OUR PARIS LETTER

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 108, 9 May 1930, Page 3

OUR PARIS LETTER

ARTISTIC STAMPS

NEW ISSUE IN FRANCE

(From "The Post's" Representative.) PARIS, 3rd March.

If that good lady, "La Semeuse,?' who for many years has done duty for the design on French postage stamps, is at all susceptible to jealousy, she must at- the present moment bo having a. rather unpleasant time. For Ehe is increasingly being asked to yield her place to more—in gallantry, we will not say more attractive —-but; at any rate, mode modern design's. Pasteur and Jeanne d'Arc are among famous folk who have displaced her, and now French scenic subjects are taking her honoured place.

Just recently, the.2o.-franc stamp-has been decorated with a charming little picture of the famous Pont dv Gard, in the Gard Department. Following came the.print of another famous bridge, the Pont de la Koehelle, on the 10-frano stamp. Latest of all, is a pretty vignette of Mont Saint Michel which decorates the 5-frane stamp. In course of time French postage stamps will giv& us quite a little picture gallery of "the landscape and architectural beauty of Ffance. "La Semeuse," one fears, must now be definitely regarded as, a peni sioner. ; . • .- ;' . '"" "" - ■■. i'\\'",\\ FRENCHWOMEN AND SPORtI Mme. Violette Morris's claim.for damages against the French Women's Sport Federation on the ground tliat'she" was expelled'from that body because she wore trousers reveals the existence of a feminine athletic movement in the Paris district of .which* .-not.'.much is heard. Quite, a. large number ;of French girls are not in fact playing-football, hockey, basketball, and running in, cross-country, races every Sunday outside the city limits. "Like the athletes of the opposite sex, they are prone to engage in Championship _ competitions, 'a disposition which does iiot meet with a general approval, as it is thought to involve too much physical strain. As regards football and cross-country,, racing, it must not be imagined, however, that the women participate under the same conditions as the men. They play shorter periods at football,. and a cross-country race rarely exceeds a couple of miles. Of all forms of sports in which they take part, Frenchwomen, have shown themselves most proficient at, lawn tennis and swimming. DOCTORS AND ' 'DICHOTOMY." It is not ■ often that one hears of ■ disputes among the medical professiba in France. At'the moment, however, we have the doctors at variance over the operation they call " dichotomy. " The operation in this case is not one that is performed with the scalpel. It is a purely financial operation. Between the general practitioner and , the specialist there is, it seems, a very; prevalent practice in which the practitioner. claims a very high percentage— sometimes 50 .per cent. —of the fee of ■•. the surgeon or specialist he engages. ~■ A, number of specialists and surgeons are now protesting against this operation of " dichotomy," a term.; which, . ; of ••■■• course, merely "means cutting in two. - The system, say the specialists, makes for the corruption of the practitioner, who may be influenced in his diagnosis by the fact that an operation will bring him a big commission, while again he may choose* not the best, sur- . geon, but the one who will give hiia ■' the best percentage of his fee. Anyhow, an-"anti-dichotomy league 3' has been formed with . Dr. Anselma Schwartz and Dr. E. Kist at its head, and the first meeting was held the other evening at the Faeulte de Medeeine. WITH REFERENCE TO CATS. Cats were, surely, ■ never so popular in Paris at at the present time. The reflection is prompted by the big show , of nearly 2000 of the feline tribe which, after drawing, crowds of folk for two days to" the Salle Wagram, closed yesterday. The show, Vhieh is a recent institution, had never been such a big one. The majority of the visitors were, of course, women, though a goodly number of men" was to be seen.- But women, it would seem, were never such cat enthusiasts as to-day. It is not a matter of merely "keeping a ea,t," women today keep cats. And they came to the show obviously with an idea of adding to the ■ collection. One overheard a bcautifully;dresscd woman telling a fancier that the Persian she bought last year had grown into "the loveliest darling,"-and now she thought she would like something in the , Siamese variety. Then, of course, the inspection began. In some elegant Paris flats there must indeed be veritable kennels of cats. " ■ • ■ ■■-_•- ■•-; '■■■ As an enhancement of a luxurious interior lib other animal, of course, can, touch a big sleek cat. It can be langorous, lazy, voluptuous in its enjoyment of ease without exciting in anyone the desire to kick it. In this it'rises superior to the pampered pet dog. - THE SECOND MME. MARTINE. Since the death, a few weeks ago, of the white Polar bear at the Jardin dea Plantes, her mate has been very lonely. Known 'as. Monsieur Martine and Madame Martine,'they were a united couple, but the Zoo authorities apparently decided that M. Martine should : not remain long inconsolable. They have found a new companion for him, a superb female specimen, aged 16. The two were introduced with some ceremony the other day, but whether it is because he has resolved_ to remain, faithful to the memory of his deceased mate or that he is convinced that a single state is the better one, Mr. Martine showed no kindness of disposition, towards the second-Mme. Martine: Indeed, as soon as. he met her he began, to growl and then he attacked her witn. such, violence that keepers had to intervene, armed with spikes. ,_ . Such ungallant behaviour was quite unexpected. Efforts to mollify M. Martino were made by giving him choice food. This he ate, but appeared more disposed than ever afterwards to resent the intrusion of the newcomer into his life. He is still sulking. The sec- ;< , ond Mme. Martine is treating him- wifu•■_, ph'ilsophical indifference, probably; shrewdly suspecting that he will soon- < er or later reveal a change of heart. FINDING NOT KEEPING. Georges Berneau thought himself a • lucky youth when, passing down the Eve Saint Lazare some little time back, ■ he spied in a dust box an envelope jn. which, on opening, he found Iu.U'JJ, francs (£160) in notes. On the envelope were printed the words "Gazette dv Franc," a fact which might,,had he read the newspapers, led him at least to won(J,*r if he was as lucky •as he thought himself. ■■•■.. Anyhow, highly elated, he went nomo_ and from his new wealth bought himself a bicycle. Generous in good fortune, he bought another bicycle for a friend, and then, hardly knowing what.: else to do with so much money, gave' ' 10,000 francs to his] father. But M. Bereau had a measure of prudence. He returned a part of the money to the syndicate managing the affairs of the .. ill-starred "Gazette dv Franc," but' this did not save him from being called, with the frightened Georges and his friend, 3>ef ore the tribunal at Versailles., on a charge of stealing by finding. M. Bereau was sentenced to four months* imprisc/iment with the benefit of the First Offenders? Act.;.. The boys wer« acquitted- .