The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-16
FRENCH PRIEST BECOMES CENSOR
 OF FBRDALGOWNS
Sends Word That We'd
 ding Can't Go On In Ab- K breviated Costume

PARIS, March 15.-By Associated Press.)-Criticism from the pulpit and from Bishopric Sees of the attire worn by women in church are beginning to bear fruit in France.
 The curate of the Church of St. Jer- ome of Toulouse, one of the crusaders for greater sobriety, simplicity and mod esty in feminine attire, recently was called on to celebrate the marriage of the daughter of a millionaire. The re- pert spread that the bride would wear typical Parisian gown.' Upon learning of this the curate wrote to the father that he would not perform the marriage ceremony or even allow the bride to enter the church if she or her attendants came in dress he might con slider incompatible with the sacredness of the precincts.
 The father placed the note in his pocket and forgot it, until about an hour before the wedding; then there was frantic scurry by the bride and bridesmaids to add to the scanty pro- portions of their gowns by means of crepe de chine draped over arms and shoulders.
 The curate scrutinized closely every one of the women as they entered the church.
 Foreigners Must Register
 Half a million foreigners registered in Paris have become objects of special solicitude by the police. Persons who so obviously are plain clothes men that they do not need to disclose their iden- tity have been favoring the foreigners with visits since the exchange crisis, asking for proofs of the date and place of their birth.
 Police visits are resented by those who have nothing for which to reproach themselves but they are unable to avoid the reflection that the concierge must know of the visit, that the con sierge next door will soon also know 1t, and that in course the whole quarter will be aware that the police are in- vestigating Ca so-called American who lives on the fifth floor of No. 3"
 Identity cards were issued last year to 78,000 newcomers, the police esti- mating there were 10000 undesirables among them. Needing them out re- quires time, only about 1,500 persons being expelled annually.
 Thirty-four thousand Germans de- clared their presence in Paris at the end of last year and there were about 32,O00 Americans registered. The Britishers outnumbered the Americans by about f,O00. Belgians were the most npmer- ot,s of the T5 nationalities on the police registers, with S5,O0O. Italians follow ed with S2,000 and the Russians with 42,000.
 A Tobacco Raid lanutins u-hn Vofpd tn inppaQSQ fIlp | selling price of tobacco, so aa to help out l Frances deficient finances, immediate ly made such a run on the chamber tobacco stand to lay in supply before | prices went up that the whole parlia- | mentary stock was exhausted in short | order and the manager of the stand | was overwhelmed with orders to be | filled before the new scale goes into ef- feet.
 The example of the deputies was fol- | lowed by the general public with the outcome that before the chamber bill got to the senate all the cheaper grades of tobacco and cigaretts were sold out. Thus, the finance ministrys calcula- tions that revenues from this source would immediately increase will not be fulfilled until the supplies which have been cornered are exhausted.
 Thief Aids Science The recent attempt to loot the weights and measures bureau in Paris has resulted in gain for that institu- tion. A scientific instrument found on the floor after the hurried departure of the burglar, turned out to be an au- tOmatic lock detector most ingenious ly and skillfully made.
 Placed over lock with a lever pene- trating the keyhole, the lock detector registers on sliding ccale the position and size of everyone of the wards, knowledge indispensable to the making of false keys. Expert locksmiths de- clare that with the instrument it is possible to make easily and rapidly keys to fit most of the complicated modern safety locks.