be Paid in Gold Frost Oce Own Paris, Sept. 26, Tt has just become known that July the British Government proposed to the French Government that they should jointly ask for} bit ration on the question whether British holders of French Route issues made in London daring the war should receive their interest and redemption payments in pre-war} gold values or in paper francs, which, as everyone knows, are worth only one-fifth of a' gold! frane. The note seems to be largely based on the fact that, at the tance of the French Government, Judgments have been sivan by the} International Court at The Hague requiring Brazil and Serbia to resume gold payments to French. citizens who took up loans issued, in France by Brazil and Serbit these two countries having hitherto paid the interest in paper francs.
The French argument is that} these Brazilian and Serbian loans were fundamentally different in character from the French -Rente issues in London, because the former were international loans issued jmultaneously in several capitals 8 part of ons operation. French, British, Swiss and other foreign holders paid for the bonds in gold Jand received their interest in xold until the frane began to depreciate, when the two borrowing Govern ments began the practice of paying] their. French creditors in paper franes, while continuing to pay holders of other nationalities in cold. The Route issued made in London, on the contrary, form the art of the original French issues, and consequently British holders are not entitled to more than French The French Defence Antonine, the celebrated French. factor and manager, *draws atten tion to what he deteribes as very Jeurious instructions issued by [John Forsell, manager of the Royal Opeia, Stockholm, to his singers. says that most of them are. too fat, and that many spectators' have formed the habit of shutting thei leyes, so as not to have the pleasure lof hearing a fine voice spoiled by. the unromantic appearance of the singer, Tt should be added that Mr! Forsell himself, though over sixty, has remained slender and can be st figure on the stage, as Don Juan: He adds that operas have not hither-had to consider the question of, physical education for the artistes lout so many of them have let them? selves go that the expression loperatie heavy-weight" has come ints He thinks that the strict disefpline maintained in these matters at Holly wood would not be out of place in Jdvamatic and musical art, that the effect of an opera or any other musical play is not so dependent: fon the voices as it used to be, and [that for his part he intends to' give effect to these considerations when renewing singers' contracts or mak~ ing fresh ones.
Otherwise, he says, the artistic reputation of his estal lishment will be in danger.
'A great many more spectators must have expressed similar views. T must myself confess to having lonce been obliged to retire from the Paris Opera in consequence of un+ seemly mirth over the appearance fof two famous singers who were civing the grand duet in "Tristan, jand Isolde." I afterwards heard that their performance was common:
described by other disrespectful persons as the "whale and elephant"
One French financial writer puts! the case more bluntly when he says. that the British holders took up. his French Government stock "as: fan act of solidarity and as a speculation. The solidarity, how-jover, has been broken (when ¢x-change ceased to be pegged, and, the speculation has turned out But for the sudden rupture of financial solidarity be-[tween the victors, there would have been no exchange crisis and no abilization of the franc on the basis of 124 to the pound sterling."
'The value of this argument of {course depends on the terms of the financial solidarity agreement between the two countries during the war and whether it was accepted both parties as continuous' or limited, is a point which could be settled only by official disclosures. In other words, did the British Government reserve the right to terminate the agreement on ziving Inotice? In this contingency, which seems the more probable of the two, there could be no cause to reproach the. British Government ith a "rupture of financial solid rity" and one wonders why thi solidarity should be expected to continue at the expense of Bri The "Temps," in a brief comment Jon the British note, ocks: "Why should we arbitrate? This question concerns French leans. without any international character. These were not several different portions lof ore and the same loan. The scrip held by the British subseribjets is exactly the same as the Iserip delivered to French subserib-Jers, and the service of these loans: jean therefore only be effected the only currency legal in Francs The "Liberté" asks: "Why should] there be two weights and two meat sures? The capital lost by French] [subscribers to the same loans re-
The latest addition to the list of wshiers who help themselves to. their employers' money is in rome respects even more remarkable than, his predecessors. His name is Aimé Roussillon, his age is 68, and he has been in the employ of a Paria manufacturer for fifteen years. Early in September he went away Jon his annual vacation, leaving, Jeverythingg apparently in order, A few days later, his employer, need-Ing money for current expenses, Jdvew cheque, and was surprised to find that he had not enough in the Lank to meet it, When Rous-lion returned, he'wad asked for an explanation, and said there must be some book-keeping mistake which hho would set right. He did his work as usual but absented himself next day. An accountant was called in, rather Into in the day, the books were examined, and the respected Jeashier's accounts were revealed. us showing a deficiency of, about £12,000.
When arrested he was very me Jdignant at first, but the facts and figures brooked' no denial, and at Jength he made a full confession, It appears that, in spite of his age Jand external respectability, he had Jo feminine friend of extravagant: tastes, afflicted with a weakness for horse-racing and very poor luck in spotting winners. He used to away for the week-end and tell his wife vague stories of extra work fat the office. He even introduced her, on a race course, to the other lady, and was much amused when is' wife remarked upon the large bets made by her new aequaintaneeexplained that che was a wealthy. [widow who had the use of a large "Jineome pending the minority of her two children. In reality, the here. crime out of his empl presents several times the amount lost. by subscribers in the rest of the world," which is no doubt true} boat is beside the point. We do not yet know the nature of the French Government's reply to the surges tion from London, "Tite Chinese General Chamber of Commerce of Peking has issued a citeular telegram objecting to the proposed removal of the Museum of Antiquities from Peking to: Nanking" as -ovdered " the Administrative
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.