The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-07-26
DEATH PENALTY
FOR CANNIBALS
France Issues Orders intended 70
Extlrpate Practice IN Az
roarl Possessions.

Hnr4s-Albert Sarraut, French MIN
saesr Of colonies, who was n OF
Hnaxscoss representatives at the wash
aaaeun naval armament Limitation ana
pacsac conference, has just signed TWO
Aneraes Intended to axtirpats tne
m1arfzce of c~annibalism IN the French
African possessions. The death penal
- b Imposed ON any one killing OF
ess3rg 30 kfl human beings for rne
naspcss ct eating their flesh. Inpris.
anxssnt OF from one to ten years ana
a Ama az from 100 to 1000 francs are
D. Ns ghs punishment for completely q
anaA crimes OF for eating human nssh-
4~napusbslixzn survives. H. 9AFfaut say&k
na6eapAiiy under the form OF nrnAa
&zzes az acts Of sorcsry.
NAsaasaang this subject In IL Tour
al u. remand Haussr writes
doctor Cureau, formerly Q colonial
uarexnox. assured us some years agp
wezA on the primitive peoples q
a-uaaxAorsai Africa that cannibaiiarn. o.
n@anac6d there (and 1t II praekead,
&san An regions rich in food resources
ok. Ill sorts, vegetable and animally y
aAe Aun to ps4vatA0n or famine. 1k
}szuay q matter Of taste he said a
sSsd1Jaason for a certain kind Of nsaaf.'
eannlAaatssn Called snstinet.
sTAnnabattaun Ii then, according 10
Esaa6re cureau. an instinct II - o
suuMarn. me man who INDUCES In it
80 paeseznrily fssocioua He ssay
a. a syan VINO IL gentle say, cheerful
q 2aandfy 1n his ordinary relations
s~4s least with those about him.
szsocenw Cureau added that he had
ms8FM times seen evidences that Ger
- t1kes make prisoners Of war or
buy Aawes TO hold them In reserve,
end ss,en Kill thsnn and eat them In ac-
ane<1auca With their needs.
sPere 1xsrfron, who also made a
eapanxange study OF the African ne
srass, declared, on the contrary, that
% caunibals did moi hunt men to sat
aEev hanger. They eat he said, only
- beetles Of enemies killed In war
eaa& more rarely. the bodies Of those
q tshora they wish to wrsak a terrible
vengeance.
3xowuves that may be, Pere Mar
exqA and Doctor Cureau both stated
tat canuibalism is dying out. Coming
Into intercourse with more civilized
tribes. the cannibais feel a sense OF
sAeme and oon refuse to admit that
hrxnsn desh is eaten by them.
Reports for Many Years.
aTERsese are reports dating back some
y6nRi1 M. J. Brevie, chief adninistra-
o. Of colonies. director OF political
nd administrative affairs In the gov
sEnxsene Of French West Africa. says,
b rs Tslamfsme contre Naturisme au
Gc86an Trancaig-a penetrating essay
N native psychology which he has
ssAlisAs6-fhat many blacks still prac-
Cen ~cannfbAiisrn, less from any real
need than from an attachment to an
Gant rites, which. divorced from their
pk1nstivs significance, appear unintal-
iigible 10 Us, and which they them
selves can no longer explain.
"swe are dealing here he declares,
swtsA human sacrifices, intended to dis
arm hostile spirits. or to produce q
g4st Of physical and moral trarssub-
sanitation from the person sacrificed
ito the person who eats, the latter
ehus assimilating the formers strength
and qualities
But whatever may be the reasons
which have kept cannibalism alive, the
French government is now determined
to make an end of 1t.