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Show THE CURRENT FRENCH CRAZE. Extreme Legislation Promised as the Result Re-sult of the Spy Mania. The succession of fanatical crazes in which the French people have been indulging in-dulging in the past two years has placed upon the statute books some of the most monstrous laws that ever disgraced a monarchy, not to say a democracy. The present spy mania promises to add some amazing legislation of this description. The law against espionage laid before the chamber by tho minister of war, now awaiting enactment, is of this character. char-acter. Tho pretended purpose of tho bill is to enable the penalty of death against traitors, such as Captain Dreyfus, to be inflicted, but it contains a number of Insidious clauses which would enable a government not troubled with scruples of conscience to get rid of its enemies by trumping up spurious charges of disclosing dis-closing state secrets. For instance, it proposes to inflict five years' imprisonment and 10,000 francs' fine on any unqualified person who shall, even without intent of espionage, have procured, got hold of or published any plans, documents or information concerning con-cerning tho national defense or the external ex-ternal safety of the state. This proposal is strongly denounced by the opposition newspapers, and even the ministerial Debats admits that it is going a little too far. It is hardly surprising that some of the London newspapers are declaring de-claring that the only safety for foreigners foreign-ers is to stay away from France. Paris Letter. |
