Chamber Traffic

On the desk of Fernand Bouisson, President of the Chamber of Deputies, is an arrangement of red and white flashing lights, newly installed last week. Fifteen minutes after a speaker obtains the floor, a white flash warns him courteously that his time is almost up. If he does not stop talking when the red flash comes, everyone knows he is out of order. In spite of this innovation, parliamentary business proceeded as slowly as ever in Paris last week.

Debt. Most important problem of the week was France's debt to the U. S. A. matter of 400 million dollars is owed by France for surplus war materials, due on August 1 unless France should in the meantime ratify the Mellon-Berenger agreement for funding the whole French debt ($4,025,000,000). The French deputies, anxious to avoid ratifying any debt agreement at all as long as possible, ingenuously asked Prime Minister Raymond Poincare to request more time from Washington. Dutifully M. Poincare instructed Ambassador Paul Claudel to interview Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson. Dutifully Ambassador Claudel called at the Stimson office, was referred to Secretary of the Treasury Andrev Mellon. Secretary Mellon, himself under orders, was dutifully unimpressed. Mr. Claudel so informed M. Poincare, who so informed the Chamber of Deputies, which was then more sternly than ever faced with the necessity of paying 400 millions on August 1, or ratifying the Mellon-Berenger agreement, or else repudiating the entire debt. That would blow France's financial credit beyond even the power of Morgan to save it. Ratification of the Mellon-Berenger agreement became more imminent.

Film Quota. Vital to U. S. business was the interminable debate on France's film quota law, a law providing that only four foreign films (instead of seven, as now) may be imported into France for each French film produced. U. S. film men, when passage of the law seemed certain several weeks ago, threatened to withdraw all films from France at once. French exhibitors, knowing their patrons' preference for U. S. films, immediately protested. The quota law hung fire.