At Bethune in France on Monday four murderers, members of
a notorious gang, were executed. There had not been an execution in Franco since 1905, and only the recent strong expression of opinion in the Chamber in favour of retaining capital punishment prevented the President from signing the usual warrants of reprieve. The executions were carried out in public as required by the law, and there was an enormous crowd of noisy and morbid spectators whom the troops had difficulty in controlling. Most decent-minded people in Franco desire that executions should take place inside the prisons ; but though there has been this strong opinion for many years, nothing has been done to alter the law. Englishmen accuse themselves of being unpractical, but at all events they are not alone in their habit of delaying to introduce changes which nearly every one wishes.
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