers and ambassadors. he has
| the right to make engagements IN the
name of his country. he signs al
treaties of alliance, and all TINS IN
| secret" according to Paul-Meunier IN
IL'Oeuvre. THE constitution forbids
| the parliament from knowing anything
| or asking anything.
| The Russian revolution has resulted
| in the discovery Of certain letters writ
| ten by President Poincare to the lead
| ers of the former Russian autocracy.
| The opposition here does not know W hat
! was in those letters. though 1t may
guess. 1t has asked for information
| and twice has been promised that all
| shall be made known. The time has
| not come. however. and naturally
| enough. the opposition is agitattng.
Hence the oStensible reason for the
amendment. of the constitution. that
in the future the French republic can
not enter into secret engagements with
other powers. 1t is probable that the
amendment of the constitution. but
that majority likewise holds that the
time is not vet ripe.
For the constitution can only be
amended in a joint session of the senate
and the chamber of deputies. which
must be held at Versailles. Under the
French constitution. which is not q for
NAL instrument such as ours, but n
product of growth. that joint session
would automatically become the master
of France.
At first one is inclined to think the
sou famine wholly artificial. The old
lady at the tobacco booth declares her
self unable to give you 10 confines
change. Therefore you are forced to
take a box of matches or go without
the after-dinner cigar. Remembering
this incident, you hoard your sous that
day and insist that the woman con-
ductor on the tram change a franc for
YOU. She argues the point You are
confirmed in your desire to pack away
many small copper coins.
Two days later the girl at the de-
Dartment store gives stamps in change,
although she VIII by no means take
stamps in change. You are forced to
buy two drinks at the cafe terrass in
order to make the sum and the tip to
the garcon coincide with a bit of silver
Every one has the same experience.
Today Paris is an almost souless city.
But 1t appears there is a very definite
reason for the sou shortage, apart from
this artificial one. French paper money
IS only exchangeable at discount
across the borders IN Spain and Swift
zerland. but French silver and copper
in small amounts pass at par. Hence
those who visit these countries take
what small money they can in order to
save exchange. The country is being
drained.
Small silver is being coined in suff-
cient amount to prevent a silver short
age. but no new coppers are being is
sued Nor has the promised aluminium
coinage appeared as vet. So that after
a riotous day upon the boulevard one
goes home with ones pockets crammed
with match boxes. guramed up with
stamps and laden with cheap cigars
There were a few moments Of hap
py anticipation this week. The dress
makers syndicate announced that be-
dresses were to be made this winter
much shorter than last. The name
au.ns of the greater dressmaking sa-
Ions foresaw immediate discharge. A
model can pose to some purpose in
dress of long lines and sweeping
flounces.
But If one dresses as a cigar-voila-
1t only needs cigar on which 10 dis
play the dress" said the mannequins.
Therefore they planned a demon
strat:on" Nothing could be more
pleasing to the hearts of the Partisan
male. To behold these gorgeous beau
ties of the salons clamoring in the
street before the doors of their en-
NIL ty,1
ures in artistic poses-one would go
miles to see it, would one nota One
would. The Partisan and visiting male
fairly trembled in Joyous expectation.
But its all off The WOODEN dresses
are to be short, as announced, but the
s!lken dresses are to he as long as
ever. The manneauins have composed
themselves. The items of the prospec-
tive audience have given themselves
over to regrets.
Two schools of thought have arisen
among those whose duties take them
into the area recently evacuated by the
Germans. The conservatives swear by
a certain powder OF long stabltsh ed
fame. and which is held to be vastly
discouraging to insects of a familiar
and communicable turn of mind The
other holds by new POWDER radi-
cal. republican, free thought powder
which is the product of these days of
unrest.
The argument wakes violent The ad-
! herents of the two schools are able
to support their positions by the most
violently personal instances ONLY at
one point do they find themselves in
accord. That is that it is almost a l,fe-
and-death matter to take some form of
protection into the newly recovered
ground. The departing Germans left
behind them 4 most voracious and un-
appeasable form of insect life without
protection of some sort the unhardened
person would go mad.