Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, January 16, 1922, Page 2, Image 2

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TITE MORNING OKECONIAN, MONDAY, .TAXTAftY 1G, 1922
CALUMNY UPSETS
ALL FRENCH CITY
Anonymous Letters Sent to
Various Officials.
WIVES' CONDUCT SCORED
Venerable Old Prefect Loses Mind
After Attack Is Made Upon
His Character.
f BY NORMAN H. MATSON.
iC&Dirlsrht. 1122. bv The Orejronian )
UWe li a D Maup&isaant story of mod
ern Franc. Here is th tory of a city of
tne JOth century torn and ruined and eet
Klnt itself by the soaring flane of
tnonymouo scandal. Every maw is poi
soned against bin neighbor; evry husband
gainut his wife; no noma nas urn
pared; no scandal too mean to attach to
toe fairest names. The people of France
feuve been unable to solve the Cranio ana
nmin&I riddle.)
PARIS, Jan. 15. (Special Cable.)
France, in the seventh heaven of de
light Over a new crisis the French
imply muat have a crisis every now
and then or life would not be worth
the living is nevertheless stirred to
the core over the strange death of
the recorder of the ancient town of
Tulle In central France.
The ministerial crisis, the downfall
of Briand. and the ascendancy of the
"fighting- spirit," Is discussed In the
cafea and in the government office,
but in the homes of Paris and all of
France, you hear today little but
talk of the Tulle recorder, who died
in the insane asylum crying: ,
"Don't arrest me; don't arrest me!'
At thu funeral yesterday the vener
able old prefect made a discourse in
which he said
"M. Glbert was murdered by the
most hateful weapon there Is, by a
weapon that strikes in the back
tinder cover of darkness all of us
who come here to grieve come with
hearts disturbed by wrath for that
nameless one who for three years
has sown lies, calumny, hate and now
death. In our city."
Corrupter la Clever.
"Who Is the man who corrupted
Tulle? That best detectrves of
Paris appealed to when the local
of f trials failed to uncover a single
clew are trying hard to find out.
Hut his depredations reveal htm a
man an bitter, as persevering In his
terrible vengeance, and as a good
psychologist tj that Mark Twain
character who corrupted Hadleyburg.
A nd apparent Vy he hales the entire
community with a hatred as inclusive.
Three years ago Tulle was rather
proud of the fart that there seemed
to be less scandal In It than in most
other provincial towns.
Hadleyburg. it will be remembered,
was proud of lis "commercial hon
esty." In the story a man felt that
th stingy, virtuous town had done
him an Injury, and he sought to
avenge himself upon the, whole com
munity. To do that he arranged a
diabolically clever anonymous scheme
to unmask the leading citizens as
weak characters, capable of dishon
esty and cowardice tor the sake of
fold.
In the Tulle actuality some un
known man or woman constructed
and put Into effect a plot that has al
ready proved leading citizens have
secrets of whirh they are fearful and
that the majority of the community
barken to scandal and pans It on.
i Hate Darkens Kac.
The town Is continually in a
at range, tense state of irritation ;
hate darkens the face of those, who
were once friends; people do not
apeak to each other upon the street.
Kvery one- suspects that his neighbor
Is hiding an ugly skeleton, or far
worse la the unknown plotter.
Nor Is the climax yet In sight.
It began three years ago. Several
citizens, noted for their patriotism
and their probity, received anonymous
letters. They were pleasantly word
ed, interesting letters on a diversity
f subjects, but each contained a
barb. One said that Madame X had
been seen in a compromising situ
ation with M. Y.; another that M. Y.
while carrying on with Madame X,
was paying attention to Madame Z,
ate.
If these letters sowed any ugly
Suspicion In the minds of their re
cipients they did not show it. More
letters were received, and disregard
ed. Apparently more than 20 people,
all prominent, received anonymous
letters in the following months. Then
the tactics of the unknown one
changed a little and for weeks he
concentrated his poison upon certain
municipal officials, including police
officials.
WlvM Are Accused.
