29 JUNE 1907, Page 15

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

THE latest news from the South of France seems to show that the troubles caused by the Wine War will soon be settled. A dramatic incident occurred on Sunday last. M. Marcellin Albert, the ringleader of the agitation, who had evaded arrest by lying perdu for several days, suddenly arrived in Paris and called on M. Clemenceau. The Prime Minister is reported to have severely rebuked 21. Albert, reducing him to tears, but in the end let him go free, with a small loan of money, urging him, however, to go and place himself at the disposal of the law. In evidence of' the Government's desire to cope with the crisis, we may note that the Wine Fraud Bill, which obliges all wine-growers to make an annual declaration of the amount of their crop, imposes a supple. raentary - fax - of forty francs per hundred kilos, and obliges all grocers who sell more than twenty.five kilos of sugar to. make a public declaration to that effect, has been voted by the' Chamber, and is admitted by the Southern Deputies to be a serious effort to improve the economic situation. In reply to a deputation from Nimes soliciting the release of the arrested members of the Com- mittee of ,A.rgeliers, M. Clemenciau professed his desire to show leniency on condition that the municipalities took the first step by resuraing their duties.