OUR CONTINENTAL LETTER

Evening Star, Issue 14512, 2 November 1910, Page 4

OUR CONTINENTAL LETTER

—How Rochetto Was Ruined.— The Parliamentary Commission appointed to examine into the circumetancec which preceded, accompanied, and followed the arrest of M. Eochette, the banker, held a sitting yesterday. The first witness hoard was M. Quantme, banker, v/ho acted as M. Rochetto6 buyer and seller on the Bourse. On the day of M. Rochette’s arrest (March 23) the “bears" throw 3,000,000 francs’ worth of Rochotte shares on tho market. line, M. Nuantin declared, could have only been due to the fact that the news of the impending arrest of that financier had already -transpired in certain circles. MQuantin’s mission was to resist the “ bear movement. As security for his operation? there was a deposit at tho Bauque do Franco. On March 23, the day of M. Eochette’s arrest, M. Berr, tho examining magistrate entrusted with tho investigation of the charges against the financier, sent to the Banque do France ordering the chief cashier to close the account. M. Quantin was therefore helpless to prevent the collapse of the Rochetto shares. If this order had not been sent by M. Berr, the “boars,” who had been given the hint that M. Rochetto was to be arrested, wonl-u have fallen into their own trap. This order of M. Berr, M. Quantin declared, was completely exceptional. M. Quantin further stated that one of tho principal firms “ bearing ” the Rochetto stocks was Messrs Rivaud, Kinkelin, and Co., who were known to have relations with the I rcfecturo of Police. When that firm in. 1907 asked to bo allowed to be admitted to the Chamber of “ Outside Brokers,” the name of M. Yves Durand, chief of tho Cabinet of M. Lupine (Prefect of Police), was quoted as ono of the sleeping partners of the firm. M. Quantin and his son-in-law put forward certain objections to their admission, but the president (M. Gaston Dreyfus) declared : “ Don’t oppose their admission; they bring us their relations with tho Prefecture of Police.’’ _ln the course of the silting the Commission confronted MM. Pichereau, Gaudrion, and Yves Durand, and took their evidence, mostly contradictory, regarding the first charge against M. Rochettc. —Army Officers Make Aerial Raids. While civilian aviators, encouraged by the cheers of hundreds of thousands of people, were marking «i new date in the history of aviation, half a dozen officeis of the French Army, whose names have been practically hitherto unknown, accomplished feats which may be justly styled tho greatest since a heavier-than-air machine first left the earth at the will of man. The plans were made with as lutlc noise as usually surrounds military affairs. In consequence, the magnitude of the feat is tho more difficult to appreciate. No fewer than three aeroplanes, carrying hve officers, flew by order to Nancy, -all arriving there without any mishap. the pilots wore Lieutenant Cammermann, with Lieutenant ViUerme as observer, Lientenant de Quart, with Captain Mary, and tho third Lieutenant Caumont. All the officers made maps and took other military observations on the route. Tn speaking of the flight, Colonel Estierme, who commands the aeronautic corps, said; « did not order the officers to follow the competitors in the great aerial race, ihey were scattered from Mourmelon to VHJacoublay and Caen. We told them to fly from their different stations to Nancy, making proper observations on the route. They have obeyed orders.”