Th petty, daily graft of these, he
aid, could not be compared with
their contemptibie complaisance or
s-tuptd blindness as to the conduct of
their wives. For the first timg then
there appeared an indication that this
plot was to succeed. In his charges
o-gainst the officials there were In
cluded certain established facts. The
letters became a shrewd mixture of
fact, convincing versimllitude and
horrid scandal. People began to won
der: "Can they be all truer The libelled
ofPlr-ials formally demanded a more
vigirous effort to apprehend the cul
prit. The letters were studied by experts.
They revealed nothing. All were
written in the same stilted, appar
ently masculine hand; they bore vari
ous cancellation stamps those of
Tulle and of nearby towns. They did
not always come in the malls. They
were occasionally found upon the
street, and in at least two instances
In the confessional boxes of the
Twelfth Century cathedral.
Political Plot Ckarared.
While the search was proceeding
anonymous let ters were received by
two divisional police chiefs, letters so
composed that they set both officials
ttt loggerheads. They purported not
to come from the writer of all the
o t hers, but from still anot her "d la
in ores ted person" and they intimated
to each chief that the other was
really the prolific letter writer, en
gaged In a plot for political advance
ment. The people of Tulle by now
we-re irritated with constant discus
sion of scandal. They were ready to
suspect anyone. They were ready to
suspect the officials. Paris detec
tives were called In. They did little
tout clear the two officials.
Suspicion was then directed against
M. Cribert. A hundred Indications
contained In the letters were by now
-interpreted to mean that some offi
cial was the guilty one. M. Gibert
one day received a letter saying that
If he would look he would find iui in
criminating letter In Ms wife's purse.
The next day he heard the whisper
of the rumor that he was suspected
of being the anonymous letter write.
Victim Becomes Insane.
He was an old man. One day he
feegan to mumble:
I'm not guilty, Pm not guilty.
Don't arrest me."
The phrases he said over and over
again. Four days after arriving in
the asylum he died.
M. Martin, the chief of police, says:
"I dare not go before the magis
trate without absolute proof. The
people are so exasperated, so sus
picious, that if I admitted the slight
est suspicion of some one It would be
as good as a condemnation.
"Many homes have become com
pletely broken up already by the
poisoned letters; and I fear there will
be new tragedies before the mystery
Is solved.
As Hadleyburg became a com
munity of suspicion and greed for
gold. Tulle has become an unhappy
place of suspicion and hate.
STAYS TO BE WORX DURIXG
COLLEGE HOUSE PARTIES.
High-Minded Sigma Nos Proceed
to Curb Growing Tendencies of
Their Girl Guests.
PHILADELPHIA, Jan- 7. (Special.)
The "parking" of corsets at col
lege house parties has been put under
the ban by the Sigma Nu fraternity,
a national organization, with, chap
tern in 8? colleges throughout the
United States, meeting .in its 20th
biennial grand chapter at the Phila
delphia hotel.
Discussion of the "corset check
rooms" at dances and house parties
was brought up In executive session.
Walter E. Myers, regent of the Sigma
Nu fraternity, was emphatic in his
statements. "There will be no corset
checkrooms at Sigma Nu house par
ties."
"In fact, the young women who
become the gueste of our under
graduates at house parties and dances
are not of the type who would in
dulge In the atrociously immodest
oractice of removing their stays.
"Will there be any fraternal action
taken against corset checkrooms?"
Kegervt Myers waA asked.
"No. sir." Myers veplied hotly, "the
Sigma Nu fraternfty does not need
It. Sigma Nu was founded in the
south and Is schooled in chivalry and
love of real womanhood and such
an action would be a reflection on
the women of our choice.
The Slema Nu was given consider
able newspaper space for publication
of Its declaration against indulgence
In "home brew" within the walls or
fraternity houses bearing its insignia.
POINCARE GETS CABINET
(Continue From Flrat Part.)
although grave, cannot be compared to
that of 1914 and 1915. The chamber,
elected in 19i9. comprises a majority
known aa the national bloc, which ia
the opposition of internal policy to
the socialist radical group, which pre
viously was the largest and most im
portant group in the chamber.
Two Refuse Office.
M. Herrlot. leader of the socialist
radical group in the chamber, and
M. Doumergue. leader of the corre
sponding; group in the senate, re
fused office, but assured H. Sarraut,
who held the portfolio of colonies
under Briand, and who is In Wash
ington, belongs to this group, but It
Is taken for granted he will retain
his office. M. Iffont. the new
under-secretary of posts and tele
graphs, also Is a member of the
socialist radical group.
