New-York tribune., 1921-12-04

/ ancient ana alIegeoly h0n0r-
able custom of settling points
! of honor at dawn, preferably in some
secluded wood before the birds are
! twittering in the trees, with single
! shot pistols or LONG, keen rapiers--
otherwise dueling--is criminal and
must cease in France.
/ The French public, or that part Of il.
! interested in points of honor, is not
! in entire agreement with the dis
tinguished jurist. Will III. Bonnevay
succeed, they ask, where Henry ",
Richelicu and the Supreme Court have
| failed? 1t was too sudden change Of
habits for the French to take kindly
to and it was contrary to their liberty
loving ideas that this which they hsd
| practiced throughout the ages should
be brought to standstili by govern
ment order.
In discussing the question, Andre
Brun, a we'll known Partisan broker,
said that as long as the law did not
punish severely enough number Of
minor offenses, it would be incumbent
| upon men to protect them selves as best
they could.
'If two gentlemen should quarrel
in a restaurant" he said, "would it
be better for them to start fighting on
the spot with siphons, and using plates,
bottles and chairs as missiles amid
the shrieks Of the women present, or
would it be better to quietly exchange
cards and settle the matter in an
orderly and gentlemanly way, by a
slight scratch or prick OF rapicr next
! day ?"
The general opinion of all French
men is that there are many insults
which would require an undignified
pitched battle in public and others that
might only be settled by an assassina-
ton if they did not have recourse to
! duel.
| One of the witnesses of a recent
duels being fought under vain pre-
who has been released on bail,
answers NJ Bonnevay's phrase Of
ducts being fought under vain pre-
texts of solving private quarrels," by
saying:
81 could cite numerous duels,
which would have been replaced by
revolver shots on street corners if
they had not been fought. And how
many others have settled long standing
quarrels between families which other
wise would have become real vendettas.
Are they vain pretexts or strong rea-
sons?"
Limitations of Justice
Are Responsible, He Says
"Duels would become more rare" he
continues, "if justice took serious ac-
tion against offenders, instead of
against the duelists. We will have to
take the law into our own hands as
long as person can slap your face,
expectorate in your glass of beer, in
suit you in any way he pleases, and
then only have to pay small fine Of
twenty-five francs.
"lt is all very we'll to say that we
have lost enough blood in the war and
do not wish to spill any more use
lessly by duels, but did the war put an
end to insults, to defamations, to
anger and to hatreds. If we listened
to our Minister Of Justice, these dihi-
culties would be settled in the future
by kicks in the stomach, cane beatings.
or worse. We no longer think, as in
olden days, that the result of duel is
Gods judgment. 1t is a fight with
regulations, where the offended has the
advantage of choice of arms and con-
ditions; fight which should be
greatly preferred to street brawl,
brutal and often savage, which it re-
places"
Public opinion says that it is i'm
portant to hunt out the reasons behind
a duel. A noted jurist, Mr.. Xavier,
said the other day: "The cause behind
the present duel is case of fragrant
delite' If the husband had merely
shot the other man he would have
been Immediately acquitted by the
courts and the public sentiment would
have sympathized with the assassin.
But he chose more cultured manner,
and in presenting his card to the Of
fender said:''Sir, you have offended
my honor grieyously. We shall fight
II OUT AS was proved, he was con-
tent to satisfy his honor by wounding
the offender slightly and the matter
was over. But now the stupid courts
wish to arrest him for it, OF course.
he will be acquitted; but if the courts
insist upon trying to frighten people
flom dueliing they will have many
cases of justifable manslaughter on
their hands. Such result would be
Tar worse for society"
The Paris Information" SAYS: "Men
who have serious and indispensable
motives to fight duels are not numer-
GUS and do not menace the public
order"
1t is stated here that very few people
have reconciliation after a fight in
court, both sides are always dissatis-
ned with the Judgments; but after
fighting duel there are few cases
where the antagonists do not become
good friends. Duels are arranged to