—The German Navy as An Ally.— In the technical paper ‘ La Vie Maritime,’ a very serious, well-informed, and recognised journal in maritime matters, a high French naval officer discusses the question whether England would not do better to look for her maritime ally in tho German rather than in the French Navy. Tho officer comes to the following interesting conclusion; An alliance of England with Franco certainly has the advantage of forming a balancing weight against the German Army, and as a protecting factor for English interests in the Mediterranean. Hus is the popular solution of the question, harmonising with traditional English politics. But leading circles of the Liberals are of opinion that Prudence commands an al ianco with the powerf il and not with tho weak; therefore these circles sec in Germany, and not in Franco, tho most suitable ally. As a matter of fact, EnglishGerman relations are the best at present, and they will become still better the stronger the German Navy grows. A growing Power creates envy, a fullydeveloped one friendship. This way of viewing the situation is even finding gradually adherents among English Conservatives. who, till now, have been France’s best friends, but who are beginning to feed now that the right moment has been mused to destroy the. great rival in the North Sea. These same conservative politicians begin to consider that there _ can bo no reliance on a Power which is so badly governed by intriguing parliamentary and egoistic official administrations, who only look after their own personal advantages, but not after tho public good, as this is unhappily the case in Prance.” The tendency of* this article may be influenced by the wish to make propaganda for an increase of the French Navy, but this will not alter tho fact that the conclusions drawn by the writer are well-founded, and deserving of tho interest which they have created on the Continent. —Education in tho French Army.— Nobody will deny that New Zealand and the Commonwealth of Australia are two of the most democratic-governed countries of the civilised world. Yet, as far as education of the broad masses is concerned, these young countries certainly take their rank among the first nations of the entire world. Now, how is it that Franco, which boasts so much about her democratic government, cuts off so badjy if one examines the number of her people who have received little or no education whatever? How is it that French analphabets—people who cannot write nor read—aro annually found in such large numbers? Considering tho great attention which New Zealand’s public men and leaders of the people bestow on the education of the masses of the young Dominion, and the high standard achieved in this respect, ot which New 'Zealanders can justly bo proud, it will be interesting to note that in France, one of the oldest civilised countries of the Old World, ‘this standard of tho people’s education is sadly behind that of Now Zealand. Statistics is a useful science, only it has the disadvantage that experienced and conscientious statists are re quired, and that these are not always in accord One should think that the exact number of analphabets in the French Army could surely and minutely bo ascertained by the annual investigations. This, however, is not the case, for tho statistic reports of the French Ministry of the Interior and those of the Ministry of War, both quite official documents, quote in this respect vastly different figures for the year 19M. While the Ministry of the Interior counted 9,529 analphabets among the re-.

cruits serving their term of conscription last year, thus indicating a percentage of 3.02 and a decrease of 0.07 as compared with the preceding year, tho statistics of the Ministry of War .admit of 14,225 analphabets for tho same period, a percentage of 6j and therefore a small increase against 1908. One can choose now whom to believe. The Paris papers, as far as they are not blind supporters of the RadicalSocialist regime, declare unhesitatingly for the figures of the Ministry of War, although those are far more ashamhig for Franco than those of tho Ministry of tho Interior. The Ministry of Education, the most competent body to give correct information, declines to make any statement. How is this groat difference between these official figures possible? The answer is simple: it is the way tho investigations are carried on. The Prefects, these “ girls for everything ” of the Ministry of the Interior; who are also charged to ascertain tho standard of education attained by tho male population liable to conscription, naturally apply to the sub-prefects for information, and those in- turn address themselves to tho mayors. These latter officials depend, especially in rural districts, on the school teachers, taxcollectors, and other subordinate officials. By these the young men who have attained their twentieth year are asked what they have learned, whereupon tho men can answer what they like. Sometimes, but not very often, they are made to write their names, and those who are capable of doing this, even if with great difficulty, are counted as “educated.” Quite different is the method adopted by "tho military authorities. At most regiments it is the custom to examine carefully the newlyentered recruits in regard to their knowledge of writing, reading, and simple arithmetic. Writing a name does not suffice; a few lines must be written after dictation, and a few lines read. Whoever cannot do that is cloa-cd as an analphabet, and put into the regimental school for further education. Frenchmen who are lionest, good patriots demand now that tho regimental examination bo made obligatory, and bo strictly enforced. Nothing is more justified than these demands; lor, according to tho open confession of many leading French papers, tho steadily increasing negligence in the education of tho masses is a clear proof of the decadence of the French nation. Tho Social-Democratic Government, who so often point to their progressive tendencies and to Hto results achieved in moral and educational matters, have, if a minute and critical examination be made, to show* nothing but reverses. All over tho country tho Government have suppressed the clerical schools, without replacing them by secular equivalents. Their humanitarian tendencies have undermined discipline in the army; an incredible lax interpretation of the Criminal Code has resulted in Paris being infested with countless numbers of criminals; tho army of “ apaches ” is growing by leaps and bounds; stabbing, robbery, murders are now daily occurrences. The spirit of obstruction, of defiance against the laws of tbc country, has entered tho masses; while the number of deserters from tho color;; and of those liable to conscription is increasing annually (tho n uni Iter of “ uisoumis”—viz., thceo who evaded ®their teim of conscription—amounted to 17,000 in 1909). 'The above lines arc not my own critical comments, but rather the echo of the clamors and complaints of tho far-seeing French Press and of all wellmeaning French patriots. Paris, September 12.