At a meeting today this party de
rided that M. Warrant, having been
charged with a delicate and complex
mission in the national Interest,
should carry it out to the end, with
power to consult his friends on his
return regarding his remaining u
the cabinet.
Of the 14 ministers, four are sena
tors Polncare, Peyronnet, btrausa
and Cheron, and ten are members of
the chamber of deputies. All the
under-secretaries are deputies. All
groups forming the left side of par
liament are represented; the social
ists and the rightists are not.
After expressing the belief that
M. Sarraut would not fail him. Pre
mier Polncare said:
'I shall not advance the convoca
tion of the chamber, which is Bet for
Thursday, as there are many things
to do between now and then."
Sarraut Is to Keep Post.
WiCIITVTlVlV T r Tot 1 K
delegation, today received an lnviti-
:ton rrom ai. oincare. new premier.
;o continue in his post of colonial
nlnister. and at once cabled his ac-:eptance.
FRANCE IS IN DANGER
(Continued From First Page.)
proximate return to normalcy In Eu
rope, England must be accepted as the
leader in such an effort. France can
not ignore the dominance of Great
Britain at this time. Lloyd George
still is the bio man of Kurope and
France has no one at this time to
cope with him. France must further
realize that since the Washington
conference and since the Irish set
tlement the bonds of friendship be
tween Great Britain and the United
States have been immeasurably
strengthened and that in any Euro
pean imbroglio involving France and
Great Britain, American sympathy
may easily be swung to the English
speaking peoples.
France has indeed become a world
problem In which the United States
has political as well as economic In
terest.
S. A H green stamps for cash.
Holman Fuel Co.. coal and wood.
Mai.. S6S: 660-21. Adv
"PAT and
-L enjoy
BAUD
DECLARES TURD EU
'Tiger's" Cub Welcomes Fall
of French Premier.
TRUST BETRAYAL CHARGED
Ex-Govern ment Chief Held to Have
Surrendered Rights in Re
cent Cannes Negotiations.
BY ANDRE TARDIBU.
Spokesman of the New Political Power In
trance. Copyright, by The Ore-
Eonl&n.
PARIS, Jan. IS. (Special cable.)
France's awakening has come! Aris
tide Briand's reign a year-long string
of Improvisations, with never a clear
cut line of French policy is at an
end.
The past two years have been years
of disintegration for France. Disin
tegration of our International status
by a servile acceptance of a foreign
thesis rejected In 191J by "Tiger"
Clemenceau. Disintegration of our
domestic politics by giving power to
men who were in a hurry to profit by
a victory they did not "help to win
and who were repudiated by the vot
ers at the last election. Disintegra
tion of our moral forces by a weak
policy which propagated defeatism of
the peace.
Why did Briand resign? when
twice within 24 hours the members of
a government meet in the absence of
their chief and twice communicate
with him telegraphically there plainly
Is discord.
In brief, parliament was beginning
to check up on the premier.
Rights Held Surrendered.
And what of our inter-allied rela
tions? Inter-allied relations are pos
sible only on a basis of right. Pre
mier Briand with his own hands de
stroyed that basis. He surrendered
the rights of France on reparations.
He surrendered the rights of Bel
gium on priorities. He surrendered
France s rights in agreeing to a
German moratorium. He surrendered
on the admission of the Germans
and of Russian sovletism to the
conference on Kupropean reconstruc
tion. France had the right to fear
that In another day he might have
severed the vital clause of the treaty
of VersaUles, giving France the right
to continue the Rhine occupation even
beyond the specified term of 15 years
in the event that Germany fails to
meet her obligations.
A majority in the chamber of depu
ties weakly had sanctioned these sue
cessive surrenders, but the time of re
sentment and refusal came at last.
M. Briand recognized it and stepped
aside.
Events marched with bewildering
rapidity during the week. When the
Cannes conference convened it was in
stantly feared that it was preparing
to overhaul the whole foundation of
the world war peace. The principal
parliamentary committees immediate
ly adopted resolutions expressing
their apprehensions to the premier.
