the ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CONDITIONS. The and the government had increased the corps of colonies appeared to be on a sound economic cccupation. Some critics of the administration and financial basis in 1908, having completely advocated an extreme measure of decentralizarecovered from the crisis of 1905-6. Commerce tion that would leave the Governor-General had recently increased and the budgets were little authority. Others held that the difficulbeginning to show a surplus. Periods of ties would be removed by more prudent and scarcity had recurred with great regularity and skilful administration, declaring that the government's surplus in good years was agents of the government were often imprudent likely to be required to meet the demands of and careless of political consequences, especially hard times. The retiring Governor-General de- in the matter of collecting taxes. They advoclared that within two years and without in- cated the admission of the resident chiefs to a creased taxation means would suffice for t'e share in the financial administration. They carrying out of plans for economic improve- said that the trouble was due in no small part ment, including the loan for the construction of to the dispersion and crumbling of power, to the Yunnan railway. There was, however, the tendency to get out of relation with the popular discontent with the methods of collect- mandarins, to the introduction of an education ing the taxes. Abuses in the collection of in- that did not sufficiently regard tradition and direct taxes caused disaffection among the na- was ill-suited to the needs of the people and to tives in certain localities. the importation of electoral devices out of keeping with their character. DISTURBED POLITICAL CONDITIONS. For an account of the difficulty with the Chinese on the Tongking frontier, owing to their raids across the border and the killing of French troops, see CHINA, paragraphs on History. This occasioned some criticism of the French government for having in the previous year reduced the number of effective troops in IndoChina and diminished the number of fortified places on the frontier. The situation among tue natives was more alarming, especially in Central Annam, where in April and the early part of May there were signs of serious disaffection. Thousands traversed the country in bands, compelling passers-by to join them, and urged the people to join in a strike against the payment of taxes. They went before the resident chiefs and protested against the exactions of the mandarins. They were unarmed and did little damage. The Europeans were unmolested. The real nature of the movement was not understood. Some explained it as a popular impulse toward progress along the lines that Japan had followed. Others saw in it a conservative reaction in favor of the old régime. Its immediate cause, however, was the discontent with the tax system as administered by the mandarins. Critics of the government argued that too many concessions had been made to the vague political aspirations of the people, creating an impression that the government would relax its hold. It was ill-advised, they said, to encourage the natives with hopes of liberty in the European sense and of institutions unsuited to their stage of development. It was also said that the rule was divided between too many conflicting and overlapping jurisdictions to the confusion of the Annamese. On June 27 an attempt at poisoning nearly cost the lives of 250 French soldiers. This greatly alarmed the colonists, a body of whom went to the Governor-General's palace, forced the doors and demanded the heads of the guilty. The Governor-General restored order with some difficulty. Much concern over the matter was expressed in the French press. The criminals were punished with great severity. Some native soldiers attempted a mutiny and there were further aggressions from bandits, who had for a long time past committed outrages at intervals. These things were cited as proof of greatly disturbed conditions, but on the other hand it was said that the situation was not as serious as had been represented and it was thought that the new administration would deal with it effectively. Vigorous measures had already been taken against the bandits FRENCH LITERATURE. The year 1908, like 1907, was notable for a rather marked tendency to react against radical theories, a tendency which manifested itself in two ways: with some in giving up altogether the fighting for ideas and for a while cultivating art for the sake of art; with others, in opposing conservative theories to revolutionary views. Possibly in 1908 there was a little more fighting spirit on the progressive side. THEATRE. As the YEAR BOOK gives elsewhere a special account of the events in the dramatic world, we need only indicate here a few facts that will not be reviewed there. Several authors adopted the form of the drama in verse to express their ideas, without expecting to get their works put on the stage, so Blémont, Théâtre légendaire, with such plays as Le jugement de Salomon, Reyne de Naples, Libres cours; and Raoul de Lafagette, who has a great five act drama, La grande Lorraine (Lafagette belongs to the first generation of the Parnassian poets). Several classical novels were put on the stage: Balzac's L'auberge rouge, Bourget's L'émigré and Le divorce, Loti's Ramuntcho. Among the interesting "reprises" was Molière's Misanthrope, with Mlle. Cerny, and Leitner. The 50th anniversary of Rachel's death was commemorated. The creation of a Théâtre independant which produces plays of young authors, nine a year, should be mentioned. After the "première," 15 representations will be given in different quarters of Paris and of the provinces. NOVELS. Some maintain that the novel is losing ground in literature (See La Revue, Oct. 1, 1908, Le Krach du Roman) Certainly the reviewer feels quite differently, seeing not only the great number of them that came out in France in 1908, but the great number of good ones. First there are a good many that cannot be considered as exactly introducing a new note in literature, but must be mentioned as standing above the average production: Marcel Prevost's Lettres à Françoise Mariée are still interesting, though not up to the Lettres à Francoise (1907). The clever, poetical, piquant girl fascinated us; the poetry of married life is not so well grasped by the author, and then a man giving advice to a married woman-it is just a trifle ridiculous; but Marcel Prevost turns to be more and more a writer of the moralizing type. Bourget's Détours du coeur are such stories as have come from the pen of this author for many |