The manceuvres with which French Governments have to contend were exemplified by the Coup de Bourse which was brought off yesterday. So many Frenchman are holders of rentes that any sudden depreciation in this stock is felt all over the country, and, of course, ull the responsibility is laid at the door of the Government. The leaders of several reactionary groups took advantage of this to deal an underhanded blow at their opponents in office. Orders were given that large blocks of French rentes should be offered on the Paris Bourse, and, at the same time, rumours were put in circulation '9 the effect that several members of the Superior Council of War had resigned out of sympathy with their late colleague, General de Négrier, and that the members of the Dreyfus Court-martial had also asked to be relieved of their functions. These manceuvres hid the desired effect, the price of 3 por cent rentes falling, for the first time in ten years, below par. Then the organisers of the scheme bought back and went home rejoicing in the consciousness of having injured the Government of their country and pocketed a substantial profit as well.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.