Show Grave French Scholars Cut Grammatical Knot The French are particular about the niceties of culture even about such formalities as grammar Yet for centurIes the academy illustrious ous and wIse as It I is had been help helpless helpless less before IrregularIty not to say Incongruity In reference to ships Now at last these matters are to be beb b better ordered The minister of ma- ma marine marine rine has Issued Instructions to all alln n D nl and merchant marine author author- authorities ties des that in the future ships bearing feminine names shall be paid the complIment ot of the femInIne article The trouble started In the dim past before Caesar sought native triremes to take his legions across the British channel for It was de- de decided then that ships were to be con masculine The custom pre through revolution and cons cons- conster tor ter revolution so that today the Trench give them all the masculine article le bateau le Ie le Ie for example As time went wenton wenton on some ships were named for tor famous fa- fa famous women a few e ehen een en for the owners owner's wife Then the trouble be- be began be gun gan Le Lc Je inne dArc d'Arc dArc d'Arc- manIfestly an absurdity now hap hap- happily happily to be struck from the practice of the nation Hartford nation Hartford Courant |