DUEL SURVIVES IN FRANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue LXI, 24 May 1930, Page 16

DUEL SURVIVES IN FRANCE.

Before the war a duel was so common an occurrence in Paris that newspapers, devoted a daily column to th e paitieipants and'details of the affairs of honour that had been settled within* tho current 24 hours. It was called la rubnque au duel." The vogue of the duel beo-an with the Dreyfus case. Duiin e the period 1910-1914 Paris was fighting a dozen duels a clay. .A duel was fought for a yes or a no, for a mere nothing. A little difference in opinion on political matters or on a picture or a piece of music and men felt called upon to have a stab at one another. The War, that "reat international duel, brought an end to the little ones. The "rubrique disappeared and has never reappeared. Yet. this does not signify that the duel is absolutely unknown. One famous referee declared recently that his scivices had been required at no less than - 36 affairs of honour-in the course of last year; that is an average of three a month. There are at least a dozen famo.us duel referees in Paris still. And what are the usual causes of the duels you presided over? he was asked. "Ah," he replied, "they arc of a nature too discreet to bo divulged." No newspaper gives publicity to a duel nowadays; hence the little that is heard of them.