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28
ISSUES AND EVENTS
Facts and News that Should Not Fade
Some Interesting Tit Bits of Information.
PAUL POIRET LEADS BIG
DRIVE AGAINST FIFTH
AVENUE.
Paris.-Paul Poiret has just issued
a long document, signed “Le Syndicat
de Defense de la Granoe Couture
Francaise,” which. he design?!“ 35
the new organization’s “DVD”-5510“ Of
faith,” Without alluding to the war,
which is the real reason for reducmg
the couture market to a minimum. thc
profession of faith proceeds in amaz-
ing fashion to blame all of its troubles
on America. . ,
The document, if it represents the
syndicate's future Program; “"11
doubtless go far to antagonize the
only market left it on account of the
war. It says: . ,
“Our situation is intolerable owing
to the procedure of certain clients. We
feel sick, but that doesn't mean we
should allow ourselves to perish. On
the contrary, we. will submit ourselves
to a severe regime whereof we have
applied first treatment. We will take
the most radical measures to attack
the evil at its root.”. . .
Then follows, a diatribe against the
attitude and methods of certain buyers
and the insertion of the phrase,
“When they go back to New York."
shows the attack is directed solely
against Americans. The syndicate
makes no distinctions. All classes of
American buyers are overwhelmed
with universal condemnation. Big
stores and specialty houses who.buy
lavishly are accused of “vulgarizing
our models” because they hold exhi-
bitions or issue free large editions of
albums of models. .
Fifth avenue couturiers who sell
Paris models direct are charged.with
“setting themselves up to .dlCt2.lt8
fashions to us,” or with stealing in-
dividual clients who would have
crossed the Atlantic to buy-irrespec-
tive of submarines-or with beating
down prices or getting models of
copies illicitly in “dens where spy
tailors smoke their German pipes."
Even commissionnaires establishedin
Paris-who act as bankers, brokers.
packers and shippers for buyers and
who accompany and advise visiting
buyers or act as purchasing agents for
buyers at a distance--are not exempt
from criticism.
The syndicate asserts: First, they
omit to warn us against houses that
copy our models abroad; second, they
haggle and cheapen prices; third, they
make notes of our models, even steal-
ing buttons or fragments of material
in order to have them copied in small
houses to which they introduce clients
with the statement, “Don’t buy that
gown for 800 francs. I will take you
-where you can get it at half price;"
fourth, for a similar purpose they
“invite our premieres to lunch and do
not hesitate to debauch our workers.”
if I it
LORD REDESDALE ON KING
LEOPOLD.
In his very interesting “Memories."
which have been just published in
England, Lord Redesdale makes the
following telling comment on the late
King’s political attitude. The conclu-
sions which History will draw will
however be opposite to His Lordship's
judgment:
“It was a fortunate thing for the
world that he died when. he did.
Had he lived till now, Belgium would
hardly have played the heroic part
which she did in August and Sep-
tember, 1914. It is whispered-in-
deed, it is an open secret-that docu-
mentary evidence exists to show that
King Leopold was deeply engaged to
Germany, and that he was prepared,
not without reward, to allow Ger-
many to invade France through
Belgium. ‘ “ ‘
Happily, at the critical moment of
her direst need, Belgium has been
blessed with direct need, Belgium
has been blessed with a King worthy
of her own heroism, a King indeed of
the Belgians, primus inter pares."
There is no doubt that Belgium
would prefer to have been “blessed"
with King Leopold at the “moment of
her direst need." She would have es-
caped the ravages of war just as hap-
pily as Greece has.
it 4 :
GOOD NIGHT, COTTON!
BREMEN, Germany, Dec. 29.-Ger-
many’s experiments with substitutes
for cotton in the manufacture of ex-
plosives have been so successful, it
was announced here today, that for
eight months no cotton has been used
for this purpose. This statement was
made by the President of the Bremen
Chamber of Commerce, in an address
to a convention of merchants of this
city. After referring to the ‘designa-
tion of cotton as contraband by Great
Britain, he said:
“I have had the opportunity to es-
tablish ofhcially that for eight months
not a kilogram of cotton has been used
for making powder. Thanks to the
work of German science and industry,
we have succeeded in winning from the
immeasurable supply of German for-
ests a new cellular material which is
cheaper and better suited for powder
making than cotton. Even after the
war German ammunition factories will
not buy another bale of cotton from
America.