Analyzing the reasons for this Inquie
tude is perhaps the easiest way of
clarifying the situation today.
Reparations Cut Protested.
In the first place, there was the
question of reparations. I will not
dwell upon that except to confirm
what I cabled a week ago. It was
proposed largely to diminish France's
expectations for 1922. Considering the
condition of France's financial budget,
this reduction was an extremely seri
ous thing. Furthermore, one had the
right to suspect that one reduction
would only lead to another. Against
this the parliamentary finance com
mittees protested.
A second cause for discontent was
the ill feeling aroused between France
and Belgium on account ot the mora
orium granted Germany. Here again
my recent prediction was confirmed.
Tampering with Belgium' priority
rights in the German payments was
il. received at Brussels whs.-e there
was particular irritation against Louis
ocucheur. who represented franc in
the matter. The third deiicace point
wis the invitation to the German del
egates to Cannes. Every man of good
will was shocked at allowing a con
quered nation to participate in the
debates at the present vage of inter
allied relations and before Germany
nas furnished a single proof of her
good faith. Obviously it was Ger
many's hope to complete the split
among the allies by clever counter
proposals.
Reparation Is Punishment.
The fourth cause for uneasiness was
the attempt to link up German rep
arations with the quite different prjli-
em of Europe's economic reconstruc
tion. Whatever you call it. reparation
s punishment and therefore obligu-
ory. Europe s reconstruction is busi
ness and therefore requires partner
ship. But a partnership with Ger
many before she makes the least ef
fort to repair the damage she inflicted
upon this country is a solution which
the French people could not admit
without revolt, nor couIoT'they admit
that Germany s payments were de
pendent upon the successful recon
struction of Europe. For, resting upon
he unanimous recent report of tne
OF
reparations commission, they be' eve
that Germany can and must pay now.
A fifth cause for alarm was the in
vitation to the soviet government of
Russia to be represented at Genoa. At
first it was decided to resume only
commercial relations with Russia,
without political significance.' but ad
mitting Lenine himself or a personal
representative would entail inevitably
a political relationship. At first guar
antees were to be asked of Russia, but
the invitation was issued and accepted
without ths mention of guarantees.
Recognition of the bolshevik regime
by the other governments therefore
was practically accomplished. Ths
United States, which in a note last
year summarized so forcefully the
dangers of such a recognition, would
understand why France, which lost pi in int IQ
20.000.000.000 francs throueh the so-WUrUUUO
vlet revolution, fears the approaching
arrival of Lenine or Tchtcherin.
Last Pact Protested.
A sixth and last concern was the
Anglo-French pact, tossed "Thursday
into the chamber of deputies by M.
Briand. with his "take It or leave It
gesture. To sign agreements there
must first bo agreement. But on
nearly every question France and
England think differently. Moreover,
it is only too obvious that England
demands as the price of this pact
France's final acceptance of all the
mutilations of the treaty of Versailles
accomplished in the last two years.
She demands also new concessions on
reparations and the occupation of' the
left bank of the Rhine. Remembering
Clemenceau's accepted tripartite
treaty with England and the United
States as guaranteeing France"s
rights under the treaties, it is aston
ishing that Briand should accept on
with England alone as the price ot
abandoning the same rights.
Excavations of Professor Are
Said to Prove Theory.
THINGS FOUND
wfwwwuwmf w u w H w w 1 f- f y-t , i
Discoveries Show Archaic Types of
Civilization; Pckin Society
to Make Report.
SOVIET COLLUSION DENIED
V. S. Relief Agency Declared to Be
Strictly American.
CHICAGO, Jan. 15. Walter W.
Liggett, acting secretary of the
American committee for Russian
famine relief, with national head
quarters here, denied Saturday a state
ment made by Governor Davis of
Idaho that he believed the work of
the American committee for Russian
famine relief to be in line with an
effort on the part of the Russian so
viet government to obtain food and
funds in the west for the Soviets only.
"The American committee for
Russian famine relief is American In
fact as well as in name." said Mr.
Liggett. "It Is perfectly true that
this committee distributes its relief
through the Russian Red Cross,
which was recognized October 15,
1921, by the 10th international con
ference of the Red Cross at Geneva."
