The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-12-21
HERRIOT FOILS
CABINET PLOT:
TOLLS WHILE I'LL
French Premier Dispells
RumOrs OF Inactivity
In Radical Bloc

PARIS, Dec H.-Premier Herriot is
said to have foiled determined attempt
by would-be successors to take advan-
taye of his illness and dislodge him
from power. The announcement that
the premier would be forced to take at
least a months rest, so the story goes,
caused a number of candidates for cab
met portfolios to commence forming
new ministry They enlisted the SYM
pathies of one of Herriot's press or
gans, and succeeded in spreading
through parliamentary circles the idea
that it would be impossible for the gov
eminent to pursue the program of the
radical socialist bloc with Herriot alb
sent from the chamber. Such questions
as the suppression of the French en-
bassy at the vatican; discussion of new
tax measures to balance the budget; and
the Moroccan situation necestitated the
premier's presence in parliament, they
are alleged to have said. Then they
agreed upon former Premier Painleve
rs the next premier.
When NJ. Herriot heard of the plan,
he was lying stretched out in bed, with
his right leg rigid. He laughed in spite
of the excruciating pain from which he
was suffering. God save me from my
friends" he is quoted as having said.
II will attend to my enemies" There
upon be announced that he would
Immediately resume his laborS, re-
ceiving for the time-being colleagues and
visitors in the sick room, and that he
would return to his cabinet on the first
floor as soon as he was able to get up,
instead of being shunted off to a sani
tarium in the Pyrenees.
The only compromise NJ. Herriot has
been willing to make to his doctors is
that of resting during the afternoons.
Il always was an early riser," he re-
marked to them.
Was Officially Dead
August Freyder recently returned to
his home at Gambsheim, on the lower
Rhine in Alsace, after an absence of
himself deprived of all his property and
officially and legally dead.
Shortly after his examination by doc
tors in 1881, when he was declared
eligible for military service, Freyder,
not desiring to serve in the German
army, crossed the frontier into France
and embarked for America. Years
passed and never line came back to
Gambsheim from the voluntary exile.
His relatives after waiting 20 years for
him to return applied to tribunal and
had Freyder declared legally dead. Then
they took possession of his property.
In spite of the legally dead mans
vehement protest, Freyder has been told
by the courts that he must remain dead
judicially until the tribunal which
1.-THE next time l leave home" said
Freyder. III send back an occasional
postcard"
Movies Supplant Opera
Moving pictures have taken the Paris
opera by storm. They proved the best
drawing card during the past week, leav-
ing far behind the attendance figures
at the Grand Opera performances. lie
Mirack DIES Loups," the first film shown
in the opera house, in spite of deter
mined opposition by musicians, who con-
sidered such a show dissertation OF
the home of music, drew at the matinee
1915 francs while the evening per-
Torrance receipts totaled "A, IA francs.
which generally is a poor day for grand
opera. Faust which was played
Sunday evening of the same week drew
35,750 francs and Aida" on Saturday
evening took in 30,S34 francs.
Could Outfly StOrk
The mental picture of the stork on
the way to pay visit to his home
caused Adjutant Bonnet, an aviator, to
travel faster than any bird or man and
shatter the worlds speed record.
Bonnet for months had been engaged
in eliminating from his monoplane the
air resistance an dother spread imped-
iments and in tuning up his 450-horse-
power motors at the Bias Istres airdome
The adjutant, already father of two
addition to the family the latter part
of this month. On the evening of We'd
nesday, December 10, he received a tele-
gram from his wife at Thionville, say
ing the stork was lowering about and
might land any minute. Bonnet went to
the aviation field the following morning
and surprised the officials, officers and
mechanics by saying he would make his
flight Immediately.
Taking off at 10 o'clock, in perfect
flying weather, Adjutant Bonnet
smashed the worlds record of 429.025
kilometres (266.6S miles) an hour, form
erly held by Lieutenant A. J. Williams.
of the United States navy, setting the
new mark at an average of 44S.170 kilo-
metres (about 278 miles) an hour,
metre course.
Hat Bonnet headed northeast, instead
of keeping to the measured course, he
! wolflr have been with his wife in less
than two hours. Instead, the fastest
man in the world took a train home
ward that evening and the journey ne
cessitated twenty hours.
"When They Die"
Good Americans go to Paris when
they die" is the saying here. To their
infinite numbers must be added 3S,G23
living citizens of the United States now
in Paris They are presumably good
since they have satisfied the Partisan
police Of their desirability as residents
and have earned a place in the census
returns.
The Italians, it would seem, prefer
earning a good living now in preference
to enjoying Paris in future incarna-
ton, since there are no less than 49,
574 of them registered with the police.
Most of these sons Of Italy are employed
in the building trades in and around
Paris.
The Britans come next with 96,457.
The Russians total 5000 and the Swiss
53.571. The total number of foreign
ers registered as residents of Paris
and its suburbs amounts to 620.S60. of
population of four and one-half mill
lions.
Coincident with publication of the fig
ures of the foreign population in Paris,
composed mostly of working men, are
the first signs of unemployment in
France since 1914 The labor minis
try gives the official figures of I'M
employment as three to four per cent,
noticeable especially in the automobile,