Evening star., 1943-03-05
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star Staff Correspondent.

Star Staff Correspondent
LONDON Thy maiD.-If French
men think they are badly off under
the benevolent German administra-
ton let them think of the dire
plight of the wage slaves OF the
United States.
They are scared out of their
wits" For example, it has been
said there are $500 vacant Offices
in the Chrysler Building because
Americans are so scared of bombs
they refuse to rent above the goth
floor"
The merchants arc in a terrible
mess" Every store has received
catalogue of things to be con-
served previously. 1t is a veritable
encyclopedia of groceries and house
hold articles.
"All Due to Nelson
The people even save the caps on
beer bottles. Women must go with
out hairpins because somebody has
calculated that $4,000 bombs can
be made from ton of them" All
this is supposed to be due to a man
named Donald Nelson, who appro-
priately came from the same town
as Mark Twain, the humorist
Grocers, it is claimed further, no
longer sell food in tin cans. Instead
they open the cans and pour out
the fruit or vegetables into con-
tainers brought by the customer.
This is beyond the endurance OF
the American housewife who long
since has forgotten how to cook.
President Roosevelt has just fin
ished anotating the Bible and has
several thousand texts which can
be applied to Americas war effort.
Thus the Paris weekly, La Sc
maine, pictures America in a sar-
castle article.
But life in Paris is better, even
If somewhat dull these winter days,
the journal declares in the latest
issue received here The artists
colony has disappeared. The
pigeons have gone from the Tuil-
leries and the Luxembourg gardens.
The swans have left the lakes In the
Bois de Boulogne. But the marriage
rate has gone up about 80 per cent
since the German occupation.
I'VE may say that kissing and
love-making are at their tops" La
Semaine says. Marriage is easier
There are few bachelors. But di-
vorce is more complicated. A mar
riage must last seven years. A cou-
pie can meet in the subway on the
3lst of December and be man and
wife on the second of January, but
only on January 2, 1850, can they
apply for separation"
Much of the increase in the mar
riage rate, the journal believes, is
due 10 special inducements in ra-
tion cards and to a revolutionary
change in the traditional French
custom
Dowries Forgotten.
Men no longer seek girls with
doWrles,' 1t says. Instead they look
for those who have saved clothes
points on their ration tickets. The
State assures young couple of suf-
flcient points for bedclothing-
a comforter, mattress for one bed,
three sheets, two face towels, two
/ tablecloths and six napkins. The
husband also can purchase six yards
OF furniture covering. But If the
bride desires a wedding veil some
OF these points must be given up,
| unless she has saved enough of
them before"
/ For a honeymoon trip. the paper
says, 1t is necessary to take ride
on the metro. although a good
many couples go to the immediate
suburbs where they are married by
rural priests and then return to
their new homes.
/ A fourishing business is being
! done, the journal says, by marriage
brokers. chief of whom is a certain
| Nine. de Maintenon who advertises
I extensively for girls with clothing
points" to register with her. Now,
she says in an interview, life is
, so dull that men want any COM
panion, not girl with money.
Madame herself is an old maid,
Lid ceHldHIe IepOitel lOuHQ.
Meter "Dethroned"
Much is made by the Pariser lei
! tung, German weekly issued in
French, of the "dethronement of the
meter"
The international standard meter
is an iridium bar kept in Paris.
There experts from all over the
world, including the Bureau of
Standards in Washington, used to 60
on irregular occasions to check up
on their own standard measures.
The Paris bar was known to be &C
curate within two ten-thousandths
Of an inch.
But, the Zeitung points out quite
rightly, the bar was subject to min
ute changes with temperature and
possibly with chemical changes in
its environment. Now Prof Rosters.
chief of the section of weights and
I e,,roe ~ tLo Dl,uei,~