At present, the hands of the police are completely tied by the fact that 90 percent of the Germans who remained or have been drifting back are naturalized as Frenchmen, and the chamber, with characteristic procrustination, keeps putting off passage of the proper measures to take this naturalization from the Germans and permit the police to oust them.
An illuminating article was published in La Liberté the other evening signed by H. Guilt.
"One wonders at finding in the midst of the entrenched camp of Paris so many enemy subjects," he says. "There has never been at any time so many foreigners in Paris. I do not mean visitors here temporarily, but people stopping permanently, doing business, exploiting enterprises and all too often taking the men. No these undesirable citizens out.
"In December, 1914, Mr. Laurent, who was then prefect of police, stated that 150,000 aliens were settled in the capital. Today, according to the official figures, there are 171,000. The great majority stay here without authorization. The special commission named to investigate foreigners and issue permits for residence has been unable to pass upon more than 38,000 cases. Three thousand permissions were granted and the same number of refusals were made.
The jobs of mobilized French clothing has been done to keep Stayed in Spite of All. 