Fifty Join Church.
JEFF-ERSON, Or., Jan. 15. (Spe
cial) Some 50 persons professed
conversion during the meetings held
recently in the Methodist church un
der the direction of the .pastor. Rev.
K. B. Lorckhart. Mr. Lockhart had
word from Oregon City the other day
from Mr. George, the s-lnging evan
gelist who aided him here, that in
the Oregon City Methodist Episcopal
church about 60 decisions for Chris
tianity were the result of their ef
forts to date. Mr. and Mrs. George
went to Oregon City from here. Rev.
K. G. Hornschuch, pastor of the
Evangelical church of this city, stated
that his chuVeh received 16 new mem
bers as a result of the meetings re
cently closed here.
Vasco Levy 23.69 Mill.
THE DALLES. Or., Jan. 15. (Spe
cial.! The general tax levy in Wasco
county, based on the 1931 tax rolls, for
all purposes, totata 23.69 mills, accord
ing to figures released today at the
county assessor's office. The levy for
the city calls for 49.79vniHs. In which
is included the 13.60 mille called for by
the city budget; 19.89 mills, the total
levy on all property In the county,
and 16.30 mills on the levy of school
district No. 12. The total millage for
Dufur worked out on the same basis
is 4K.99 mills: for Mosier. 45.19 mills.
MONTEREY, Men., Jan. 6. (Spe
cial.) In a recent address before the
Rotary club of the city of Mexico
Professor William Niven, American
archaeologist who has lived in Mex
ico 'for the last 30 years, described
some of the remarkable discoveries
that he has made in excavations and
explorations in this country. '
His research has practically estab
lished the correctness of the theory
that the early civilization of Mexico
was of Chinese origin.
Before starting excavation in the
valley of Mexico ten years ago Pro
fessor Niven passed several years in
the Interior of the state of Guerrero
where he unearthed the mines of a
large buried city of prehistoric times.
Discussing the research work upon
which he now is engaged he said:
"The locality where the excavations
are being made is known as Tlatelco,
which means, according to the Mexi
can historian, Torquemanda, a conical
construction or pyramid made by
hand. My excavations have been car
ried on there for more than ten years
and continuously for more than four
years, during which time I have
moved 40.000 tons of dirt and found
more than 30.000 artifacts, many of
them being unique and I have donated
to the national museum all that are
found desirable and the remainder
they gave me permission to export.
Cement ITsnally Found.
"Most of the land in this section of
the valley is divided among the In
dians in small lots from 100 to 120
feet souare, which I rent from them
and am now finishing my eighth
farm. During the week four to five
laborers dig a trench across the lot
from five to ten feet deep, always
finding several pits filled with ashea
and gravel. Once a week I employ
from eight to ten men and personally
dig Into these pits, securing the con
tents and using a screen when neces
sary. At the depth of four to five
feet I usually find a layer nf cement,
which appears to have been a wall
overthrown by flood. All the arti
facts found above this layer appear to
he Aztec civilization and below this
for five or six feet they appear to
be Teotihuacan and Toltec, therefore
classified as pre-Aztec.
"At a depth of 13 to 15 feet from
the sin-fare the civilization seems to
be primitive or archaic and of a dis
tinctly Mongolian type. The swas
tika, labyrinth and the decoration ap
pear and inren.se burners, as well aa
ornaments. The Rnake and owl, as
well as butterflies, are common.
"Many varieties of flowers are used
ae ornaments and decoration, but the
great nsmher of different head
dresses and remarkable racial types
present a priceless opportunity for
study to the ethnologists.
furious Symbol in Malls.
1-ast January some fragments of
cement walls were found with curious
symbols and figures painted with
bright red and yellow ornre. Since
then fragments from 12 inches in size
to 10 feet have been found weekly,
together with slabs of andesite two
and three inches in thickness. A to
tal of 23 have been found with de
signs in red, yellow and bright green.
".Secretary Yeesheng C. C. Tao of
the Chinese legation has identified
some of the symbols on the wnlls as
lAfell-known Pitchman
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BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO LOS ANGELES
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Scientific society ind it will be hi
trert intr to hp-ar their report.
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