“The second important ingredient-
saltpetre-of the entire Chilean output
of which we formerly took two-thirds,
-is now manufactured exclusively in
Germany from the air. Our factories
already are so advanced that in the
coming Spring they will be able to
cover. the entire requirements for nitro-
gen, including the amount used in ag-
riculture. and if the war lasts longer
they will even be able to export this
product."
The speaker also asserted that cam-
phor, which for seven years has been
produced synthetically from American
Ulfpemlfle. yvas now obtained more
cheaply and in better quality by chemi-
cal means from turpentine. Even after
the war, he said, there would be no
more importation of camphor from
Japan or turpentine from America.
an it an
“IF ENGLAND SHOULD BE
BEATEN.........”
“If-England should be‘beaten. and
that .15 not impossible, although the
English sing themselves to sleep with
a‘ song to the effect that it IS impos-
sible, Lloyd George might bc more
than Prime Minister.
g“The French went into their fight
With. Germany in 1870 with an Emperor
leading them.
“They were beaten-NO MORE
EMPEROR.
“If the English lose, they may de-
cide that they want a different ‘system
and that Lloyd George is the man to
give it to them. '
“A King, however gentle and estim-
able, who talks about ‘My army’ and
‘My iieet,’ goes to the front for a few
minutes, falls oil’ his horse, and then
falls off the water wagon, will not ap-
peal very strongly to the British, if
they are beaten.
“Of course, the British will not be
beaten permanently. Russians. French,
Germans will not be beaten perma-
nently.
“No RACE is ever permanently beat-
en. One race gannot swallow another
just as one horse cannot swallow an-
other-the thing isn't possible."
-New York Journal.
e 4 t
CAPT. KARL BOY-ED'S FARE-
WELL STATEMENT.
“Before this terrihc war broke out I
had the great fortune of having served
almost two and a half years for my
Emperor as naval attache to the Ger-
man embassy at VVashington. Those
years gbelong not only to the most in-
teresting, but also to the most pleas-
ant, in my life. I am particularly
thankful for the rare comradeship of
the American navy that I have been
permitted to enjoy, due to the kindness
of its gallant and amiable ollicers.
“The. great and cordial hospitality
which is so proverbial for Americans,
and which was extended also to me
from the very first day of my arrival in
the United States, I can never forget.
‘Of course I refrain at the hour of
my departure from again refuting all
the stories which were told about me
in the American papers, and which
mostly-.-like the silly Huerta tale--
were invented by the ‘Providence
Journal.’
“This paper, with its British-born
Mr. Rathom, has done its utmost to
create. an almost hysterical suspicion
of spies throughout the country, in
order to prejudice public opinion
against Germany.
“ e Gennans do not understand
What You call ‘free press.’ Our laws al-
low the fullest personal liberty consist-
ent with the welfare of the state. But
we do.not permit the diplomatic repre-
sentatives of friendly governments to
be insulted ad libitum or our Govern-
ment to be embarrassed in its dealings
with other nations, nor men's reputa-
tions to be wantonly sacrificed by the
wild and reckless utterances of an irre-
sponsible press like the Providence
journal. And I venture to predict that,
in sheer self-defense, you will be forced
to take like measures, notwithstanding
thg datlgefolls power of your press.
While our enemies have been and
are being supplied from this country
with all the forms of death-dealing mu-
nitions of war, without which they
would have long since been overcome,
I have been denounced, from one end
05 the COUNTY to the other. for having
been concerned at the outset of the war
in ',CIl2lI'tC!'lX1g ships to supply our
cruisers. at sea with coal and food, as
though it were a crime instead of being,
as it is, and has been considered by
your court to he, a strictly lawful act.
The ships that brought coal, provisions