Evening star., 1924-08-19
PARIS OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Great Britain. not the United States.
is Frances pet aversion. The French
today probably dislike the British
more than they dislike the Germans.
1t Is mainly because Of the encour-
agement the Germans have received
from the British (according to the
French) that Berlin has defied Europe
during the past five years. Ask the
average Frenchman what he most
would like America to do for France
and his answer is likely to be: use
your influence with your Anglo-Saxon
brother In London to quit protecting
Germany against the just demands of
France" The mistrust Of Britain and
British policy is profound. The peo-
pie are convinced that Albion Is once
again perfidious. France fought Brit
ain seven times in the course Of 900
years, and In the present-hour French
mood another war would not be pop
ular. The French are keeping a
weather eye on Premier Ramsay Mac
Donald's flirtations with America.
They strongly suspect he yearns to
fasten an English-speaking "hegem-
ony" over Europe and the world.
Nothing British has exasperated the
French more in recent times than
the holding OF the royal naval re-
view at Spithead in July. 1t was
excoriated in the Partisan press as
brutal Haunting OF Britannia's sea-
power in the face of Europe and as
classic example of British "hypoc-
risy" at moment when John Bulls
government is protesting it's anxiety
for European peace. The French
exclaimed: What would the British
have said if we had chosen such q
moment for an imposing review Of
the French army-the strongest in
Europe:" The episode refiefcts the
'touchy" state of relations between
the two great allies of the World
War and turns the searchlight on
the explosive atmosphere everywhere
prevalent in Europe today-only five
years after Versailles William Nor
ton Fullerton, distinguished American
political writer long resident in Paris.
says Europe is now nothing but an
agglomeration Of zones of friction"
M
Secretary Hughes lived in Paris
under the shadow of Napoleon's
tomb. Ambassador Herrick's sump-
tuous private residence in the In
valides quarter is less than q square
away from the imposing resting plac ce
of the little Corsican. 1t was a keen
disappointment to Mr.. Herrick that
he was not able to entertain Mr.. and
Mrs. Hughes in the newly acquired
American embassy in the Avenue
dIena
Although purchased by the Gov
ernment more than a year ago, re-
Mobilization plans have not yet been
carried out. When put in shape, the
United States embassy will be one Of
the finest in the world. Mr.. Herrick
made an amazingly aStute real estate
deal when he bought the palace of
the late President Grevy for $1s6.0OO
"a property that cost originally ST.
100000 to build. The transaction was
consummated in the days Of the franc
slump and it netted Uncle Sam a
handsome profit.
This Is the season when Paris is
crammed with buyers of women's
Winter finery. They come here for
the purpose from all parts of the
world. notably North and South
America. From the United States it
is no longer only buyers .from New
York and two or three other big
cities who purchase models" in
Paris. Main street. East and West,
North and South, nowadays sends its
own representatives here to order
direct from Paquin, Worth, Georgette.
Vionnet. Lelong. Drecoll, Liberty and
tHe otneE IameQ OreSS Kings OF
France. Robert Forrest Wilson, a
young author domiciled in Paris, is
at work on a novel which deals with
the life of the mannequin and the
midinette. He aspires to immortalize
the dressmaking life of Paris as
Du Maurier in "Trilby" depicted the
Latin Quarter and its artist colony.
Wilson says the world at large has
little conception of the immensity, to
~
French garment trade. Women's
raiment has become the country's
second most important Industry. out
ranked only by steel and iron, and is
far ahead of the motor trade. In
Paris alone there are no fewer than
$4,000 dressmaking establishments.
They have their own chamber of
commerce, to which only the elite
firms-some 200-are admitted. The
Ho