It must be pleasant, in some ways, to be a
Rothschild, but there are drawbacks, especially in France. It is a very short time since an attempt was made to kill Baron Alphonse by an explosive hidden in a letter, and on Thursday afternoon an attempt was made to blow up his bank in the Rue Laffitte. The criminal, who was arrested, and declared himself an Anarchist, threw a bomb with a fuse into the hall, and fled, being promptly pursued and seized by a detective. He had, as he thought, lighted the fuse from a cigarette, but the ashes baffled him, and no explosion followed. The Baron, it appears, is constantly in receipt of threatening letters, and the criminal now arrested declares that others are intent on ful- filling his mission. There seems to be no dislike to the family, which is generous in its benefactions ; but the Anarchists and Socialists regard them as the representatives of all who " skim the cream from the milk of labour," and are anxious to frighten " society " by killing Rothschilds. The effect of frightening society is, of course, to make it worse than ever, because more cruel ; but the Anarchists seem unable to recognise that truth. As yet they have accomplished nothing beyond ruining the Socialists, who are supposed—unjustly- to be their allies.
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